|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Danville Town Council is set to consider six proposed new pickleball courts at Osage Park and additional seating this week amid an appeal against the expansion’s earlier approval by the town’s planning commission.
The proposed additional pickleball courts were approved by planning commissioners on Dec. 13, with an appeal filed Dec. 19 by Laurinda Ochoa on behalf of Preserve Osage Park, described in the appeal letter as “an unincorporated association of Danville residents” challenging the Planning Commission’s decision.
Since then, town staff have taken a “second look” at potential noise issues alongside Rincon Consultants, and have put forward a new Mitigated Negative Declaration accounting for the study for the council’s consideration this week, according to a staff report from Henry Perezalonso, director of recreation, arts, and community services.
The second study from Rincon accounted for a total of eight pickleball courts – two existing courts as well as the proposed six new ones – and took noise measurements at six different locations to evaluate the impact of additional courts on neighboring residents.
According to a consultant for the appellants, the first noise study that supported the earlier Mitigated Negative Declaration approved by the Planning Commission in December had failed to account for the “impulsive” nature of racket sports and its impact on acoustic noise.
“While Town staff remains comfortable with the original study, our acoustical consultant was asked to reexamine the study taking into account the appellants’ concerns,” Perezalonso wrote.
The new study included a five decibel adjustments to account for the “impulsive” noise produced by racket sports such as Pickleball, as well as a new sound reading of existing noise at the park with a sound meter set to pick up “fast” sounds.
The findings of the new study point to the potential of the new courts to produce noise exceeding the threshold suggested by guidelines put forward in a model community noise control ordinance from the state, with mitigation measures suggested in the new declaration up for the council’s consideration to reduce potential noise to below that threshold.
In addition to the appeal of the Planning Commission’s vote in December, town officials have received a range of feedback from residents on the proposed new pickleball courts as well as the two existing courts at Osage Park. The upcoming meeting is so far no exception, with more than two dozen written comments submitted on the topic.
The Danville Town Council is set to meet at 5 p.m. on Tuesday (May 21). The agenda is available here.
In other business
*Councilmembers will meet ahead of their regular meeting for a morning study session on a draft operating budget, master fee schedule, and capital improvement program for the upcoming fiscal year. The agenda is available here.
*The council is set to present proclamations recognizing May as Mental Health Awareness month and Jewish American Heritage Month.
*Management analyst Cat Bravo is set to provide a legislative update.
