letter from a member of the public
I am sharing a letter from one of the folks who lives near the Robron courts who is asking for our cooperation in following the rules. I know that you may say that they shouldn't live by a sportsfield if they have complaints about noise. Many of the neighbours have lived there since before the courts were built and the noise is being imposed on them since the courts were constructed. If there are enough complaints courts can be closed down as they have been in other areas of the country so I think it is prudent to be as respectful of the neighbours as possible.
The weather is now changing and more and more sports fans are once again on the fields. It is my understanding your organization is in charge of replacing the noise guards around this Robron site. They do not silence the constant PING PING AND LAUGHTER FROM THOSE TAKING PART but go a long way for allowing neighbours overlooking the courts to make use of their decks, to read, barbecue, garden, etc.and or entertain.
Please remind members too of the hours as set by City.
Not 6 am on a sunny morning or 1030 at night on a summers evening. Your help is greatly appreciated by our neighbourhood!
PS I have had a sit down meeting with Trevor at City Works.
My reply is that we will be putting up the windscreen next week but that the noise barriers are already up and that I would let members know about the time the courts are open, which the city controls by opening the locked doors and locking them. I also mentioned that the CRPA does not have any sway over the general public who are not part of our club.
This is an interesting topic with challenging solutions. The neighbor that complained, I get along with very well. I have not mentioned to them that I'm a member of the club, I did mention 3 or so weeks ago on this page that a neighbor to the court mentioned to me they hoped the screens would finish going up. First off, these people are super nice (I cant say i know how friendly many of the houses are fiendlyalong the park, half have never supported buying a box of girl guide cookies/fundraisers and that knock at the door with a "no" is as far of a conversation over 4+ years as Ive had) The largest problems of living on the park are not pickleball but it does add to the mix, I'm sure. Teenagers getting drunk/high and screaming/fighting, random fireworks, etc. varying hours often really, really late are common and the worst and especially if the homes don't have a/c in the summer with the windows open. Yelling all day till late soccor matches, lacross balls banging, dogs barking/snarling/fighting are way louder and clearly heard from my house with the windows closed. It is an active park. Vic mentioned attempts to seal the gate 8pm to 8am and challenges for the city to be in sync. I don't know the best solution. I would believe people playing outside of those hours are not club members and with no other outdoor facility in town that im aware of requiring the locking gates, This proplem needs a novel solution if so. Is it the clubs responsibility to police the public and risk confrontation? 🤔 I walk the park a lot and people voicing dogs are not allowed to be let lose on the soccer field have been nasty screaming matches. I have confronted people for various issues at night and depending on my comfort will bring pepper/bear spray or other defensive weapons as being surrounded and out numbered in a tense and sometimes intoxicated argument all while my first hope is easy resolved entirely by just asking politely can go wrong.
Possible solutions. Larger signage for hours and city penalties on the gate. People are blind. Leaving a welcoming open door for neighbors conversations and offer discussions with timely solutions where possible so although we are not viewed as the problem but as community members who just want a place to play. Invite the neighbors (their families) on the park edge to teach/learn how to play, its hard to hate when youre involved and with several neighbors playing, The answer to checking/locking the gates at 8pm may be involving neighbors that live steps away. There will possibly be a hesitation to be the parks fake informer/enforcer due to egging/reprocussions for angry people. Vic mentioned some attempts with the gate, is there any modifying ideas? Do other cities require their courts to be locked and do other clubs offer existing solutions that work if so?
Cheers Chad