N. Side hears 'N Sync loud and clear
Last night's 'N Sync concert was loud - 78 decibels loud in the nearest residential neighborhood, to be exact - but it probably won't be a good indicator for city officials trying to determine what noise levels are fair for both the groups using Heinz Field and the people who live nearby.
'What you hear Saturday night might be loud or it might not be loud' when compared to the normal Heinz Field sound system, Allegheny West Civic Council President John DeSantis said Thursday. 'What we're looking for in both cases is that they simply abide by the sound levels laid out in city codes and drop this nonsense about being exempt from the law.'
The battle over noise levels from the new North Shore football stadium has played out before a variety of city and state boards, including the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. But last night's concert - which used a different sound system from that which will be used for football games - was not seen as a real test of how much noise Allegheny West residents will have to endure.
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DeSantis has led the civic group through a variety of battles against the Steelers, including legal challenges on noise levels, signs and alcohol sales at Heinz Field.
At the corner of Galveston and Ridge Avenues - the front line in Allegheny West residents' battle against Heinz Field noise - a hand-held noise meter registered 54 decibels Thursday afternoon. During last night's 'N Sync concert, a reading at the same spot with the same device recorded a peak noise level of 78 decibels during the show's opening songs. Other levels taken during the same period averaged between 72 and 74 decibels.
The city's noise ordinance limits noise levels in residential areas to 68 decibels between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. But venues like Heinz Field and the I.C. Light Amphitheatre are exempt from the decibel regulation because they operate entertainment events with the proper city permits - events such as football games and concerts.
| *NSync's Official Web Site Valley News Dispatch coverage of *NSync@Heinz Field |
'We're going to monitor it throughout the season, and we feel we're doing everything we can to maintain the same levels that we had in Three Rivers Stadium,' Steelers spokesman Ron Wahl said. 'If we find that we need to make some adjustments, we'll make some adjustments.'
In June, the city planning commission approved noise levels for Steelers games similar to those at Three Rivers Stadium. In 1999, the Steelers tested noise levels on Ridge Avenue, Allegheny Avenue and other North Side streets and found a peak reading of 65 decibels.
'First and foremost, it would obviously be the position of any neighborhood of the city that the laws of the city apply to everyone,' DeSantis said. 'So when someone suggests that certain groups and venues are outside of the law, I find it offensive that we create these laws that turn Heinz Field into some sort of sacred ground.'
'It's already been approved as 65 decibels. That's what we're going for,' Wahl said.
City Councilman Alan Hertzberg has proposed an amendment to the city noise ordinance that would change the hours from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and be written to include venues such as Heinz Field. Stephen Roth, a sound engineer who owns Roth Acoustical Associates, is working on a field study to determine appropriate sound levels in the city.
'We're trying to make an ordinance that is very reasonable. There are two issues - the first and obvious one being the neighbors who have to hear this noise, and the second being the concerns of the people making the noise,' Roth said. 'If both parties understand what the limits are, I think the potential noise makers can be good neighbors, and the residents near the source can be comfortable in knowing that the rules have been well thought out.'
Roth was paid $12,750 to help formulate the draft noise policy. He is working on a second contract, worth up to $15,300, to take noise measurements in the city.
The debate over Heinz Field noise levels mirrors another debate that took place in Hertzberg's district last summer, when Mt. Washington residents complained about loud concerts at I.C. Light Amphitheater at Station Square. A year later, Hertzberg expects City Council to address his proposed overhaul of the city noise ordinance this fall.
Hertzberg said just the opening of the debate has improved conditions for Mt. Washington residents this summer. This year's visit by the Vans Warped Tour - which sparked the noise debate last summer - drew far fewer complaints from residents than it did last year.
'I think the promoter and all of those people associated with operations at the tent are being more sensitive,' Hertzberg said. 'I think the fact that we proposed new legislation and that we showed we're getting serious is why we have I.C. Light showing more consideration.'
Roth was measuring noise levels at last night's 'N Sync concert and will be out again Saturday, when the Steelers play their first exhibition game at the stadium. DeSantis noted that bands like 'N Sync travel with their own sound systems, so last night's concert wouldn't reflect levels that are usually found at the stadium.
Dave Copeland can be reached at dcopeland@tribweb.com or (412) 320-7922.
