ENCINITAS — The owners of Bobby Riggs Racket and Paddle Club are seeking city approval to formally convert seven tennis courts into 16 pickleball courts and legalize a use that city officials say has operated for years without the required permits.
The Encinitas facility at 875 Santa Fe Drive has scheduled a June 9 public meeting as part of the city’s citizen participation process for a project that would also amend the club’s decades-old use permit, expand parking, add sound barriers and allow more recreational activities.
According to project documents submitted to the city, the proposal would convert the site’s original seven tennis courts into 16 pickleball courts, add 40 parking spaces for a total of 70, install new landscaping and fencing, and repurpose an unused coffee shop into a players’ lounge.
The project also seeks approval for various activities in addition to tennis and pickleball, including badminton, padel, swimming, yoga and group exercise, as well as special events such as tournaments, fundraisers and private gatherings.
The application acknowledges that while the pickleball courts are already operating, “the proper permits were not obtained prior to any sports court conversions taking place to permit the change in use.”
The property is zoned Residential 8 and lies within the city’s Coastal Overlay Zone, which requires a Coastal Development Permit, a Design Review Permit and a major amendment to the site’s existing use permit.
The proposal comes after months of disputes between the club, city officials and nearby residents over noise generated by pickleball play.
As previously reported by The Coast News, the facility originally received county approval in 1975 for seven tennis courts, a clubhouse, pro shop, swimming pool and parking. In response to the growing popularity of pickleball nationwide, the site was converted into 22 pickleball courts, prompting complaints from neighbors who argued that the increased activity created excessive noise and exceeded the scope of the original permit.
In January, city officials said the facility’s conditional use permit was under review because of the significant change from tennis to pickleball. The city also issued citations and required operational cutbacks after receiving numerous noise complaints from nearby residents.
Mayor Bruce Ehlers said at the time that city ordinances limit noise in residential areas to 50 decibels during daytime hours and that the city was obligated to enforce those standards.
A noise study prepared by Ldn Consulting and submitted to the city on April 18 found that operational noise from all 22 existing pickleball courts exceeded the city’s daytime noise limit of 50 decibels at nearby residential property lines.
Specifically, measurements taken in October 2024 and February 2025 recorded noise levels ranging from 63.6 to 65.7 decibels.
The study recommended a 14-foot sound barrier along the eastern edge of the property and a 10-foot barrier along the southern edge to meet the city’s 50-decibel daytime and 45-decibel nighttime standards.
The plans call for 14-foot sound walls along the eastern property line, 14-foot fencing transitioning to 10 feet along the south side, and 10-foot fencing along portions of the west side of the site.
The project also proposes lowering existing light poles to 18 feet and installing new LED cutoff fixtures intended to reduce glare onto neighboring properties.
Club owner Steve Dawson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Neighbors have maintained that the conversion from tennis to pickleball dramatically increased noise levels and activity at the site, affecting nearby homes. Supporters have argued that the facility is an important recreational asset for the community.
The June 9 community meeting is scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m. at Bobby Riggs Racket and Paddle Club. After the citizen participation process, the project will continue through the city’s formal review process, which is expected to include public hearings before the City Council.
