Ford Amphitheater says it is investigating sound reduction strategies at community open house

Next season might see changes, said stakeholders to a scattered crowd of over one hundred community members gathered at a Ford Amphitheater open house to address noise complaints since the venue started hosting concerts this summer.

"I'm going to be a good neighbor," said JW Roth, founder, chairman and CEO of VENU, the company formerly known as Notes Live that built the 8,000-seat outdoor amphitheater on the city's north side.

Colorado Springs City Council members Nancy Henjum and Randy Helms attended in support of the venue. The substance of the open house was a presentation on potential measures the amphitheater might take going forward to reduce noise impact on the surrounding community.

Bob Mudd, president and chief operating officer of VENU, said that while the amphitheater has stayed within city-set sound limits, the company was going to look at ways to address concerns.

"It still has had an impact on people and we recognize that," he said.

Mudd said VENU had assembled a team of architects, engineers and acoustics experts to look at solutions beyond the 50-foot sound wall the venue is currently constructing directly opposed to the stage. He said that additional walls, sound curtains, and a potential lowering of the volume of concerts were all on the table.

Roth outlined the plan in a September City Council meeting. The company did not specify which direction it might take for sound mitigation at the open house, but Mudd and Roth did say they were aiming for changes by the next concert season.

"We're going to do everything we can to make your experience better, so if you want to listen to the Beach Boys, you'll have to buy a ticket," said Roth.

A lawsuit by a local community group to impose sound limits or shut down the venue was recently dismissed by the Colorado Court of Appeals. Community members have filled the Colorado Springs City Council chambers in previous weeks to speak for and against the venture.

Some community members who attended the open house were not pleased with the outcome or format. Michael Bullock, a nearby homeowner, said that he was angry he was unable to voice his concerns. The event did not have a public comment section, though Roth and others stayed after to meet with attendees.

Matthew Grubesich, who protested outside the venue prior to the open house, said the noise levels were still too high where he lived two and a half miles away.

"Yesterday I was out barbecuing, and I heard the sound checks on my patio," he said.

One attendee, John Becker, said he was just curious to see the inside amphitheater.

"We're not that affected by the sound," he said. "We live far enough away, it's not really an issue."