As Ford Authority recently 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 144 noise complaints filed by local residents over just a few days, even though the venue claimed it wasn’t exceeding the decibel limits imposed by the city. Regardless, Ford Amphitheater officials recently agreed to address these complaints, though they’re also now facing some new allegations and a lawsuit.
On the heels of the launch of a new website called Ford Hurts Families that aims to tie the automaker itself to these issues – though it just paid for the naming rights – Ford Amphitheater is also now being accused of “blasting nearby homes with noise pollution as high as 80 dBA – well in excess of the 50 dBA legal limit,” according to an analysis performed by independent experts retained by the nearby Northside Neighbors Association.
The analysis was performed by acoustics and noise control engineers at Dudek, an environmental planning and engineering firm that routinely looks at the assessment and mitigation of environmental noise impacts in dense communities, such as the heavily residential northside of Colorado Springs. Dudek measured noise levels during the opening week of Ford Amphitheater at nine short-term (ST) and two long-term (LT) residential locations surrounding the venue and found that at every location, noise levels exceeded 50 dBA at select periods.
During the amphitheater’s soft opening, noise levels were in the 60-80 dBA range at the Polaris Junction apartment homes next to the venue, according to this analysis. For homes in the Grey Hawk neighborhood to the northeast, noise levels exceeded 50 dBA for about two hours (between 8-10pm) and were 7 dBA above levels during the same time period the next night when there was no event.
Colorado state law limits noise in residential zones to 50 dBA after 7pm, and Colorado Springs has a noise ordinance that imposes the same limit, but the City of Colorado Springs gave the Ford Amphitheater a noise hardship permit that contains no upper limit on noise levels – however, the Northside Neighbors Association has filed a lawsuit claiming that this permit violates state law, so the matter is clearly far from resolved at this point.
Comments
….who woulda thought a bunch of Stoners in Colorado would complain about noise ?
WHAT?????? The Homes in the Area weren’t there when the Theater was BUILT??? Come Folks, you had to have gone around the area and “CHECKED” the situation out “BEFORE” you Actually went through with the Construction????? RIGHT????? RIGHT?????? Otherwise , YOU are in the Wrong and must be held accountable for your own STUPIDITY!!!! Otherwise It’s ALL ON “YOU”!!!! IDIOT’S!!! People / Homeowners have the right to be able to live a Normal Life in there own Homes without the Concern’s of TOOOOOO Much Noise!!! You’re in the WRONG unless there is an Ordnance that’s say’s Otherwise……