Newport Banning Night Use of Ball Courts

The City Council on Monday gave its preliminary approval to a new ordinance that would ban basketball playing on public courts at night.

The plan was devised after a number of residents complained about late-night noise being made by people using the park courts at night. Even though most parks in Newport Beach are not fitted with night lighting to discourage after-hour uses, there are no rules against evening activity.

“All of our parks are in residential areas,” said Ron Whitley, director of parks, beaches and recreation. “Over the years there have been a number of calls” from residents complaining about the noise.

In recent weeks, residents of two neighborhood parks have complained about continuous late-night noise on the courts. Residents in the 38th Street Park neighborhood on the Peninsula and at the Bay View Park neighborhood said they have been disturbed by players using the courts up until midnight.

The new regulation would prohibit any use of any park basketball court between sundown and 8 a.m. each day.

Once the new law is adopted, the city will post signs advising players of the hours and will enforce the law primarily by responding to complaints, city officials said.

The council is scheduled to adopt the ordinance on its final reading Aug. 10, and it would go into effect 30 days after that.