Pickleball project plans pared down as Hilton Head responds to condo concerns
Plans for a large public pickleball facility on Hilton Head have been revised after residents of a nearby condo complex raised concerns about noise and light pollution.
Hilton Head officials agreed to remove the court closest to the property line, reducing the total number of courts from 20 to 19. Eight parking spaces have also been removed to increase the buffer between properties.
The project is part of the town’s broader efforts to invest in public parks and recreation facilities. While many public parks on Hilton Head have pickleball courts — some of which were converted from tennis courts — the island has no public facility dedicated solely to the widely popular sport.
Along with courts, the new facility will also include a clubhouse with restrooms, a spectator area and office space. A multi-use pathway will connect the facility to existing pathways.
What are the changes?
Pickleball is a notoriously loud sport; the “pop” of a pickleball paddle hitting a ball can register at 70 decibels from 100 feet away.
At a Nov. 19 public hearing for the project, residents of Palmetto Bay Villas raised concerns about noise and light pollution bleeding into their nearby condo complex, which shares a border with the project site. The Planning Commission held a second public hearing for the project Wednesday afternoon. Senior Project Manager Neal Eike reviewed the changes made to the facility following public input.
Removing the court and eliminating a row of parking spaces seemed to be a “great middle ground” to keep as many courts as possible while increasing the separation between the facility and the nearby residents, Eike said.
Low-profile, shielded lighting fixtures will be used on the courts to reduce light spill. Additional vegetation will be planted along the buffer to help block sounds and provide visual screening. Project officials have also agreed to install sound attenuation matting on the fencing closest to the nearby villas.
The project has a budget of $1 million, according to the town’s Capital Improvement Projects Dashboard. Funding for the project is sourced from the town’s hospitality tax — a 2% tax on food and beverages. Construction is expected to begin in fiscal year 2027.
Beth Petro, a resident of Palmetto Bay Villas, came forward at the meeting to show appreciation for the changes.
“One of our residents ... her front door is right up against that fence line,” Petro said. “So eliminating court one would go a huge way to controlling that noise and light.”
Petro remarked that the project “could be a benefit to the island as well as not interrupt villas terribly.”
Free-to-use courts in short supply
According to a staff presentation, Hilton Head Island has 86 pickleball courts at 17 different locations.
Many of those are private courts, available only to residents of private communities or guests at resorts. Others are pay-to-play or accessible via a membership.
Hilton Head Island Recreation Association manages six pickleball courts that are free to use for limited hours on certain days of the week. Outside of open play hours, an Island Rec membership or daily visitor pass is required.
Six of those are at the Island Rec Center on Wilborn Rd. The other six, located at Old Schoolhouse Park, are currently closed for construction.
The courts at Old Schoolhouse Park underwent a $250,000 resurfacing project in 2023, but are now being demolished and reconstructed. The new project, expected to cost $600,000, includes a new restroom building and accessibility upgrades.
