As Ford Authority previously reported, the newly-opened Ford Amphitheater in the Polaris Pointe development in Colorado Springs, Colorado – which is programmed and operated by AEG Presents and was developed and built by a company called Venu – has faced its fair share of controversy since it opened mere weeks ago. This is due to a large number of noise complaints filed by local residents, even though the venue claimed it wasn’t exceeding the decibel limits imposed by the city. Regardless, Ford Amphitheater has now been cleared of any wrongdoing by the City of Colorado Springs.
According to KDVR News, the City of Colorado Springs conducted its own investigation into roughly 650 complaints regarding Ford Amphitheater and claims that it violated noise ordinances, which consisted of three events held in early August. It conducted noise measurements in nearby neighborhoods, and found that the site didn’t exceed noise levels of more than 110 decibels once in five minutes at any point during those concerts.
In fact, the highest decibel the city recorded was 78 dB in a neighborhood around 4,000 feet away from the venue, while inside Ford Amphitheater, the highest noise level came in at 116.8 dB. As a result, the venue remained in compliance with city law during that time span, though these results will still likely do little to calm the nerves of angry residents who maintain that Ford Amphitheater is in the wrong.
In fact, a website called Ford Hurts Families aims to tie the automaker itself to these issues – though Ford merely paid for the naming rights -accusing the site of “blasting nearby homes with noise pollution,” claims it backs up with its own third-party testing results. The Northside Neighbors Association followed by filing a lawsuit claiming that this permit violates state law, though Ford Amphitheater officials recently agreed to take action to address some complaints from local residents.
Comments
But the City allows the new Ford Amphitheater to have max numbers that grossly exceed the State’s covenant of “quiet enjoyment” (50-55db) that everyone is supposed to be entitled to. The city’s numbers don’t mean anything to people who are losing sleep and having anxiety because of noise penetrating closed windows in their homes, and are actually illegal in the State of Colorado!
On 10.02.24 at 9:30 PM Foreigner was playing Jukebox Hero and the decibel reading at my home, was 84db’s. 84db’s far exceeds the Colorado Springs special permit for this venue. This noise pollution is not allowing me, or anyone in surrounding neighborhoods, to have quiet enjoyment of their property. All of this negative publicity, future lawsuits, noise complaints only does one thing, it drags the Ford name through the mud. But, Ford’s the one that paid for the naming rights for an amphitheater that was built in the center of residential neighborhoods.