The Presidio Wall pickleball courts have become a popular spot for San Francisco pickleball players. So much so that neighbors are complaining about the noise and issued a petition to stop the game.
Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle
As an anti-pickleball crusader, Presidio Heights resident Holly Peterson would hardly seem unusual.
After all, plenty of pickleball court neighbors say they are being driven crazy by the bright pock-pock-pock sounds of the country’s fastest-growing sport, a sound one British Columbia couple found so annoying they began a hunger strike to bring attention to their grievances.
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But, in the world of No Pickleball In My Backyard protesters, Peterson stands out for one simple reason: She literally has a pickleball court in her backyard.
Last week Peterson, who owns an eight-bedroom house on Jackson Street with her venture capitalist husband Karl Peterson, initiated a petition demanding that the city’s Recreation and Park Department shut down the pickleball courts at Presidio Wall, a playground her home overlooks.
Pickleball paddles rest on the court at a Presidio Wall pickleball court in San Francisco.
Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle
In the petition, Peterson argues the sound of yellow-plastic-ball-meets-paddle “isn’t just grating” but that it’s “altering our way of life and the wildlife of our cherished Presidio.”
She and another neighbor, Mary Tesluk, demand that the city suspend all pickleball play until a full environmental study can be completed on the sport’s impact on everything from wildlife to parking.
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“The endless racket threatens the fragile ecosystem and our community’s prestige,” the petition reads. “This isn’t just about us — it’s about preserving nature for future generations.”
It didn’t take long for pickleball partisans on Reddit to link to a Wall Street Journal article from May focused on the Julia Morgan-designed Jackson Street home the Petersons currently have on the market for $36 million. The article delves into the attributes of the 11,300-square-foot, Tudor-style home: its views of the Golden Gate Bridge, and ceiling moldings and fireplaces.
And then there is the karaoke room with disco ball and wet bar — which of course happens to open onto an outdoor pickleball court.
San Francisco pickleball proponent Hans Carter, who has lobbied for more courts across the city, said he was shocked when he learned that the person trying to shut down San Francisco’s busiest public courts had her own private court on which to play at her leisure.
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“We were just rolling on the floor,” he said. “Talk about the hypocrisy of the rich.”
Recreation and Park Director Phil Ginsburg, who has spent much of the past few years attempting to meet San Francisco’s seemingly insatiable hunger for pickleball, said he was aware of the petition — and of the fact that the petitioner has her own court.
“Not everyone can afford a pickleball court in their backyard,” he said. “That’s why it’s nice to have them in public parks.”
The dispute comes as the city scrambles to accommodate the sport’s explosive growth. San Francisco has six dedicated courts at Louis Sutter Playground, five at the Goldman Tennis Center and more scattered around the city in tennis courts, like Presidio Wall, that are lined for pickleball and have designated times for play.
Construction has also started on eight courts that will replace a basketball court at Larsen Playground on 19th Avenue.
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At Presidio Wall, two of the tennis courts are now dedicated for pickleball — two tennis courts have enough space for six pickle courts — and the two other tennis courts are also reserved for pickleball on Saturdays and other times. On Saturdays, the 12 courts regularly draw 100 players.
“It’s the hub,” said Carter. “It’s just packed. The numbers have exploded. So many Millennials and Gen-Xers show up. We have been asking for overflow for two years.”
The petition claims that a “flood of pickleball fanatics” is choking Presidio Trust “slow streets” and that the frenzy of pickleball activity has depressed real estate in the neighborhood.
“Home values within a 500-foot radius are sinking, deterred by the unyielding noise. This isn’t just a hit to homeowners; it’s a blow to our local economy,” it states. “Let’s halt the noise, protect our wildlife, and secure our property values.”
Karl Peterson referred questions to Holly Peterson, who didn’t return a call by press time. In the Wall Street Journal story in May, the Petersons said they bought the home in 2007 for $16.65 million, invested $10 million in renovations and decided to sell it because their teenage children are in boarding school and they have another property in the city, as well as homes in Aspen, Colo., and Indiana.
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Realtor Gregg Lynn, who has toured the house with prospective buyers, said he has heard nothing but positive feedback on the house.
“It is exceptional, one of the largest homes in the city,” he said. “It has cultural and architectural heritage as a Julia Morgan masterpiece. It’s been fully renovated in a very tasteful way.”
He said his clients were not players but that they “admired and appreciated the pickleball court.”
Reach J.K. Dineen: [email protected]
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