Manoa Board meeting recap
October 3 , 2024
Manoa Valley District Park, on the Wednesday mid-morning after the Board Meeting
Manoa, O’ahu—The Manoa Neighborhood Board meeting was held on the evening of October 3, 2024. On the agenda was a Manoa Resident asking the Board to adopt a resolution to ban pickleball within 500 feet of homes.
THE OUTCOME
The Board did not move the Resolution forward to a vote…so there is no pickleball ban at the Manoa Courts.
What happened?
To be fair, petitioner made it clear that he isn’t against pickleball or pickleball players. He stated that pickleball is a “wonderful sport”, “people are happy” and that he wants to see pickleballers play…he doesn’t believe DPR has done their due diligence to study the matter and to provide appropriate spaces for pickleball to be played.
He also stated that he’s never argued against the health benefits of pickleball, he acknowledges “it’s great for people’s health" but that the Parks Department needs to do a better job of providing places to play that aren’t unhealthy for nearby residents.
A number of points were made at the meeting, among them:
Petitioner’s Arguments:
He provided a diagram of the courts with concentric circles around it, illustrating how far the courts should be located from homes, etc. at 500 feet. He maintained that Manoa Elementary is within the 500 feet radius, which is too close. He stated that the elementary school students are subjected to the noise, which occurs 900 times per hour (10,000 times per day), in violation of the noise ordinance and which impedes their learning.
Some of the closest homes to the courts are 100 feet away and there is no jurisdiction in the country that allows pickleball to be played that close to homes.
Pickleball is nothing like tennis; it’s 7-8x louder than tennis, 700-800x more intense than tennis, the sound travels a mile in every direction. Homes 1500 feet away on Huelani Place hear the sounds from PB.
PB noise is like a shooting range; it’s unpredictable and uncontrollable, and as such, has commonalities with techniques of noise torture.
Pickleball sounds increases blood pressure and stress hormones.
He presented a World Health Organization study about chronic exposure to any level above 53 decibels; for every 5 decibels over 53 decibels there is a 10% increase for risk of heart disease, stroke and premature death.
The noise pollution from PB occurs up to 15 hours a day.
This is a last resort; he’s been bounced around from the Department of Health to HPD, and if not resolved here, may end up in a lawsuit.
Questions/Issues from the Board:
A Board Member asked about a study done by DPR, which reportedly, its results did not exceed “OSHA levels of concern”. Petitioner said the sound study was misleading; it was not done by professional sound engineers; they didn’t use professional equipment and didn’t follow ANSI standards. He said OSHA standards are not appropriate for environmental noise pollution issues.
A Board Member suggested that Petitioner install soundproof windows, put up sound buffers and use noise-cancelling headphones to mitigate the sound, in order to protect himself.
Petitioner was asked about an illegal sign put up at the Manoa Park. The flyer had a City and County insignia on it and stated that pickleball had to be played indoors or that players should use quiet paddles and balls. Petitioner denied knowledge of the sign.
Another Board Member stated that the subcontractor who did the sound reading did not use adequate equipment to measure the sound level. He suggested that if the City is to make a statement about the noise level, the subcontractor should have adequate machines.
Community statements and concerns:
Petitioner does not present with clean hands; there is no way the sound level measures 120 decibels. He used to play in a band and knows there is no way the sound level is that high. Also, no one plays PB during the day.
Would like to see an official sound study. To be in violation, the noise needs to occur for 2 minutes in a 20 minute period.
Home values are not negatively impacted by pickleball.
No decibel readings were done in people’s homes and results don’t reflect whether sounds are tennis, volleyball, basketball, laughter, etc.
Manoa rains a lot, which reduces the number of days that pickleball is played.
Pickleball is not played all day long at the Manoa courts. Some statistics that were quoted are from professional players, and many of the players are older and play only recreationally.
Mayo Clinic study shows pickleball increases life expectancy by 6-10 years.
After a few community members voiced their arguments, Board Chair Nagaji shared that Parks and Recreation Director Laura Thielen was not supportive of the proposed 350-500 foot ban on pickleball near residences. She was not present at the meeting, so he read her email response to the Petitioner:
“May I offer an alternative solution? Trees will diffuse noise by breaking up the sound waves. Perhaps our Urban Forestry Division can work with you to plant trees between your house and the courts. We have to determine if it is possible as I do not know where your home is located and what improvements are nearby, but if this is an option you’d like to pursue, please let me know. Or else you can approach the Department of Health authorities to lodge a complaint against the activities violating the noise statutes. I’m not an expert and I’m not going to engage in a discussion on interpreting statute…”
To bring the matter to conclusion, Board Chair Nagaji asked if there were any Board Members who would make a motion to consider the Resolution for a vote. No Board Member made such a motion, and therefore, Petitioner’s Resolution did not move forward and pickleball was not banned at the Manoa Courts.
