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Residents urge Poway council to require noise studies and block large commercial pickleball courts at the Farm
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Summary
Two residents told the Poway City Council they oppose a large commercial pickleball facility proposed for the Farm parcel, citing health, noise and plan‑consistency concerns; a council member said any application would be made public and require neighborhood engagement.
Two Poway residents told the City Council on April 7 they oppose locating a large, outdoor commercial pickleball complex on a parcel known as the Farm, and urged officials to require updated, site‑specific noise studies and to enforce the Farm's approved 2020 specific plan.
"My name is Dr. Betsy Bush," said Dr. Bush, who identified herself as a specialist in brain and behavioral health and lives at 17046 Goodeave Drive. She said repetitive impulse noise from pickleball — which she contrasted with tennis or traffic noise — triggers a fight‑or‑flight stress response, raises cortisol within an hour and can contribute to behavioral problems in children and chronic health problems in adults. She estimated that 16 outdoor courts operating 12 hours a day could produce "well over 150,000 pops" of ball‑against‑paddle per day and said nearby residents already report significant mental and physical health problems.
Vanessa Springett said the site sits in a bowl where sound will carry and amplify into surrounding homes and asked the council to require updated, site‑specific noise studies that reflect the parcel's topography and the actual number of courts. "Approving a project without fully understanding that impact is not responsible governance," she said, and urged the city to require the developer to build the community amenities that voters approved in the Farm's 2020 specific plan rather than a large commercial facility.
Council discussion after the public comments emphasized process. A council member who identified themself as Chris said the city has not received any development application for the club site and pledged that "any application that comes forward . . . we will absolutely make public" and that staff, in coordination with Development Services Director Julie Procopio, will require applicants to engage both the Farm homeowners association and the broader neighborhood.
The council did not take action on the matter during the meeting; speakers asked only that residents be invited to informal staff‑developer discussions prior to any application and that any formal proposal include updated, site‑specific noise analysis and meaningful neighborhood engagement.
Next steps: the council reiterated there is no current application; if a developer applies, the application will be processed publicly and the council said it will require neighborhood engagement before planning action.
