TAMPA - Hillsborough County commissioners took up a proposal Wednesday that could have temporarily halted new pickleball courts near residential neighborhoods.
   

The second motion "directing staff to protect neighborhoods and research the growing number of lawsuits against municipalities over pickleball and enhance ability to provide growing activity by determining appropriate sound ordinances and distances from residential homes" passed unanimously.

The lawsuit:

The issue is already in play locally. On Aug. 15, one day after Wostal requested the discussion be added to Wednesday's agenda, 10 homeowners in Apollo Beach filed a lawsuit against the Andalucia Master Association.

Their complaint claims the HOA illegally approved converting clay tennis courts into pickleball courts without a community-wide vote.

The homeowners argue pickleball is four times louder than tennis, producing thousands of sharp "pops" every hour. They say the sound is unbearable, reduces property values, and even poses health risks.

"Ten properties are located within 250 feet of the proposed courts," Lori Sessano, a resident who is part of the lawsuit and a combat veteran, said. "Those unpredictable pops triggers fight or flight response. This is similar to the sound of a handheld pistol or a pneumatic nail gun for construction," she said.

Sessano and her husband, Greg Jolley, also a combat veteran, said they moved into the neighborhood less than a year and a half ago.

"When planning for our retirement, we deliberately chose a community that was advertised as peaceful, welcoming, and non-belligerent, an environment where we could finally enjoy comfort and tranquility," Jolley said. "Unfortunately, our experience with the current homeowners’ association has been anything but reassuring."

One plaintiff, a veteran who lives less than 100 feet from the courts, says the noise could worsen post-traumatic stress disorder.

The suit asks a judge to permanently block the project and restore the tennis courts, calling the HOA’s move an unlawful overreach.

The residents also said the HOA has dismissed their concerns about the noise and its effects on residents, and their concerns about the value of their homes decreasing. On Wednesday, they asked commissioners for help.

"I'm not against recreation, but to preserve our neighborhood's well-being, which are not designed or zoned to withstand pickleball's continuous industrial-level noise," Michael Wasielewski, a resident and a Vietnam veteran said. "Installing these courts in a private residential area purposely shifts the burden from public enjoyment to private hardship."

"Our homes are our private refuge. Please act now to protect Hillsborough County residents' quality of life and the value of our investments," Wasielewski said.

"I'd like to respectfully request that the commission take immediate action to stop any project that might install pickleball within 250 feet at a minimum and more likely, 600 feet, of an existing residence as has been adopted in other geographies and in other jurisdictions," resident Santino Provenzano said.

"I’m ashamed to live in a community that doesn't value and respect its own residents. As has been mentioned before, there are multiple people within a close proximity of the proposed pickleball courts that are literally war heroes," Provenzano said.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Joshua Wostal proposed a temporary hold on building any new courts within 250 feet of homes until staff studies the issue and sets new rules.

"The decibel levels exceed even our own noise ordinances in certain cases and that's because a tennis racket is hollow plastic," Wostal said. "A tennis ball is a hollow rubber and then it bounces on a soft clay court. Pickleball is a hard racket with a solid ball bouncing on a hardened asphalt," he said.

The neighbors say they’re extremely disappointed, and say they can’t wait until the next election. They say they’re now focused on victory with their ongoing lawsuit.

The HOA, the Andalucía Master Association Board, emailed FOX 13 the following statement:

The Andalucía Master Association Board reaffirms its commitment to respecting and considering all residents’ opinions regarding the ongoing racquet court conversion project.

Over the past eighteen months, the Board has facilitated a series of town halls, resident surveys, and Board meetings to ensure that all perspectives were heard. With the benefit of this extensive community input, and with overwhelming support from residents — aside from a small number of dissenting voices — the Board has moved forward with a decision grounded in both community interest and fiduciary responsibility.

The decision centers on the conversion of underused clay courts, which currently serve only about five percent of residents while incurring disproportionately high maintenance costs. By repurposing these courts, the Board is taking steps to ensure the long-term financial and recreational well-being of the community. In alignment with the Association’s governing documents and Florida Statute Section 720, the Board has the discretion to make improvements to existing amenities.

As part of the project, the Board has also reviewed a series of noise abatement and quality-of-life measures.

These include:

• Restricted hours of play

• Strategic landscaping

• Use of quiet equipment

• Additional sound mitigation steps

Together, these measures will ensure that noise levels remain within Hillsborough County ordinance limits, balancing the enjoyment of the new amenity with the peace and comfort of all residents. The Board remains committed to transparency, stewardship, and fostering a vibrant, engaged community.

Residents dispute the HOA’s claims that the HOA provided all the facts about the courts to residents, especially the potential noise they could contribute. They also say the survey didn’t provide a good demographic of who would be affected by the courts.