米メイン州ベルファストの市立公園（Belfast City Park）に設けられたピックルボールコートの打球音をめぐり、近隣住民が市議会に苦情を申し立てた。地元紙バンゴー・デイリー・ニュースが2026年6月2日に報じた。住民は1日最長12時間に及ぶ音に悩まされていると訴え、市は照明の自動消灯やコート移設を含む対応案を検討。当時は6月16日の市議会で継続審議される予定でしたが、会議後の結論は本稿では確認できていないため、最新状況はベルファスト市の会議記録をご確認ください。
競技人口の急増とともに各地で表面化してきた「コート騒音問題」が、人口7千人規模の港町でも市政の議題に上がった。
12 Hours of Ball Noise as Argued by Mayo Street Residents
The couple Alexander Giblin and Lauren Valle, who live on Mayo Street near the courts, argued before the city council that pickleball's characteristic hard ball noise continues for up to 12 hours a day. Valle said, "My brain and nervous system are in a wounded state right now," and Giblin described the ball noise as "a relentless, invasive barrage that pierces through the windows." The couple say they can no longer use their backyard and also suffer from sleep disorders.
The ball noise has a higher, drier quality than a typical tennis stroke, and the way it keeps sounding intermittently tends to lead to neighbors' dissatisfaction. The Belfast case too suggests a picture in which the repetitiveness, rather than the volume itself, wears down residents.
Nighttime Play and Damage to the Lighting Box
What complicates the problem is nighttime play. It's been reported that some users pried open the lighting control box to play until late at night, and use beyond the intended hours is adding to residents' burden. It became the direct trigger for the city to consider physical measures for the lighting.
The 3 Response Options the City Is Considering
The response options the city council presented rest on three pillars: limiting use hours, automatic light shutoff, and relocating the courts. As relocation destinations, Walsh Field, the YMCA grounds, and land belonging to Regional School Unit 71 (the local school district) are candidates.
| Response Option | Specifics |
|---|---|
| Lighting Measures | Install tamper-proof lighting that automatically shuts off at 8 p.m. |
| Limiting Use Hours | Limit play to 8 a.m.-8 p.m. |
| Relocating the Courts | Walsh Field / YMCA grounds / school-district land (RSU 71) considered as candidates |
None of them exclude specific users, but rather take an approach of reaching a compromise through time and place.
The Mayor and Council Members Acknowledge Being Caught in the Middle Too
Mayor Eric Sanders said, "For the quietness Belfast City Park originally intended, this may be excessive," referring to the mismatch between the park's character and the sport's vibrancy. Council member Daniel Miller also acknowledged both sides of pickleball's benefits and friction, saying it "can be a great benefit and, at the same time, a negative." That the city side isn't denying the sport itself shows the difficulty of the debate.
住宅地近くのコート整備における教訓
住宅地に近い公園コートの騒音は、競技人口が増える局面で各地が直面するテーマだ。利用時間の明確化、消灯の自動化、住宅から距離を取った立地選定は、これからコート施設を整備する事業者や自治体にとって先回りで検討すべき論点になる。ベルファストの市議会がいずれの案を採用するかは、同様の課題に直面する他地域の参考事例となる可能性がある。
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Source:Bangor Daily News / Belfast pickleball noise complaints / Midcoast Villager / Belfast City Park neighbors say pickleball noise is ruining their lives
