ARLINGTON, Va. — The noise associated with the fast-growing sport of pickleball has been an ongoing source of frustration in Northern Virginia.
In an effort to address the neighborhood noise at the Walter Reed Community Center in Arlington, acoustic fencing was installed around the courts to try to tamp down the racket. Arlington County Parks & Recreation said the goal is to reduce noise by 10 decibels.
“This is an additional layer to try to improve the situation at Walter Reed,” said Park Development Division Chief Erik Beach. “There’s a balance. You’re balancing noise, user play, and impact as far as aesthetics.”
The county has been involved in community meetings and fielded numerous complaints about high-pitch noise from the courts. Arlington resident and avid pickleball player Kathleen Murray hopes this will improve the relationship with neighbors.
“I was happy to see how they went up,” Murray told WUSA9. “It might be a little warm in the summer but if that can cut down on the noise and help us coexist better, that’s great.”
However, neighbors including Emily Scheu call the fencing an eyesore. Scheu stressed she has a neutral thought on the pickleball debate and appreciates how the park has become livelier.
“I think it's very unattractive and really breaks up the park and takes away the benefits of living across the street from a park,” Scheu said. “Rather than having noise, there's now a giant black box in our park.”
In response, Beach said the barriers are the best approach.
“The aesthetic impact is on the eye of the beholder,” he said. “Yes, it's on black tarp and will have an impact but will also be a way to reduce noise.”
The county has already reduced hours and re-striped tennis courts in other facilities to increase availability to help reduce the impact of pickleball playing.
RELATED: Pickleball: Debate continues over what to do with the courts at the Walter Reed Community Center
The Walter Reed location is undergoing more community feedback this Fall to help design a permanent pickleball facility.
Beach said the county is getting ready to release feedback from the last engagement this September. They plan to take the information from upcoming meetings to create and determine a construction contract by next year.
WUSA9 asked experts whether the sport is actually louder than tennis or other sports.
Professor Kausik Sarkar at George Washington University studies complex sonic problems as applied to the medical field. For this issue, he had a simple hypothesis: the harder, plastic outdoor pickleballs might produce a louder pop than the softer tennis ball.
“The pickleball is hard and the paddle itself is also hard,” he said, “while the tennis ball is soft.”
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