WHAT TO KNOW AND QUESTIONS REMAINING:
No formal sound study by sound engineers with adequate equipment has been done to date (that we know of).
DPR referenced sound study results in relation to OSHA standards, and it’s unclear what the results were and whether these standards can be used to evaluate environmental noise.
The results of noise mitigation efforts on the mainland have not yet been fully reported.
The assertion that home values drop because of pickleball noise has not been proven, either way.
There is confusion around what level of noise is considered acceptable; it’s not clear what statute or ordinance governs this type of complaint/dispute.
Are others in the neighborhood similarly affected? If so, does anyone have documentation that they are suffering from the physical symptoms (as a result of PB noise) that Petitioner mentioned?
What department has actual jurisdiction over this noise complaint? Is it DPR, DOH, City Council?
This may not be the end; he mentioned a possible lawsuit if the issue was not resolved at the Board Meeting.
Although this was a big “W” for the Hawai’i PB community, it’s probably not the last dispute we’ll face. As we navigate our way through these uncharted waters, remember to show aloha at the courts and beyond. Be knowledgeable about the issues at hand and let’s be one united front, measured yet enthusiastic, and the happiest bunch of people in the 808, advocating for the sport we love!
Manoa Neighborhood Board Meeting August 2024 (Go to 2:40)
Manoa Neighborhood Board Meeting September 2024 (Go to 1:06)
MANOA PICKLEBALL NOISE DISPUTE OCTOBER 2024
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
A group of students from JABSOM taking a PB break at Manoa Valley District Park Courts
Manoa, O’ahu—As avid pickleballers, we’ve undoubtedly heard about pickleball noise and nuisance complaints cropping up on the mainland.
Well, they’ve arrived onshore.
A few months ago, Civil Beat wrote an article about pickleball noise “tearing neighborhoods apart”.
Now, the issue of banning pickleball within 500 feet of homes is on the agenda at the Manoa Neighborhood Board meeting—scheduled for tomorrow night.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW: DEEP DIVE
What’s at Stake:
A resident has asked the Manoa Valley Neighborhood Board to adopt a resolution to ”prohibit pickleball from being played within 500 feet of private residences.”
Why?
We reached out to the Petitioner online for his side of the story, and he responded via chat, “We’re as close as 100 feet from the courts. The constant, loud, shrill pops from the paddles go on from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. It’s relentless. We’re closing our windows, avoiding our lanais, wearing headphones, and turning up our TVs just to drown it out.”
Why You Should Care:
An ban of pickleball played within 500 feet could set a precedent (and the standard) for how noise complaints are handled across the islands in the future.
Let’s examine both sides of the issue:
Arguments in Support of a Ban*:
*From the August/September Manoa Neighborhood Board Meeting recordings and proposed pickleball resolution
• Pickleball sound levels taken at 200 feet from the Courts measure 72 decibels, 17 decibels over the City’s limit.
• The Revised Ordinances of Honolulu outlaw noises greater than 80 decibels 10 feet from the source for more than 5 minutes cumulatively, and pickleball generates noise at 80-120 decibels.
• Pickleball produces sounds in the “mid range frequency”. The human ear is most sensitive to sounds in this mid-range. Think emergency sirens, dogs barking and children crying–sounds that are impossible to ignore.
• The noise level from volleyball, basketball, and tennis are around 40 db, which is within the acceptable range and isn’t problematic.
• Pickleball noise can cause health problems when exposed for long periods of time; to include high blood pressure, headaches, poor sleep, concentration issues, and increased stress hormones leading to obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke and premature death.
• The World Health Organization recommends that long term exposure to noise should not exceed 53 decibels during the day.
• Property values are negatively affected by an estimated 20%.
• The topography, proximity and elevation of homes near the courts in Manoa make sound mitigation impractical, if not impossible.
What We Don’t Know:
• According to KITV4 News, a study was done in June 2024 where the noise levels from the pickleball courts weren’t found to exceed “OSHA levels of concern”. To our knowledge, this study wasn’t referenced in the Board Meeting discussions. What were the results of this study?
