A new $90 million luxury amphitheater in Colorado Springs is being accused of excessive noise pollution by locals who complain they could “hear every word of the concert” from up to three miles away.
The 8,000-seat Ford Amphitheater opened with a bang on August 9, hosting the hit song OneRepublic for three nights.
But while fans inside enjoyed the show, residents suffered sleep deprivation all night due to the noise.
As of August 14, officials had received approximately 170 noise reports, Denver Post reported. After the following weekend’s concerts with The Beach Boys, Walker Hayes and Iration and Pepper, no fewer than 400 complaints were received.
Since opening, city officials have received more than 650 complaints about noise pollution.
A new $90 million luxury amphitheater in Colorado Springs is being accused of excessive noise pollution by locals who complain they could “hear every word of the concert” from up to three miles away.
Venue owner JW Roth (pictured) has insisted they adhere to the rules
Hundreds more complaints have been filed on social media platforms like Nextdoor and Reddit, with some angry residents taking their complaints directly to the city council.
One local, Chris Francis, a disabled veteran who lives less than a mile from the site, said he initially thought the shooting was outside. Now he’s considering moving because of the disruption it’s causing to his life.
He told KOAA News, ‘It was pretty intense, it was like we were in the front row, we could hear the lyrics really clearly, [and] the drums. At first I thought there was shooting outside the house and I went on my guard.
The situation has become so untenable that Francis is considering moving, saying he “sees no future in the neighborhood.”
“I’m a Northgate resident. I just heard (OneRepublic) play last night. I live 2.8 miles from the amphitheater but I could hear every word of their last song very clearly,” another disgruntled neighbor wrote on Reddit.
They explained that the location also caused congestion and traffic.
“They build a fancy location with fire pits, luxury seating and the associated traffic congestion, but they don’t think for a second about the residents who have to hear it.”
Councillor Nancy Henjum said: ‘We have to do something.’
“I am very concerned about the complaints we are receiving,” she told the Government Gazette.
The 8,000-seat amphitheater was approved by the City Council in a controversial 8-1 vote last January.
Since opening, city officials have received more than 650 complaints about noise pollution.
VENU, the entertainment company behind the project, promised a luxury venue that could rival Denver’s famed Red Rocks.
But now a lawsuit has been filed alleging that the amphitheater is violating state noise laws. The appeal is still pending.
Meanwhile, the city council will discuss the future of the site next week, with Mayor Yemi Mobolade’s team preparing to answer questions.
“I know that my fellow council members and I want to address the issue of the location and the volume of the music,” City Council President Randy Helms told the Gazette.
But venue owner JW Roth continues to insist they are adhering to the rules.
“I’m not dismissing people’s concerns as nonsense at all,” Roth told the Denver Post. “But when we made the decision to build this and started the process with the city, about 50 residents were horrified that it was going to be there. So I think those same 50 people put the opening date on their calendars and circled it so they could call and complain about the noise.”
“We’ve tracked over 80,000 positive online impressions in the last two weeks, so it’s frustrating that it’s so skewed,” he added. “I’ve personally heard nothing but praise.”
Roth published the results of noise tests by LSTN Consultants, which showed that the location remained within the permitted noise limits: a whopping 110 decibels.
According to health experts, that’s as loud as a jet engine.
The 8,000-seat amphitheater was approved by the City Council in a controversial 8-1 vote last January
Hundreds of complaints have been received on social media platforms such as Nextdoor and Reddit, with some angry residents taking their complaints directly to the city council.
“We’re constantly refining our systems, but we’ve only been open for two weeks, so we’re just learning how to do certain things best,” he continued.
He claims that people will get used to the sound once it becomes “part of the ambient sounds you hear every day anyway.”
“But I can’t say, ‘Oops, sorry about that!’ I have to make sure that we minimize the effects of our (concerts) as much as possible. And while I want to emphasize that I take this seriously, I also think that we just need time to become part of the ambient noise that you already hear every day, because then people will notice it less.”
Ford Amphitheater owners Venu said in a statement that they monitored the noise throughout the weekend and were in 100 percent compliance with their obligations to the city of Colorado Springs.
“All of our mitigation tactics are working and functioning properly. We will report this information to the City as requested and as we committed to in our PUD,” they wrote.