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Residents urge limits on Centennial Park pickleball courts; board leans toward mixed‑use approach
Summary
Neighbors told trustees that converting two tennis courts into six dedicated pickleball courts would create impulse noise, traffic and use conflicts. The parks advisory board recommended keeping two mixed‑use courts striped for both tennis and pickleball; the board treated the item as discussion only and will revisit in a formal decision.
Public comments at the Antioch Village Board meeting centered on a parks proposal to reconfigure the tennis courts at Centennial Park.
Pam Whittinger told the board the parks advisory recommendation to replace the two existing tennis courts with six pickleball‑only courts would place play as close as 35 feet from nearby homes and 40 feet from a frequently used pavilion. "Pickleball play creates a piercing pop…1 cohort can generate up to 11,000 pops in 1 day," Whittinger said, urging the board to consider impulse‑noise studies and citing a May 2025 Acoustical Society of America study that she said raised concerns about chronic exposure.
Keith Whitaker, who said he lives on Gary’s Drive, told trustees he expects visitor traffic and parking to increase if the site is converted. He noted the renovated park would add amenities — paths, playground upgrades and spectator seating — that could draw more nonlocal visitors. "So the traffic condition would just probably get worse," he said.
Arlene Messner Peters and Bernie Valenzuela echoed the noise and community‑use concerns, urging the board to seek additional research and to learn from other municipalities that have changed or reversed court conversions after resident complaints.
Parks Director Katie Kozlowski reported the parks advisory board’s recommendation that Centennial Park be renovated with two mixed‑use racket courts striped for both tennis and pickleball to preserve flexibility and reduce impacts on nearby homes. Mayor Garten said he had previously favored full conversion but that resident input and staff materials had changed his view; the mayor characterized the discussion as directional and said the board was collecting feedback rather than conducting a final vote.
No formal action was taken at the committee meeting; the mayor noted the agenda was organized so tonight’s session would be discussion‑focused and that any vote would occur at a later meeting. Staff will continue to work with the parks advisory board and return with any refinements or formal recommendations.
