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4w ago

Carmel Moves Toward Permanent Pickleball Ban at Forest Hill Park

Officials, citing years of noise complaints alongside thin enforcement resources, asked the attorney to prepare a ban for a council vote.

Pickleball players fill the available court at Presidio Wall Playground in San Francisco, Thursday, May 3, 2024. 
FILE: People enjoying the golden sands of Carmel Beach on a warm spring day in Carmel, Calif.
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Overview

  • The City Council voted unanimously to keep a temporary prohibition in place and directed the city attorney to draft a permanent ban for Forest Hill Park.
  • If adopted, it would likely be California’s first full prohibition on public pickleball, according to local reporting.
  • Forest Hill Park contains Carmel’s only public pickleball courts, putting neighborhood quiet in conflict with access to the sport.
  • Ideas to allow play with “quiet” paddles and balls were rejected as impractical to monitor given limited staff and unsupervised courts.
  • Police say enforcement is complaint-driven, with warnings first, and no violations had been reported as of the latest updates; opponents will have two hearings to appeal the ordinance.