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Residents press Mentor Council on pickleball safety and bed-and-breakfast rules
Summary
Two residents urged council to address safety and management at the Mentor pickleball courts and to reconsider rules that exclude bed-and-breakfasts from permitted uses outside the village zoning district.
At the March 17 public-comment period, two residents raised quality-of-life concerns for the Mentor City Council: one asked for safety and operational changes at the city's large outdoor pickleball complex, and another urged reconsideration of rules that limit bed-and-breakfast operations.
Alex Fish of 6234 Glenwood Drive told the council he plays pickleball and praised the courts as a free, widely used amenity, but raised three concerns: inconsistent floodlight shutoff times across court groups (lights on some courts go off earlier than others), players bringing loudspeakers and music late into the evening, and an increase in unruly behavior during busy sessions. Fish said a friend had called the non-emergency police line after feeling unsafe and suggested adding police officers during peak seasons to deter trouble.
Kathy Joe Kaiser of 9161 Jackson Street described operating an owner-occupied bed-and-breakfast in a historic 1864 home and asked council to revisit recent short-term rental rules. She said she meets guests at the door, screens them and collects local hotel taxes; she asked for a code path that would allow owner-occupied B&Bs under city rules. The law director responded that bed-and-breakfasts are not a permitted use in most city zoning districts, except a provision in the old village classification; he said a discrete code amendment could be considered to allow owner-occupied B&Bs under defined conditions.
Councilmembers acknowledged both speakers and signaled that technical and zoning follow-up would be required: staff can provide guidance on park hours/enforcement and the Planning/Legal departments could advise on possible B&B code amendments. No immediate policy changes were made during the meeting.
