TAMPA, FL (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — With the summer concert season set to start rolling through town, neighbors of Tampa, Florida’s Ford Amphitheatre will get to see just how much last November’s settlement between the Hillsborough County and Live Nation will muffle the noise.
Rock acts such as Sammy Hagar, the Black Crowes and Def Leppard will all put the noise regulations to the test.
Live Nation officials have removed two lawn speakers, and lowered the remaining six by 20 feet and tilted them toward the ground. Visual monitors now alert sound engineers when concerts exceed acceptable sound levels. Additionally, a temporary 30-foot-tall canvas wall has been put up to block certain sound frequencies from escaping the area, according to the St. Petersburg Times.
Still, Live Nation’s biggest concession in the agreement, a $2.5 million permanent wall designed to trap noise, has yet to be constructed. Under the pact, the company has until Sept. 30th.
Because of way the agreement was written, however, it will be difficult for the Environmental Protection Commission to enforce the noise ordinance, since they agreed to hold off on violations until December 31st.
Prior to the agreement, nearby residents lodged more than 400 complaints to government agencies about the noise. The lawsuit cost the county more than $600,000 in legal fees.
The delay in wall construction is not intentional, according to the company.
“We’re trying to get as much wall and as effective a wall as we can get within budget,” said G. Wilson Rogers, SVP at Live Nation. “We have to make sure what gets built will do what it’s designed to do.”
Once built, the wall will stand 67 feet tall, stretch 300 feet across the back of the lawn, and trap the lower frequency sounds generated by bass guitar and drums.
“It’s in our best interest to meet the terms of the agreement,” amphitheater GM Ed Morrell told the paper. “We came into Tampa wanting to be the jewel of the market. We don’t want to drag this out.” –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
