El Dorado Hills homeowners win court battle over pickleball court lights

A set of 50-foot tall lights installed for pickleball in El Dorado Hills will need to be taken down after a successful lawsuit filed in 2022 by neighbors near the court.

After years of back and forth in court, a judge signed off on a settlement agreement, forcing the lights to be taken down.  

Court documents filed as part of the lawsuit show the lights cost $200,000 to install, and will cost another $75,000 to remove. 

Corde Wagner is one of several homeowners in the Heritage El Dorado Hills community, who live next door to the pickleball courts, behind a lawsuit against the El Dorado Hills Community Services District.

Wagner says the lights forced him to buy black-out blinds in his living room, describing them as resembling stadium tower lights. 

George Steed is another neighbor who helped file the light lawsuit. He questioned the preparation process that went into the erection of the lights.

"This whole thing didn't have to happen," Steed said. "They failed to get even the permits for the electrical connections to the lights."

Noelle Mattock, president of the community services district, issued a statement regarding the court's decision. 

"Our focus is on carrying out the agreement and continuing to provide a park that serves the community," part of the statement read.

A years-long fight against these massive lights on a pickleball court, with the final score settled in civil court.

"For us, it's a miracle," Wagner said. 

The district is meeting Thursday to approve the agreement to remove the lights.