Zoning Board Delays Pickleball Complex Vote to Oct. 8
Zoning Board · Meeting of August 27, 2026
Gloucester zoning board delays vote on nine-court pickleball complex after parking backlash. The board voted 5-0 to continue Cape Ann Pickleball LLC's special permit and parking-reduction request for 36 Whittemore Street to October 8, after more than a dozen residents objected to the proposed 39 parking spaces. Attorney Megan Breaker said the by-right requirement would otherwise be around 160 spaces; opposing attorney Rusty Brown argued a comparable bowling-alley standard would actually require 240.
Ward 3 City Councilor Marjorie Grace, who said parking is "the number 1 complaint" she hears, pressed for specifics on cafe seating and hours. Board member Ronald Wilson noted shift-change overlap could produce as many as 72 cars at once. Elsewhere, the board unanimously approved a two-family rebuild at 25 Marina Drive and a porch variance at 6 Collins Avenue.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 2,818 words
Source: the Zoning Board meeting of August 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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