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Alpharetta adopts pickleball siting rules after residents describe intrusive noise; council-bound changes set 250‑foot prohibition
Summary
Following widespread public comment about noise and sleep disruption from converted courts, the Planning Commission approved Unified Development Code amendments that prohibit outdoor pickleball courts within 250 feet of a dwelling, require conditional review and acoustical analysis for closer sites, and clarify applicability to new construction and conversions after adoption.
Staff presented a package of Unified Development Code text amendments to address a recent rise in converted pickleball courts and resident complaints about noise. Planner Kathy Cook described a three‑tier approach: prohibited zone, conditional zone, and by‑right zone for outdoor courts, recommended design standards (orientation, barriers), and enforcement measures including revocation of conditional use permits for persistent violations.
The staff draft initially recommended a 350‑foot prohibited buffer based on national examples, but commissioners debated the distance and asked staff to root the recommendation in comparative research. After extensive public comment — several residents described the repetitive, high‑pitched paddle strikes as audible inside homes and linked the noise to sleep disruption — commissioners agreed to adjust the prohibited zone to 250 feet and to clarify applicability to "new outdoor courts including new conversions of existing sports courts after adoption." The motion also amended the definition of net language to "attached or unattached."
Several residents told the commission they now hear paddle strikes inside bedrooms and offices and that some HOAs converted tennis courts to permanent pickleball without city review; others (HOA representatives) urged flexibility and worried that retroactive restrictions would prevent community upgrades. Staff and commissioners clarified the code would not be retroactive and would apply to new conversions after adoption; enforcement would rely on the noise ordinance (60 dBA at the property line) and code/zoning conditions for conditional permits.
The Planning Commission voted unanimously to adopt the UDC amendments with the stated edits. Staff will forward the text amendment to City Council for final action.
