At its Aug. 5 Study Session, the Beverly Hills City Council reviewed the Recreation and Parks City Council Liaisons’ recommendation to approve the finalization of the Pickleball Pilot Program.
The program will convert four tennis courts to 16 permanent pickleball courts to accommodate the growing interest in the sport over the past few years. Specifically, tennis courts 7, 8 and 12 at La Cienega Park and court 1 at Roxbury Park Tennis Facility would be converted to pickleball courts. Staff received direction from the Recreation and Parks Council Liaison at its Feb. 27 meeting to conduct an additional sound study to consider other court configurations, secure official court measurements and finalize the proposed rules and regulations. The recommendation also calls for implementing new reservation software and adding staffing to support expanded hours.
The Pickleball Pilot Program was initially launched in 2020 by the Recreation and Parks Commission to gauge public interest in the sport from the Beverly Hills community. Two tennis courts at the La Cienega Tennis Center and one at Roxbury Park Tennis Facility were converted into pickleball courts using temporary overlay lines and portable nets. However, the program was put to a halt due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and resumed in 2021 when facilities reopened to the public.
By 2022, the city began receiving noise complaints from neighbors near La Cienega Park, which prompted the Recreation and Park Commission to move pickleball from courts 13 and 14 to courts 1 and 8. In response to the noise complaints, city staff commissioned professional studies, which found that noise levels on some courts exceeded Los Angeles County standards, while others remained within acceptable limits.
Despite challenges over the sound, and the delay in program roll-out during the COVID-19 pandemic, the program demonstrated strong growth and community support. However, some public feedback remained mixed, with approximately equal numbers supporting and opposing the program at community meetings—reflecting the tension between pickleball enthusiasts and tennis players concerned about court availability.
At the Aug. 5 Study Session, residents echoed similar concerns and sentiments from past meetings.
During public comment, several pickleball players voiced their enthusiasm for the sport and encouraged the council to finalize the Pickleball Pilot Program. However, some tennis players believed there were too many tennis courts being converted for pickleball and would attract players from outside Beverly Hills.
Jessica Smash, president of the Los Angeles Tennis Group, recognized the benefits of pickleball, but spoke on behalf of the tennis players who “don’t want to lose any more tennis courts.”
In a letter sent to the council prior to the meeting, Daniel Fink, a Beverly Hills resident and physician, cited recent published research on the adverse health effects of pickleball noise on nearby residents. He argued that just as Beverly Hills pioneered smoking restrictions, it should protect residents from “unwanted noise exposure.”
During council discussion, Councilmember Mary Wells said she supports the staff recommendations, but suggested that the council revisit its noise ordinance for residential areas because of the rise in popularity of pickleball. Councilmember Craig Corman similarly agreed with the staff recommendatwions but inquired about the possibility of putting a sound blanket on a given fence to combat the noise issues.
Later that evening, at its Regular Meeting and Parking Authority Meeting, City Council voted to approve a contract with Trueline Construction & Surfacing, Inc. for the tennis courts resurfacing project, which includes the conversion of the four tennis courts into 16 pickleball courts at Roxbury Park Tennis Facility and La Cienega Tennis Center.
