Mount Ida tennis courts (photo credit: Google Street View)

By Kevin Rothwell

Noise complaints

Coldstream’s pickleball pickle

May 27, 2021 | 2:00 PM

The ‘pop pop’ sound of pickleball has Middleton Mountain residents in the Mount Ida Drive area picking sides, and not to play the game.

The tennis courts were repainted with pickleball lines, but now the sound of the popular game has become an irritant in the neighborhood.

“We have now encouraged it, and if I did play pickleball, that’s where I would want to play. It has a beautiful view, it’s a nice setting,” Coldstream Coun. Doug Dirk told his colleagues. “Part of the problem is all the houses around there are stucco and the sound is just bouncing around off all these hards surfaces and driving people crazy. I can totally understand it.”

Coldstream council reviewed a recommendation at its Tuesday meeting to place signage at the courts encouraging players to use quieter foam balls.

“I’m going to vote against this recommendation because I think it puts staff in a very uncomfortable spot, and it would mean they are likely not going to try to enforce it,” Coun. Richard Enns stated. “Encouraging people to use them, I don’t think is going to get the result that you want, unless you make it mandatory.”

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Chief Administrative Officer Trevor Seibel told council bylaw enforcement only enforces the noise bylaw based on complaints from residents, but they have been doing spot checks.

A motion by Coun. Glen Taylor to make foam balls mandatory with the potential to have the sport shutdown at the Mount Ida courts for noncompliance, passed unanimously.

It was noted that unlike Marshall Field which is a dedicated multi-sport area, the Mount Ida court was never designed for intensive organized play.