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Council approves covered pickleball courts at Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club after mixed public comment
Summary
The council approved a conditional use permit allowing Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club to build four covered and two uncovered pickleball courts with conditions to limit hours, require monitoring and install sound‑deadening measures after neighbors voiced both support for year‑round play and concerns about structure height, noise and lighting.
City Council voted 10‑0 on March 17 to approve a modification to the Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club's existing conditional use permit permitting four covered pickleball courts and two adjacent uncovered courts on the club's property.
Attorney Lisa Murphy, representing the club, described the project as a repurposing and modest expansion of an existing tennis court area: the canopy structure will be approximately 33.5 feet high, contain internal lights and include an automated shutoff to prevent late‑night operation. “Pickle ball is one of the fastest growing sports … it's easy to play,” Murphy told council, and the club proposed manned hours, cameras and a noise‑reducing "pickle block" barrier along the western edge.
Neighbors offered opposing perspectives. Supporters said the covered courts would make the sport playable year‑round and could reduce noise by moving lights and activity indoors. David Hodgson, who lives nearby, said the covered structure would actually help quiet play and expand safe recreation opportunities.
Opponents said the canopy's scale and the proposed 11:00 p.m. lights cutoff concerned adjacent homeowners. “A 34‑foot tall building doesn't fit in this residential area,” said Janet Ogrren, who described the structure as “a blimp” visible from backyards and urged the council to reconsider scale and oversight. Clara Caps and other residents urged stronger on‑site supervision rather than relying solely on surveillance cameras to address rowdy behavior.
Council and staff reviewed conditions addressing hours, lighting and noise mitigation; planning staff and the planning commission recommended approval with conditions. The motion to approve carried 10‑0.
Why it matters: The decision allows a private club to expand year‑round recreational capacity while formalizing operating controls intended to limit neighborhood impacts. Neighbors and councilmembers flagged the tradeoffs between community recreation demand and the scale of structures installed in residentially adjacent settings.
What comes next: The club must comply with the permit conditions (hours, lighting, noise‑mitigation materials and monitoring) and staff will enforce compliance if neighbors report violations.
