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Neighbors and players clash over pickleball at Haddon Field Club as land-use questions mount
Summary
Neighbors and Haddon Field Club members debated whether pickleball is a permitted use and whether the courts violate sound limits. Club members offered sound mitigation spending and said prior approvals existed; neighbors argued the use should be halted or reviewed by the proper land-use board.
A sustained and often heated exchange about pickleball at the Haddon Field Club dominated public comment on June 24, as neighbors and club members disputed land-use authority and noise impacts.
Joan and Charles Brong told commissioners they believe the pickleball courts are not a permitted use and that the matter should be reviewed by the Zoning Board rather than the Planning Board; they asked that activity be stopped while the determination is made. The Borough Solicitor said no final determination had been made yet as to which board will hear the matter and that the club had been sent a violation and requested an extension from counsel.
Haddon Field Club members, including Dave Larkin (a former land-use lawyer), said the former zoning officer had approved the use and that they have complied with multiple sound measurements. Club members said they had considered spending more than $12,000 on sound mitigation but withheld installation because they wanted assurance that alleged harassment of players would stop. A county sound report was referenced; some speakers said it found violations, while others noted a procedural technicality in the report’s preparation.
Mark Tambussi and other neighbors said proposed usage restrictions presented earlier were unreasonable and that the Brongs’ right to quiet enjoyment should be protected. Several speakers urged direct negotiation; others signaled intent to press the land-use boards for formal determinations.
The Solicitor and officials advised that the borough has issued a violation notice and that the matter will proceed through the applicable land-use process to determine whether the Planning Board or Zoning Board has jurisdiction.
