Dear Member - click the newsletter title to read this article on sound barriers at Alpine Courts.

Background

• Two residents close to Alpine courts have complained about the noise from the pickleball courts.
• The City administration assessed possible long term solutions and presented its proposal on Feb 10 to the Community Living Standards Committee, a committee of City Council composed of three City Council councillors. 

Feb 10 Meeting

• The solution presented was to erect sound barriers, affixed to the north and east side fencing. Posts would have to be removed and replaced with posts and post foundations better able to withstand wind loads on the solid sound barrier. Total estimated cost: $98,000. This solution will reduce but not eliminate the noise for adjacent residents.
• Councillors asked and were told that planting additional trees would not be a viable solution, as there is not enough available space between the courts and the housing to plant the required number of trees.
• Councillors also asked these other questions:
• • how many decibels of noise reduction would result from this solution?
  • where this solution has been used before (in the U.S.), did the noise complaints cease?
  • what is the annual cost to remove and re-install the sound barriers?
  • how long will they last?
  • what do they look like?
  • how long will delivery take and when would installation take place?
• City administration was asked to come up with answers to the above questions, and place the matter on the agenda of the March City Council meeting.
• One cost-conscious Councillor indicated she would not be voting for this solution when the matter comes to Council.

Bottom Line and Side Notes

• One Councillor asked about the position of the St. Albert Pickleball Club on this matter. The City administration correctly reporting our position: We are not too concerned with whether the sound barriers are erected or not. Our main concern is that all 12 courts be available for use, regardless of the whether there are sound barriers.
• In a side conversation with City administration, this reporter learned that the administration plans to include a refurbishment of the six Larose pickleball counts in its next capital plan. This would result in the six courts being rebuilt to the standards of the Alpine Courts. 
• The City administration also plans to propose the construction of additional outdoor pickleball courts in future community developments. Part of the rationale could be to distribute play to other locations and perhaps reduce the amount of play and resulting noise at Alpine.  (Of course, some of us expect that overall public demand for play will continue to grow and exceed all available outdoor court capacity for some time to come.)

Until the next time, "Keep your paddle up!"