Key Club pickleball plans passed

Town commissioners on Monday approved plans for four pickleball courts in the Longboat Key Club.

The Key Club’s plans for the courts were unanimously approved to move forward by the town’s Planning and Zoning Board Nov. 15 following relocation of the site and a sound study prompted by neighboring resident complaints. 

The pickleball courts, proposed for 3000 Harbourside Drive, will be built south of the original plans, replacing existing parking, which moves them farther from Winding Oaks, neighbors from which banded together last spring to object to the plans, citing noise and nighttime lighting concerns.

Even as plans were largely supported Monday, a remaining concern was brought before developers. Commissioner Debra Williams, with support from fellow commissioners, asked the developers to reconsider the plan for the new parking area proposed. 

Prior to Monday’s discussion, the new parking site would have no turnaround area for vehicles looking for a spot, but finding the lot full. Instead, the expectation would be the driver would have to back up the entirety of the parking lot and curve back onto the adjacent road. 

After urging from Williams and Commissioner BJ Bishop, developers opted to move forward with the suggestion to stripe a parking spot to be designated as a place to turn around should the parking lot fill up. 

Previously, The club’s original plan was to build the four courts adjacent to its Harbourside Tennis Gardens. Those plans were unanimously approved and set to move on to the Town Commission on June 6. 

Following the initial public hearing in April, residents of the nearby Winding Oaks community raised objections about potential noise, and many complained they had not been notified of the meeting by official mail until after it had taken place. 

The original site was planned adjacent to the Tennis Garden’s courts in an area where trees now stand between the golf course and the tennis facility. The courts were proposed to be no closer than 328 feet from the nearest Winding Oaks home, which is farther away than existing courts are from residential property alongside the Moorings.