• Published by the Sun Port Charlotte
• By DANIEL SUTPHIN Staff Writer
• Apr 18, 2019 Updated Jul 17, 2020

PUNTA GORDA — Punta Gorda Historic District homeowners in Punta Gorda served up another shot against pickleball play in Gilchrist Park at Wednesday’s City Council meeting.

During previous council meetings, homeowners along West Retta Esplanade said the noise causes anxiety, panic attacks and insomnia.

Bernie DePaul, who owns a house across from the courts, blames the noise for his stroke a few years ago.

“The noise across the street was relatively constant,” DePaul said. “I didn’t need a medical doctor to tell me it was bothering me. It’s been bothering me for years. When I went into the emergency room, the physician said there is nothing wrong with you … we can’t figure it out.”

Wednesday, DePaul presented to the council findings from a 2017 noise impact study he paid to have conducted in the area.

William Thornton, of Thornton Acoustics and Vibrations, wrote in his findings:

• The pickleball noise creates a human health risk as the link between certain types of noise (which includes the type of noise emitted by pickleball) and the risk of hypertension, heart disease, etc. is well established.
• The pickleball noise exceeds the limits set for in objective, science-based community noise ordinances as promulgated by communities similar to Punta Gorda.
• The pickleball noise exceeds accepted U.S.
• and international standards and guidelines (such as those produced by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, World Health Organization, etc.) for community and environmental noise emissions/levels.
• The pickleball noise significantly increases the community noise levels (relative to existing ambient noise levels) and the relationship between community noise increase and human impact/annoyance is well established in the scientific body of knowledge.
• There are no effective means (other than enclosing the entire pickleball court in a well-designed building) of reducing the noise emitted by the pickleball courts such as noise walls, barriers or screens. Although these types of solutions are frequently suggested, they are not effective (for reasons of fundamental physics) and will not reduce the noise to acceptable levels.

Thornton Acoustics has completed over 1,500 projects of similar nature since 1972, according to the company’s website.

“For the last 19 months, I’ve had every test that you can run that’s pertinent to my situation again and again,” DePaul said. “I have seven physicians − neurosurgeons, neurologists and cardiologists − that are waiting and ready to be deposed. I don’t have any more time for this … I’ve never sued anybody … but there’s no more time as far as I’m concerned.”

The City Council members did not comment on DePaul’s presentation.

Vice Mayor Lynne Matthews told the Sun that since council members just appointed a committee to review all the aspects of the pickleball situation, “we need to let them do their due diligence job.”

On March 6, the City Council established a pickleball committee as a fact-finding initiative. The committee suggested having a new noise impact study conducted. Details of that study were not available at the time of this report.

City staff is also in the process of purchasing and constructing an “acoustical” fence to dampen the noise at the Gilchrist courts. The timeline for that action is still being determined.

“Citizens are only asking you to uphold your sworn duty to protect our health, safety and welfare,” said Peggy Keen of the Historic District. “Pickleball is only a game, but the stakes for the residents of the Historic District are more dire.”