• The sound levels at the residential property line was measured at 72 decibels. Who ordered this measurement and what other data is available?
• Were any formal noise assessments done other than the one in June? If so, what were the results?
• Are there any other homeowners that support this resolution?
• How do we know that sound mitigation is impractical and/or impossible?
Screenshot from a KATU News story from Lake Oswego, Oregon
Context: What’s Happening Around the Country
Cities are banning pickleball due to noise complaints.
In January of 2023, the City Council in Lake Oswego, Oregon banned pickleball at George Rogers Park. Denver, Colorado closed pickleball courts at Congress Park in April of 2023, followed by a ban at Eisenhower Park in late 2023. Walker, Michigan closed pickleball courts in August 2023. This year, a lawsuit was resolved in Falmouth, Massachusetts which resulted in a ban on pickleball at Lawrence School courts, and Centennial, Colorado banned permanent outdoor pickleball courts within 250 feet and temporary outdoor pickleball courts within 350 feet of residential property.
Yes, bans are happening, but there are other cities across the country, like Los Altos, CA, Long Beach, CA, Piedmont, CA, Avondale, GA, Vienna, VA, Seattle, WA and community associations like Sun City Grand, that have adopted less drastic approaches, including*:
• Installing sound barriers or acoustic fencing
• Relocating courts away from residential areas
• Restricting playing hours
• Implementing quiet paddle policies
• Conducting sound studies for optimal court placement
• Using reservation systems to control player numbers
*Note: this is not an exhaustive list of cities/locations that have adopted these alternate approaches
Arguments Against an Outright Ban:
You already know this, but I’ll outline them below:
Health and wellness: Pickleball offers a great low-impact workout, improving heart health, balance, and flexibility. A study in the International Journal of Research in Exercise Physiology showed that playing three times a week for six weeks improved blood pressure, cholesterol, and fitness in middle-aged and older adults. A recent study also shows significant improvements in personal wellbeing, life satisfaction, depression, stress and happiness.
Longevity: Research shows racquet sports can significantly extend life expectancy. A 2016 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that regular racquet sports players lowered their risk of death by 47% compared to inactive people. A 2018 Mayo Clinic study also found tennis players live an average of 9.7 years longer than non-players.
Popularity: Pickleball has been the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. for five years in a row, with 48.3 million US adults having played at least one game in the last 12 months. Banning the sport would go against public demand; it would displace those who play at Manoa and overburden already crowded courts elsewhere in Honolulu.
Cost: It’s affordable to play pickleball (with starting costs as low as $20 for an entry level paddle) making it accessible to everyone.
Alternative solutions: Instead of banning pickleball, noise reduction strategies can help. For example, this blog post written by Bob Unetich of Pickleball Sound Mitigation explains how sound barriers and equipment can cut noise by up to 12 decibels, bringing noise levels down to acceptable levels.
Intergenerational activity: While 75% of core players (those playing 8+ times per year) are 55 or older, the statistics show that the sport is growing fastest among players under age 24.
To sum up, here’s the nutshell version of arguments on both sides:
For the ban: Residents argue that the noise from pickleball disrupts their lives and that long-term exposure causes a variety of serious and negative health and emotional issues. They believe pickleball courts are too close to homes and that sound mitigation efforts would be ineffective and a waste of money.
Against the ban: If the noise level is proven to be above acceptable levels, there are alternatives to consider without banning pickleball. City officials in other states have adopted noise reduction measures like quieter paddles and sound barriers. Also, from what we’ve heard, planting 55 trees around the courts is already in the works.
If you made it this far, consider yourself informed!
Together, let’s help shape the future of pickleball in Hawai’i by advocating for the sport we love, while embodying aloha and pono in all that we say and do–at the Courts and beyond.
I’ve heard some of you may be attending the Board Meeting in person…I’ll be attending online.
See y’all tomorrow!
MEETING INFORMATION:
When: Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 7:00 P.M.
Where: Kapālama Hale, 925 Dillingham Blvd., Conference Room 153
—OR ONLINE VIA WEBEX—
Meeting Number/ Access Code: 2483 095 1817
Password: NB07 (6207 from phones and video systems)
Join by Phone: 1-408-418-9388
Resources:
Manoa Neighborhood Board Meeting August 2024 (Go to 2:40)
Manoa Neighborhood Board Meeting September 2024 (Go to 1:06)