(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Ford Amphitheater continues to be a point of contention. Unhappy with the noise, neighbors complained to the Colorado Springs City Council.
Several residents attended the council meeting on Tuesday, August 28, to voice their concerns. Some council members say they are listening and are beginning to look into what steps the city can take to address the problem.
The city reports it has received about 650 complaints about excessive noise coming from the amphitheater, with some people filing multiple complaints. Performances must end by 11 p.m., but residents say the noise often continues afterward, violating the city’s noise permit.
One parishioner said, “This quiet residential area was never the right place for this venue. You’re probably saying, ‘Oh, that’s all water under the bridge, get over it,’ right? I’m not ready for that yet.”
“Sunday August 18th was a blast. The music was very loud, as if a boom car was parked nearby. You could hear the constant bass notes all evening and understand the lyrics,” said another.
JW Roth, owner of the Ford Amphitheater, said he and his family have recently been subjected to personal threats, necessitating additional security measures. City officials met with Roth to discuss noise mitigation measures.
Venu, the company that owns the amphitheater, hired outside specialists to conduct audio recordings in several surrounding communities on Friday, August 23, when no concert was taking place, and on Saturday, August 24, when a live concert was taking place, to determine whether the venue complied with the city’s noise regulations. Recording locations were selected based on feedback from surrounding communities.
To comply with regulations, noise levels must not exceed 110 decibels more than once every five minutes. According to new data from surrounding communities, the Ford Amphitheater is within the noise limit.
The above charts provided by Venu show that the red line represents the allowable decibel limit of the locations marked on the map and that the venue does not exceed this limit at any time during the shows:
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The diagram above shows the maximum noise level in the venue in one-second increments. To comply with regulations, noise should not exceed the limit of 110 dB(A) more than once every five minutes.
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The middle graph shows the average noise level in the venue over a five-minute period, which should not exceed 105 dB(A).
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The bottom graph shows the average noise levels at the venue and at the remote monitoring sites. It shows neither a significant increase at the remote sites nor a correlation between high noise levels at the venue and spikes at those sites.
Venu said that the measurements show that sound levels are consistently comparable to ambient noise, such as traffic. In a statement, Venu said: “
The Ford Amphitheater is designed to deliver first-class entertainment experiences while ensuring
minimal disruption to the surrounding community. The venue remains committed to transparency and staying true to its commitment to being a great neighbor.”
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