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I posted it on the wrong area of the map. I created a new listing and have reposted it in the right area.

Thank you for reporting.

The City of Alpharetta noise ordinance that applies to the amphitheater is as follows:

In places of public entertainment having a capacity of five thousand (5,000) or more persons, it shall be unlawful to create or permit to be created any noise that exceeds an average of ninety-five (95) dBC in any ten-minute period from 7:00 a.m.--12:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. for events commencing on Friday or Saturday. The sound level limit for all other times shall be fifty-five (55) dBC. The sound shall be measured at a point which is found by traveling a straight line distance from the center of the sound board through the center rear of the facility a distance of five hundred (500) feet or to the property line of the facility, whichever is less. The measurement assumes that the sound board is not more than one hundred (100) feet from the center stage. The 500-foot measurement shall be reduced one (1) foot for each foot that the sound board is more than one hundred (100) feet from center stage.

To date, the amphitheater has not once violated the ordinance.

At the conclusion of the first performance season professional sound engineers were brought back in to study the situation and provide recommendations as to means of mitigating it. They were provided with all of the information that was provided during the season by complainants, weather and atmospheric data from performance nights, sound readings taken during performances by City personnel at the venue and in the neighborhoods from which complaints had been received, topographical maps, and any other information requested by the engineers.

Based on their analysis the professional sound engineers determined that from a facility / structural perspective the only way to resolve the sound issues being experienced by the property owners in the areas from where almost every complaint has originated would be to fully enclose the venue. This is because the sound is reflecting vertically out of the amphitheater bowl, meeting the atmosphere, and being “channeled” by topography towards those neighborhoods. Essentially, the sound becomes trapped between the atmosphere and the ground and is pushed further outward along the horizontal plane. The addition of sound walls along the edge / lip of the amphitheater will not address the situation because the sound is not escaping the amphitheater horizontally but vertically. Placement of the “lawn speakers” was adjusted based upon the engineers’ recommendation; however, they indicated that the modification would have little impact on the sound distribution to the cluster areas.

That leaves operational solutions. Could these sound issues be affected to some degree by reducing the maximum decibel level allowed under our ordinance? To some degree, the answer is yes, but in order to have noticeable impact on the specific properties from which complaints have been received the levels would have to be reduced to a point that would also be deleterious to the operation of the facility and the ability to bring many top performers to the venue. Again, this is largely due to the unique topographic and atmospheric conditions involved. With respect to the time limits placed on amphitheater performances, the hours of operation have been planned to allow for a reasonable event start time, to accommodate a typical performance by the caliber of artist desired by residents and patrons, and the time required to load out or break down the venue (e.g. disperse traffic, strike the set, etc.). Here again, altering the current ordinance would negatively impact the quality of performances at the venue, which would have significant economic impacts and other ramifications.

The amphitheater continues to operate within the limits of the City’s noise ordinance, and we have no plans at this time to alter that ordinance. That being said, the amphitheater’s management has voluntarily taken those practical measures available to reduce unwanted impacts to other property owners.