Planners in search of pickleball sound solution

By Dana Casadei

With an increase in pickleball courts there has also been an increase in concern from Bloomfield Township residents about the popular game, with the noise being many people’s major complaint, as township planners were reminded last week on Wednesday August 5.

“As you will find out, Bloomfield Township is not the only community that’s wrestling with this,” said Andrea Szajnecki, director of planning, building and ordinance.

Across the country, from large townships to small towns, there have been lawsuits, and threats of them, over pickleball noise, which can be roughly the same frequency of a garbage truck backing up when the pickleball is hit. When the ball and paddle connect during a game of pickleball, the sound can be heard at 70db, 100 feet from the court, while tennis is around 40db. 

In Bloomfield Township, there have been 29 permission requests for pickleball that have gone before the zoning board of appeals since 2023. Of those 29, all were approved, and 17 of them had dimensional variances. During those four years the number of pickleball court requests fluctuated, with 2025 having the most requests at 13 and 2026, so far at least, having the fewest with only three. 

Currently, there’s a moratorium that’s been placed on new pickleball courts.

Griffin Grava, intern for the township’s planning, building & ordinance department, presented five potential solutions to the planning commission with the intent to show what is happening nationally and start discussions on what solutions the township could consider using moving forward.

“This is just to get information,” he said. “Currently, all pickleball courts must go before the zoning board of appeals.”

Grava’s solutions included replacing current equipment to play with foam paddles and balls; adding sound blocking materials to fences; adjusting the hours of play allowed in Bloomfield Township; pointing the ends of pickleball courts, where the sound is often the loudest, away from homes; and installing pickletile. 

Some of his suggestions had Grava listing more cons than pros, including high cost, inefficiency with its ability to reduce noise and concerns about enforcement. 

After Grava’s presentation the planning commission said that the only way to reduce sound would probably be to adjust the hours of play. 

Szajnecki said that they plan to continue working on this and will be presenting it to various boards in hopes to gain feedback. The ultimate goal is to think about creating an ordinance amendment or creating an ordinance that works within Bloomfield Township.