PUNTA GORDA — After listening to residents pleas, Punta Gorda City Council members voted to resurface the city’s only public pickleball courts.
However, the decision wasn’t the best solution for Christy Federici who lives across the street from the Gilchrist Park courts.
She said even with the sound curtain, the noise from the four pickleball courts negatively impacts her health.
“They don’t belong there,” Federici told the City Council at the Wednesday meeting.
Eight courts were installed in 2015 as the sport gained popularity. After noise and parking complaints from Federici and other residents, the city established a pickleball committee. Members researched sound issues, newer, quieter pickleball equipment, sound barriers along with the pros and cons of the Gilchrist Park courts and alternative sites.
Resident Mike Polk said he grew up with the sounds of the Little League games being announced from Gilchrist Park. He heard the live bands from teen nights play into the night.
He said for decades, the park — which also has tennis and basketball courts a children’s play area, and the walkway leading to Harborwalk — has been an integral part of why people enjoy downtown Punta Gorda.