[Massplanners] Zoning Bylaw Pickleball (Building Assistant)

[Nathan Chung]

One way to deal with the challenge with pickleball courts is rather than
trying to regulate the specific use, regulate the noise and other impacts.
Noise is going to be an issue in any type of sports facility, e.g. tennis,
basketball, racket ball, etc.

City of Northampton zoning ordinance has maximum decibel limits under §
350-12.1A(8) (Link: https://ecode360.com/11958067). While rare, the
Building Department has a sound meter it uses when there are complaints.

The Planning Board issued a site plan approval for the local YMCA's
proposed outdoor gym near the end of 2023, where one of the conditions for
a certificate of occupancy was having acoustic panels. The YMCA recently
came with a proposed amendment to remove the condition due to not being
able to find a sound engineer. The board denied it.

Sound is a challenge, especially nowadays with different technologies
generating different noises. The National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH) has a free sound level meter app. While not extremely
accurate, it's a good reference. When I walk around and randomly measure a
very large truck driving on the road or people using leaf blowers on their
properties, I sometimes find the noises generated are above those limits.
While cars on public roads are not subject to the ordinance, it is an
interesting question about what to do with loud noises on public roads and
properties that flow into private property.

Nathan Chung, Land Use Planner
Office of Planning & Sustainability for the City of Northampton, MA
nchung at northamptonma.gov; (413) 587-1262
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