For nearly two years, Vitas Matulyauskas has been fighting some relief from the “noise torture” emanating from the pickleball courts near his Lisle home.
This week, he asked village trustees to declare the pickleball courts at Abbeywood Park a “public nuisance” because of the noise. He also urged trustees to look into zoning changes to put some distance between the sound of each paddle whack on the court and surrounding homes.
“For the past two years, we have been fighting for our health, peace of mind and quality of life,” Matulyauskas told village trustees on Monday.
He and some of his neighbors also attended a recent Lisle Park District board meeting asking for relief from the noise.
Dozens of pickleball enthusiasts attended the same park board meeting in July. Some questioned the park district’s decision to move pickleball lessons from Abbeywood Park to Arbor View Park.
“It’s unfortunate that something that is bringing people together and is creating community in Lisle is something that is being taken away,” Lisa Porch, who lives in the subdivision where Abbeywood Park is located, told park commissioners.
Porch said she took lessons at Abbeywood Park and that many members would walk or bike to the courts. She and others at the park board meeting noted the sport of pickleball provides a social outlet to meet others in the community, get some exercise and enjoy a life sport.
“This program is something that should be celebrated and built upon — not cut back,” she added.
The district, however, decided to move the lessons to Arbor View Park in the hopes of addressing noise complaints at Abbeywood Park. Though the courts at Arbor View Park are within 70 feet or less from neighboring homes, homeowners there have not lodged noise complaints, said Dan Garvy, Lisle Park District’s director of parks and recreation.
The district is also in the process of building out a pickleball facility at Tate Woods Park that will include six courts. Garvy is hopeful those courts — expected to open in the next several weeks — will help ease demand at Abbeywood Park.
“I think we’ve made a lot of concessions to mitigate or limit the impact that (pickleball) has had,” Garvy said of the complaints from Matulyauskas. “To suggest that the park district has been ignoring his request is not accurate.”
Last year, the district put up signs at the park restricting play between dawn and dusk, banning loud music and encouraging players to use “quiet” paddles and balls.
Lisle Trustee Dan Grecco suggested this week that the village should look into potential zoning code changes to ensure pickleball courts are a far enough distance from homes. Matulyauskas noted some communities require courts to be 500 feet away from homes.
“This is a popular sport that is exploding, and I think it’s time we addressed it in our own zoning,” Grecco said, adding he’s not looking to address existing courts.