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.
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