MILWAUKEE — Dozens of people in the Bay View neighborhood are calling for change after they said the Milwaukee Forge is continuously disrupting their lives. Neighbors told TMJ4's I-Team that the city isn't holding the business accountable.
The I-Team learned this past summer, Milwaukee City's Department of Neighborhood Services (DNS) implemented a noise variance for the Milwaukee Forge, a local forging company located in the Bay View neighborhood. This means the forge has to limit its noise at certain times, specifically, overnight and on the weekends. However, residents told TMJ4, that's not happening.
"That just pounds all through the night, shakes our whole house," David Frazer said.
Frazer has lived near Milwaukee Forge for the last few years. He said he knew about it before moving in, but the last year or so, he said, has gotten worse.
"They can all feel the thing when it hits the ground. It's shaken my pictures off the wall," Paul Jonas explained.
Jonas, too, is familiar with the Forge after living in Bay View for decades.
"I have lived in this neighborhood, in this house actually, since I was a year and a half old. So, I've lived here about 58 years now," Kevin Guthmiller said.
Guthmiller's no stranger to the Forge and its banging and clanging, but over the last few months, he and other neighbors said the noise has gotten out of hand.
"We can't sleep, staying in hotels, looking at rentals, and we've talked to realtors about trying to move. It's that bad," Frazer explained.
Neighbors showed the I-Team emails with Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic detailing the ongoing noise complaints. Dimitrijevic wouldn't interview with the I-Team, but a timeline sent from her team shows over the last 21 months, she's made multiple attempts to talk with DNS and the Milwaukee Forge.
On June 22, 2022, DNS implemented a noise variance. The purpose of that variance was to limit noise decibels from the Forge, stop large trucks from idling on neighborhood streets, and restrict certain loud equipment from being used overnight and on weekends.
"We put up with some noise during the week. When the weekends came, it was about as quiet as quiet could be. Nowadays, on the weekends, they start production about six, seven o'clock in the morning, and the noise is unbearable," Guthmiller described.
Neighbors said they want to make it clear they're not trying to shut down the Forge or stop them from doing their work.
"All we're trying to do is get them to either follow the rules or both. Follow the rules they laid down and put up a noise barrier so people can live around here," Jonas said.
Alderwoman Dimitrijevic's timeline shows DNS cited the Forge more than once since that variance went into effect in June. Dimitrijevic referred all of the I-Team's questions to DNS, while residents told us DNS isn't doing enough.
"We are literally begging, literally pleading, someone please help us. It's been months, please. Someone do something effective," Frazer added.
The I-Team made several attempts to talk to DNS, but they refused an on-camera interview. Instead, they sent an emailed response. In part it said:
"DNS has dedicated extensive resources to this issue and is working diligently to find solutions for the neighborhood. The team is in direct contact with impacted neighbors, the facility, and stakeholders as well internal city colleagues to collaboratively find a resolution."
Residents said they believe otherwise. After eight months of what they considered non-action, they took matters into their own hands. Frazer got signatures from a majority of residents who live near the Forge and sent that petition for change, to DNS and Alderwoman Dimitrijevic.
"We understand they have a business, and we understand what their business is, and it's going to make noise, we just think through the years and through their expansions and stuff they haven't taken into consideration that they border a residential neighborhood," Guthmiller said.
The neighbors we talked to said they're even ready to start litigation if the Milwaukee Forge doesn't keep up their end of the noise variance.
After TMJ4's story aired, the Milwaukee Forge sent us the following statement:
"Milwaukee Forge is aware of recent complaints regarding noise from our Bay View facility. Milwaukee Forge received a noise variance from the City of Milwaukee dated June 22, 2022 that is in place. Milwaukee Forge received a noise violation dated February 7, 2023 and met with City of Milwaukee officials with the Department on Friday, February 24, 2023 to discuss how the facility will be evaluating the root cause of specific noises, share information with the Department staff regarding its processes and proposing specific engineering solutions to directly address and alleviate the noise issues. Milwaukee Forge has committed to meet again with the City and to incorporate suggestions into its noise mitigation plan. Within the last 12 months, Milwaukee Forge has had meetings with its neighbors and has outlined a plan with them to reduce or contain the noise from its operations, it has invested approximately $200,000 to process changes in 2022 to reduce the noise from our industrial facility. Milwaukee Forge has recently been authorized to implement $250,000 in additional process changes and mitigation efforts in 2023 to reduce our noise. With this funding, Milwaukee Forge will be automating the loading of its press to completely eliminate its loudest process. In addition, Milwaukee Forge will be selecting an engineering firm to design and build a wall to insulate noise from its direct neighbors. Milwaukee Forge is committed to taking a comprehensive approach to addressing these issues."