Protect the Peace. Save Del Mar.
Protect Our Peace.
Protect Member Funds.
Ask the Board to reject Resolution 626 and pursue a better solution.
The revised Resolution 626 is now available for comment. The Board approved publishing the proposal on October 24, not final implementation. A final decision is expected in December.
Let’s use this time to compare alternatives and find a better solution before committing to permanent pickleball at Del Mar.
Could your home be affected?
Where the distances come from: The 350-, 800- and 1,000-foot reference distances come from Quiet Communities’ National Task Force on Pickleball Noise, Conversion of Tennis Courts to Pickleball Courts: Recommendations (August 2026) — read the original one-page guidance ↗. Concerned Sea Ranch Homeowners plotted these rings around Del Mar using Google Earth. They illustrate proximity, not measured noise levels; the guidance recommends a site-specific sound study. Select the map to enlarge.
Resolution 626 is now published for comment
Permanent pickleball mandated. Neighborhood protections removed.
The revised proposal keeps permanent striping while noise protection measures remain dependent on staff time and resources. Other protective measures were removed over permitting concerns, and acoustic panels on existing fencing still raise engineering and wind-load questions. There is no funded, engineered protection plan or complete project budget in the resolution.
What problem are we spending members’ money to solve?
The Board’s own proposal says there is generally enough court capacity for both sports. Why spend more member funds and staff time establishing permanent pickleball courts at Del Mar before evaluating better access and better use of Moonraker’s existing courts? If protecting neighbors from pickleball noise costs six figures, which other community priorities would go without?
Board member Dibby Tyler identified access for members with limited mobility as the concern. Accessibility needs deserve a serious response. Accessible recreation should bring members together with their fellow players at the best facility—not relegate them to a separate location. An improved access path at Moonraker looks like the most promising solution: Gina Hubbell reports that a backhoe operator and landscape architect she met with found it feasible. Compare access improvements at Moonraker and less expensive alternatives before committing more money to permanent pickleball at Del Mar.
Seven reasons to speak up.
Why we oppose permanent pickleball at Del Mar. These seven concerns address the proposal and the unresolved questions after October 24. Supporting sources are linked below each point.
Make better use of Moonraker. Take accessibility seriously.
Recent checks found 68% of Moonraker court-hours available to book before opening. Accessibility needs deserve a serious response: evaluate better access at the existing facility before spending more at Del Mar.
Why are we spending so much time and money pursuing permanent pickleball at Del Mar before evaluating better access and better use of the courts we already have at Moonraker?
See the Moonraker availability study →See the cost comparison →The Lesson from the Solar Panel Debacle
The solar panel debacle is a warning about making decisions before understanding all the costs and required permits. Establish feasibility, approvals and the full financial commitment before spending more members’ money.
Read the documented solar lesson →Sharing a schedule does not protect tennis.
Permanent pickleball markings, competing activity and repeated paddle impacts can harm the tennis experience. Compare effects on tennis players and nearby homes as part of choosing the right location.
Read the tennis concerns →Permanent pickleball needs proven noise protection.
Before making permanent changes, the Board should establish what will protect nearby homes and court users, what it will cost, and who will be responsible for enforcement.
Read the noise evidence →Members need the full price before a commitment.
Equipment prices are only a start. Sound-barrier retrofits elsewhere can cost six figures; Del Mar needs its own estimate, including construction, maintenance and enforcement. Compare that cost with improvements at Moonraker. If protecting neighbors costs six figures, what other community priorities will go without?
See the cost comparison →Read the costs and missing budget details →Use the review period to do the missing work.
More review time only helps if the missing work gets done. Establish the need, compare alternatives, and resolve feasibility, design and permit questions before committing members' money.
Read about the review and approval process →Give mediation a meaningful chance.
Homeowners have requested independent, nonbinding mediation. Respond to that request and work toward a solution that supports accessible recreation, protects nearby homes and spends member funds responsibly.
Read letters to the Board →
Availability is not attendance or proof that every preferred time can be met.
What Could Pickleball at Del Mar Cost Members?
Earlier illustrative planning scenario for the pre-hearing proposal, combining published prices with our own allowances for unpriced work. The published version removes the fence extension, backboard work and portable ball barriers. This historical table is not a budget or cost estimate for the revised proposal; the Board still needs to provide one.
Some equipment costs come from TSRA’s October 24 agenda packet. This table also includes published cost comparisons and planning allowances for expenses the packet does not fully address.
| Cost item | Planning range |
|---|---|
| Striping, rolling nets, portable ball barriers and quiet loaner equipment | $6,000–$10,000 |
| Relocate Del Mar backboard and build Ohlson backboard | $4,000–$6,500 |
| Ball machines, Moonraker storage shed and charging arrangements | $5,000–$12,000 |
| Acoustic-blanket materials covering all four sides | $61,000–$77,000 |
| Fence extension, reinforcement, footings and barrier installation — allowance | $25,000–$50,000 |
| Independent pickleball noise study — planning allowance | $5,000–$20,000 |
| Structural engineering and approval costs — separate planning allowance | $10,000–$20,000 |
| Reservation-system changes and signage — allowance | $1,000–$2,000 |
| Taxes and delivery — allowance | $6,000–$10,000 |
| Subtotal | $123,000–$207,500 |
| Contingency for unresolved design and construction costs: 20% | $24,600–$41,500 |
| UPFRONT TOTAL, ROUNDED | $148,000–$249,000 |
| Annual staff time, administration, enforcement and routine maintenance — allowance | $7,000–$20,000/year |
| FIRST-YEAR TOTAL, ROUNDED | $155,000–$269,000 |
Sea Ranch’s remote coastal location may increase contractor travel, delivery and installation costs. Local bids must account for wind exposure, corrosion-resistant materials and the actual structural work required.
Stop additional spending to accommodate pickleball at Del Mar. Properly evaluate practical Moonraker accessibility improvements, including their full costs and feasibility, instead.
Basis and sources: Equipment figures draw on the TSRA packet, pages 45 and 52–56, with allowances for unspecified quantities, relocation, storage and charging. The four-sided barrier comparison uses Camas’s 2024 acoustic-blanket quotes for a 114-by-120-foot enclosure, 10 feet high; those are comparison dimensions, not verified Del Mar measurements. Current supplier pricing is needed; 2024 comparison quotes may understate today’s costs.
The noise-study allowance uses the $5,000–$20,000 range reported in Redondo Beach’s 2024–25 budget report (PDF page 32); Del Mar needs a site-specific quote. The separate $10,000–$20,000 allowance for structural engineering and approvals is our planning assumption, not a quoted price. All figures are in U.S. dollars.
Annual operations assume 2–6 staff hours weekly at an assumed loaded cost of $50/hour, plus $2,000–$4,000 for routine maintenance. Staff time may use existing payroll. Major future barrier replacement is additional.
Four-sided coverage does not guarantee adequate protection: Del Mar needs its own acoustic and wind-load assessment to determine the design and cost. Professional barrier-design guidance.
Your next step
Tell the Board: Reject Resolution 626
Permanent pickleball at Del Mar would adversely affect neighboring homes, tennis players and every member funding it. Tell the Board what matters to you and ask it to evaluate better access and better use at Moonraker before committing to permanent changes at Del Mar.
Opens your email app with the recipients and subject filled in. Add your own comments before sending.
To: boardofdirectors@tsra.org · Cc: info@tsra.org
The Board approved publishing the proposal on October 24. Read the published Resolution 626 (PDF). A final decision is expected in December. Watch TSRA’s Board page for the next official hearing notice and comment instructions. We have not yet verified the final comment deadline.