Description

The tennis backboard at the eastern end of Calahan Park is a simple one built with thin plywood screwed to studs (on the tennis court side) and open on the other side, with no sound insulation in the cavities.

Unfortunately, this construction method makes the backboard into a very large and very loud drum pointed directly at a residential neighborhood whenever anyone uses it. It's in pretty constant use from March through November each year, sometimes starting as early as 6am and going as late as 11pm.

The erratic drumming sounds are loud enough that they frequently wake our baby even with a noise machine in the nursery.

There are commercial backboards on the market that advertise very low noise; there are also ways of modifying existing backboards that substantially deaden the sound. Could the City install one of these? The backboard is a really useful tool that lots of people really enjoy, and it's worth preserving it for everyone--but the noise is pretty brutal for folks who live on the Birchcliff side of the park. I'd love to see the City install one of the solutions that would keep the backboard available for tennis players while mitigating the noise cost for residents. Thanks!