An edition of the Littleton Independent
WEEK OF JULY 27, 2023
VOLUME 22 | ISSUE 36
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Centennial leaders zero in on pickleball noise amid moratorium BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
sion coincided with the Centennial District 3 Summer Social on July 19, which was this year’s final district summer social.
Amid a moratorium on pickleball, officials in Centennial are narrowing down ways to lessen the impacts of the sport’s noise before giving the green light to game play near homes. One factor in their decision could be what a sound expert dubs “impulsive sounds” -- sudden noises that are distracting enough to make it difficult for people to relax and may even result in long-term psychological issues. “The reason that we’re taking a look at pickleball noise is the long-term impacts of it,” said Neil Marciniak, the city’s director of community and economic development. In March, the city council passed a sixmonth moratorium on new applications or approvals for outdoor pickleball courts within 500 feet of residential uses. This month, noise consultant Lance Willis, the principal acoustical engineer of Spendiarian & Willis Acoustics and Noise Control, turned in a study on the issue to the city: “Pickleball Noise Impact Assessment and Abatement Planning.” The study found the main concern for residents who live close to pickleball courts is the “popping” sound the hard plastic ball makes when it is struck by paddles. Those random, persistent sounds, described as “impulsive,” can create annoyance because they are “similar to sounds that contain important information about our environment such as footsteps, a door opening, a tap at the window, or speech,” the study said.
SEE PARK, P11
SEE PICKLEBALL, P5
Centennial leaders and community members celebrated the expansion of Centennial Center Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 19. COURTESY OF CITY OF CENTENNIAL
Community celebrates 4-acre expansion of Centennial Center Park BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Following months of construction, Centennial leaders and residents celebrated the completion
of the Centennial Center Park’s 4-acre expansion project with live music, face painting, food trucks, yard games and local vendors. The celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the park expan-
VOICES: 12 | LIFE: 14 | CALENDAR: 17
CENTENNIALCITIZEN.NET • A PUBLICATION OF COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
Landmark 20th
July 28, 29 & 30
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