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Carmel Moves Toward Permanent Pickleball Ban After Unanimous Council Vote

Officials cite limited enforcement capacity as the reason to pursue a permanent ban.

Overview

  • The City Council kept the temporary prohibition at Forest Hill Park and instructed the city attorney to draft a permanent ordinance, which will face a future vote with two hearings available for opponents.
  • The action follows years of neighbor complaints about the game's distinctive popping noise near the city’s only public courts.
  • Council members considered requiring quieter paddles and balls but concluded the rule would be impractical to monitor given the lack of parks staff.
  • Mayor Dale Byrne said he would not task police with supervising equipment use, pointing to constrained resources.
  • If approved, it would be the first full public-court pickleball ban reported in California, and police say current enforcement is complaint-driven with no violations logged.