Village board tables ordinance that would have limited pickleball hours at Cody Park

The Whitefish Bay Village Board voted to table an ordinance that would have sharply limited pickleball hours at Cody Park after more than an hour of public comment and trustee discussion.

Anna (staff) told the board that neighbors had raised ongoing noise concerns and that the public works committee had recommended hours restrictions and noise‑reduction measures. The draft ordinance presented would have limited play at Cody Park to a 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. window and prohibited pickleball at Cahill Square Park; staff said earlier steps included installing noise‑reduction barriers and earlier limits of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Trustees and attendees offered competing views. Several trustees and many players in the audience argued the proposed 10 a.m.–2 p.m. window would exclude working people and families and would substantially curtail a popular recreational amenity. Other trustees and neighbors said the frequency and character of pickleball sound had created a legitimate quality‑of‑life problem for residents adjacent to the courts and that technical mitigation should be tried.

A motion to table the ordinance — to give staff time to develop alternate solutions such as softer paddles/balls, additional mitigation, or different locations — carried on a 4–3 vote. President Buckley announced the board would revisit the issue later and work to balance recreation access with neighboring residents’ concerns.

Next steps: the board directed staff to return with alternatives and a timeline for follow‑up; if no consensus emerges, trustees said they might revisit specific hour limits or other constraints at a future meeting.