2 weeks Ago
A new study of Ford Amphitheater shows how easily concerts could be heard in some of the nearby neighborhoods. The study, prepared for the Colorado Springs City Council by noise consulting company Hankard Environmental, measured sound levels during the final three concerts of October at the amphitheater, both inside the venue and at residential locations up to a mile away. The study reported that all three concerts were roughly in compliance with the city requirements for limiting maximum noise levels.
In the broader community, however, the shows were clearly audible in many neighborhoods and would have been too loud for residential areas if the amphitheater had not received a noise hardship permit. The city had requested the third-party study to vet the sound level measurements from VENU, the entertainment and hospitality company that built and developed the amphitheater, and from residents who have complained about noise pollution. "We needed to make sure whatever we get from the amphitheater was professionally vetted and we weren't just taking their word as the final word," city spokeswoman Vanessa Zink said.
None of the concerts measured exceeded the caps set by the city for average sound and maximum sound levels during any five-minute period of the performance, the report stated. The Godsmack concert Oct. 17 had two stretches that violated the 125-decibel limit for specific octave frequencies, with the 40-hertz bandwidth measurement spiking over the limit a few times.
The Hankard report called the spike "an imperceptible increase" and not a systemic violation. Hankard's study measured the concert volume at between 10 and 21 locations north and east of the amphitheater. The study found that a majority of places could clearly hear at least some of the concert on all three nights.
How audible the shows were varied even within short distances. During the Foreigner concert Oct. 2, the concert was barely audible when measured near Voyager Parkway.
A few hundred feet further east at the Bella Springs Apartments, the concert was "distinctly audible," and the music could be heard even more clearly in a nearby neighborhood. The study said the variation was due to passing traffic which was as loud or louder than the concert, as well as wind direction and atmospheric conditions. The range of 50 to 60 decibels is roughly the same volume as side street traffic or a normal conversation.
Ford Amphitheater received a noise hardship permit from the city to exceed the city limit of 50 decibels in residential areas between 7 p.m. and 7 a.
m. Permits are issued by the Colorado Springs Police Department's Special Events Team. The majority of the external measurements for all three concerts exceeded 50 decibels.
The Godsmack performance topped the 50-decibel level at 10 of the 12 locations measured in the study, and both Godsmack and Foreigner reached 60 decibels in some locations. Jerry McLaughlin is president of the Sun Hills Homeowners Association, further north and east of the area measured by the study. McLaughlin said via email that the study showed a clear sound problem because of the number of places that would ordinarily be noise violations.
McLaughlin said that any changes should focus on the residents to the north and northeast of Ford Amphitheater. "I attended the open house, I could clearly see that there are many wide open gaps in the amphitheater's infrastructure to the north and northeast that should be addressed," McLaughlin wrote. VENU President Bob Mudd said the city's study was consistent with the company's internal measurements from the concert season.
The sole complaint Mudd had was that the study did not show how much louder the concerts were than the normal background noise in those areas. Mudd and the city agreed there was work to be done to continue reining in noise levels before shows begin in 2025. "Music is perceived differently than buses and trains and retail establishments and people going up and down roads.
We have heard the public say that is concerning to them and they want to see what our steps are during this offseason," Mudd said. VENU is preparing its own noise report that will include measurements from every concert performed this year. Mudd said the report would be coming out within 10 days.
A finalized set of mitigation measures for the noise from Ford Amphitheater will be released early next year. An overview of potential changes provided by the Mayor Yemi Mobolade's office last week included adjustments to the speaker setup and acoustics that could be made quickly. Larger projects such as extending the wall of the Roth Building to the north and south would be done as quickly as city permits and construction times allow, Mudd said.
"Originally we were working out of the theoretical. Now we are working out of a set of 20 shows where we can have actual sound levels incorporated into the studies," Mudd said..
