GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids city commissioners took a step Tuesday toward exempting the Acrisure Amphitheater from the city's noise ordinance, a move that continues a debate between downtown residents concerned about concert noise and supporters who say the venue provides economic and community benefits.
WATCH: Amphitheater noise exemption vote planned for end of the month
The discussion comes after a judge ruled in August that the amphitheater must comply with the city's existing noise ordinance. Commissioners are now considering a proposal that would create a specific exemption for the venue.
Residents of Plaza Towers, which sits across from the amphitheater's stage, urged commissioners not to approve the exemption.
"You have a choice, and a chance to make Grand Rapids the noisiest city in the country," resident Peter Steensma told commissioners.
Another resident, Dan Hibma, questioned whether city leaders should continue supporting the exemption after concerns were raised about noise projections used during the planning process.
"The Planning Commission, City Council, Grand Rapids too were given inaccurate projections," Hibma said. "Do we just double down on those by passing the same exemption? I say no."
Residents opposing the proposal hired a sound expert who found noise levels at Plaza Towers exceeded limits established by the city's ordinance. According to opponents, sound levels were measured at up to 40 decibels above what the ordinance allows.
Under the proposal, the amphitheater would be exempt from the city's noise ordinance until 11 p.m. The city manager would also have authority to approve extensions beyond that time if an event is delayed.
Not all residents living near the venue oppose the change.
Kara Wood, a Plaza Towers resident and executive director of Grand Action 2.0, spoke in support of the exemption, arguing the amphitheater has brought economic activity, jobs and visitors to the city.
"Residents across Grand Rapids benefit from the economic activity, the jobs, the visitor spending that we all heard about, and the community vitality that the venue is generating," Wood said.
In it's inaugural season, the amphitheater held 49 shows and welcomed an estimated 400,000 visitors, 100,000 more than what was originally projected, according to new numbers presented by the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority Tuesday. Of the hundreds of thousands of visitors, the authority reports, that more than one-third, or 160,000 of those visitors came from outside a 50-mile radius.
City Manager Mark Washington said staff will continue reviewing practices in other cities with downtown entertainment venues as Grand Rapids evaluates its policy. He pointed to Austin, Texas, where live music is allowed until 2 a.m. with a permit.
"We will be even more intentional as we look at the practices, and our comparisons to some of those benchmark cities, highlighting areas where we're different, or improve, or continuing to lead the way we do," Washington said.
Commissioners are expected to make a final decision on the proposed noise exemption at their next meeting Oct. 27.
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