OCOEE, Fla. – The Ocoee City Commission pared down an ambitious proposal for a massive pickleball complex at Jacob Nathan Boulevard off West Colonial Drive.
In April, developer Vasant Sports LLC presented its plans for a 44-court complex. Twenty of the courts would be indoors while the remaining 24 would be covered outdoor courts. Tuesday night, the city commission heard strong opposition from residents — major sticking points included traffic, parking, and the potential for loud noises coming from the outdoor courts.
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“This parcel of land is not where this should be built,” said Ocoee resident, Eileen Staples. “Forty-four pickleball courts less than 500 feet from my property will destroy the serenity of the neighborhood.”
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“These sudden bursts of sound when played on or near residential areas can be piercing and disruptive, “said Ocoee resident Lisa Stinson.
Some of the commissioners were in favor of having a pickleball facility in the city of Ocoee, but suggested the facility consider a different location.
“We are starving for more retail and restaurants in our city,” said District 4 Commissioner, George Oliver III. “Looking at this location, and it’s zoned C2, and its right in the middle of an area that is pretty much a hot spot.”
“If people keep bringing up we want restaurants, we want all this, you’re not going get them without functions happening when you get people here,” said Mayor Rusty Johnson. “They’re not coming if you don’t get things that bring people in here. Say if you bring in those people to play in the tournament, they’re going to spend money at the mall, they’re going to spend money at the restaurants.”
Tuesday night’s agenda called for a vote on a special exception for the 24 outdoor courts — which the commission voted unanimously to deny. They did leave the door open for the developer to come back after six months with adjustments to the plan. Some suggestions include exploring outdoor sound mitigation measures, adjusting the number of outdoor courts, and inverting the proposed position of the facility so the outdoor courts are facing south toward Highway 50 instead of northwest toward the nearby Hammocks community.
“We’re pretty much open for that,” said the project manager for the pickleball complex. “As long as the project cost doesn’t go drastically up — as long as the project is financially viable, we’ll definitely be able to do that.”
With the special exception for the outdoor courts denied for the time being, the complex has been reduced to 20 indoor courts.
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