Neighbors near the Rock Sports Complex in Franklin say concerns over noise and light pollution from large-scale events at the venue have persisted since 2013 — and, with festival season kicking off this weekend, some residents are taking legal action.
WATCH: Franklin and Greendale residents Rock raise noise concerns ahead of festivals
Country Rising is scheduled for Friday night, followed by the Tacos and Tequila Festival on Saturday at Ballpark Commons.
Franklin resident Dana Gidnt said neighbors frequently come to her with their concerns, including complaints about profanity carried into surrounding neighborhoods from performances.
“If they actually kept the noise on the property, there wouldn’t be an issue with any kind of content or lyrics or anything because we wouldn’t hear that in the surrounding neighborhoods. The people who pay for their tickets would be able to enjoy the show, and the people who didn’t pay for tickets shouldn’t hear the show,” Gidnt said.
Greendale resident Joy Draganis-Zingales said she is impacted by the noise even from her home outside Franklin. She and other residents, including Gidnt, are part of a notice to file suit against the city over the noise concerns.
“This is 14 or 15 years in the making. It shouldn’t take this long to correct the same issues that continue to happen season after season, but I’m hopeful the mitigation plans will be put in place,” Draganis-Zingales said.
ROC Ventures CEO Mike Zimmerman provided a statement outlining steps the company is taking this year to address neighbor concerns. In addition to ongoing efforts, Zimmerman said the company is retaining an independent third-party acoustical consultant to assist with sound testing, speaker placement, real-time monitoring and operational recommendations before, during and after events. Artist agreements have also been updated to request PG-13 performances, with those expectations reinforced directly with artists before they take the stage.
The full statement from Zimmerman reads:
"We understand that some nearby residents have concerns regarding sound associated with large-scale events at Ballpark Commons, and we take those concerns seriously.
As Ballpark Commons has evolved over the years, we have continually worked with City officials, public safety agencies, and nearby residents to improve operations and reduce impacts on surrounding neighborhoods. Those efforts have included lighting mitigation, operational hour adjustments for certain events, modifications to event programming, changes to speaker locations, installation of house speaker systems, environmental investments, traffic coordination with public safety agencies, and modifications to prior programming.
Following recent discussions with the City regarding the upcoming Country Rising and Tacos & Tequila festivals, ROC Ventures has also committed to additional sound management measures for this year's events. These include retaining an independent third-party acoustical consultant to work alongside the production company on sound testing, speaker placement, real-time monitoring, and operational recommendations before, during, and after the events.
In addition, artist agreements have been updated to request PG-13 performances, and those expectations will be reinforced directly with artists prior to taking the stage.
We recognize that nearby residents experience these events differently than attendees, and we remain committed to listening, adapting, and continuously improving event operations while balancing the role Ballpark Commons plays as a regional entertainment destination for Franklin."
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