The sound demonstration was conducted by two citizen groups, Bloomington Amphitheater Coalition (BAC) and Burnsville’s Citizen Alliance for Responsible Ecology (CARE), and tried to replicate developer proposed concert noise levels for community residents. An array of amplified speakers was used to broadcast a variety of rock n roll, rap, heavy metal and other assorted music. However, there are concerns by BAC and CARE representatives that Sunday’s temperatures as low as 48 degrees, scattered rain, lack of temperature inversions, and easterly winds were not representative of the hot, sultry weather conditions of July & August and minimized the noise impacts on area residents. Many residents were indoors with closed windows and may not have heard the “concert”. That would not be the case on a normal summer’s evening when they are “out and about”enjoying their yards and parklands.
Burnsville Police officers indicated that they had received between 80-100 calls from concerned citizens. No feedback was available from Bloomington Police but one observer commented that Bloomington Police were out trying to calm concerned residents. Some as far away as 104th Street found the sound levels bothersome, and one lady who lives on 107th and Penn drove to the “concert site” stating that “she could not get her children to sleep because of the noise”. [The proposed amphitheater site lies in the Minnesota River valley adjacent to the Minnesota River and I-35W and encompasses the highly toxic Freeway Landfill, designated by US EPA as a Superfund toxic waste site.] Such noise complaints are common in other areas having amphitheaters. Sound measurements and resident’s reactions to the “concert” were collected in various locations within the communities but the analysis will not be completed for several weeks.
The sound demonstration was requested by area residents in order to gauge the impact of amphitheater concerts. A much more intensive and thorough summer sound study had to be cancelled after the amphitheater site property owner, McGowan Company, and Rose Wild LLC refused access to the property. Without access to the site, sound experts told BAC & CARE that a sound study comparable to prior studies could not be conducted.
During July 2000, 7,000 area residents signed a petition to the Metropolitan Council demanding further evaluation of the potential noise, traffic, alcohol/drugs, crime, safety, commuter, wildlife, and environmental impacts/problems associated with the proposed amphitheater. These problems are common in communities having amphitheaters throughout the country.
In August 2000, the Metropolitan Council agreed to look into the “metro significance” issue and called BAC, CARE, the Cities of Bloomington and Burnsville, and Rose Wild LLC into a mediation effort to try to resolve the noise issues. The noise mediation effort has been ongoing ever since but no resolution is in sight. Brian Carlson, BAC mediation representative commented that “the citizens seem to be getting little from the mediation process so far.” The other problems (traffic, safety, environmental concerns, etc.) will also need to be addressed at some point.
The crux of the problem is the amount of noise anticipated to be propagated by the proposed amphitheater and its impact on residences in Bloomington and Burnsville. The developer proposes to hold the noise level at 105 decibels(dB) within the facility and 93 dB at the rear of the amphitheater facility's lawn seating area. [105 dB is almost three times as loud as a chainsaw.] Health experts have raised hearing damage concerns at concert noise levels.
Two sound studies have already been done but the results have been inconclusive primarily because the studies were done either in late fall (November) or winter (January) under weather conditions which were not representative of summertime concert weather conditions. Prevailing winds and temperature inversions can dramatically affect noise impacts. During the summer, the amphitheater site is acknowledged by the sound and weather consultants to experience frequent temperature inversion conditions and southerly winds. Such weather conditions intensify noise propagation impacts on residences and could result in violations of the state noise standards. According to Tom Twaites, a CARE group leader, “conducting a summer sound study was critical to understanding the sound dynamics of the proposed amphitheater before it is built. Too many communities are or have been embroiled in lengthy legal battles to reduce noise levels from existing amphitheaters. We wanted to avoid that situation.”
Return to Home Page
Read what residents say about the demonstration