Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Summerfest band noise – were you affected?
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August 31, 2013 at 5:36 pm #608918
blatoParticipantOn Saturday July 9 2013 at Summerfest, the West Seattle Junction celebration, the band played until after 12 midnight at a very loud volume. We live .8 miles from the speakers. The noise prevented sleep even with the windows shut and ear plugs.
It has taken me this long, with the invaluable guidance of Councilman Tom Rasmussen, to determine responsibilities.
Noise Abatement Program City of Seattle variance for the event allowed “ music up to 85 dB @ 50’until 11:00 p.m. only.”
In response to my complaint the Noise Abatement Program has stated:
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Given:
1. You are almost a mile from the event (.8)
2. There are thousands of people closer and
more impacted by this event
3. I have been issuing a variance for this event for years without noise complaints
4. This is only the second noise complaint I have received about the event
Noise Abatement Program Conclusion:
I am fairly confident the festival is operating in compliance with the variance conditions but I will monitor this event next year.
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85 dB at 50’ would have been negligible at our distance. The speakers were pumping full volume, many multiples of the variance. Neighbors tell me they were very distressed but didn’t know what to do about it.
Here’s your chance. Join me in speaking out if you were affected.
August 31, 2013 at 5:41 pm #796929
WalkerParticipantWon’t someone think of the children!
August 31, 2013 at 7:30 pm #796930
seaopgalParticipant1/2 block south of Junction on 42nd: It was louder and went noticeably longer than in previous years (definitely past 11, maybe a little past 12), but not so much to cause us distress. The weather was nice, and it sounded like there was a good crowd, so i just assumed it was a little more difficult for the organizers to pull the plug.
August 31, 2013 at 9:01 pm #796931
gmabettyParticipantIt seems to be getting more and more difficult to locate for these outdoor festivities. Harder to please everyone. Hope this will be resolved for those inconvenienced.
August 31, 2013 at 9:07 pm #796932
trimParticipantYou don’t really get quiet and peaceful while living in a city as large as ours.
September 1, 2013 at 12:40 am #796933
smokeycretin9ParticipantThe Mono Men ROCKED!!!!!!!
September 1, 2013 at 3:29 pm #796934
JoBParticipantblato
summerfest happens once a year.
if you don’t like the noise, take a vacation during summerfest.
it’s what i do every fourth of july…
because the illegal fireworks in my neighborhood begin frightening my dogs about a week before and last about a week after.
may i suggest the wooded areas of southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon?
it’s really quiet there.
of course, you would only have to be gone for the weekend
so maybe you wouldn’t have to go so far.
September 1, 2013 at 4:01 pm #796935
WorldCitizenParticipantPlease don’t poison the well of fun here in WS. It’s already so small that we have a hard time letting everyone drink from it.
September 1, 2013 at 5:36 pm #796936
elikapekaParticipantI figure I live in the city with lots of other people. Part of the deal is that festivals have loud music, the Blue Angels fly over once a year (hopefully again!), there are fireworks on the Fourth of July and New Years, and neighbors may occasionally have a loud party. If it was days on end, I’d be with you on complaining, but for a one-time event, I either put up with it or if I knew in advance and couldn’t deal with it, I’d just go somewhere else for the day. Let people have some fun once in a while, even if it is a little noisy.
September 2, 2013 at 7:31 pm #796937
valvashonParticipantI sure was! On Friday night the Mono Men were ear-spliitingly loud. It was great! It felt like being at the Vogue or The Crocodile in the early ’90’s all over again. I was “affected” by having a great time!
September 2, 2013 at 11:30 pm #796938
anonymeParticipantblato, I agree with you. Fun is fine, but there are rules in place that should be respected. There are too many exceptions to the rules these days and too many laws not being enforced – like illegal fireworks. The extreme levels of noise, along with the frequency at which these occurrences take place, are getting unmanageable. I’ve lived in big cities all my life; this is not a “city” issue – nor should it always be the loudest voices that get heard. If the cutoff time was 11 pm, they were already allowed an extra hour; no need to be greedy with two, and no one would have suffered for lack of fun.
September 2, 2013 at 11:42 pm #796939
VBDParticipantThe reason there are so many exceptions to the rules is obvious: Too many rules!
Rock on.
September 3, 2013 at 4:03 am #796940
JoBParticipantanonyme..
we can meet on the illegal fireworks
but his was a legal event…
how do you know nobody would have suffered for lack of fun… were you there?
September 3, 2013 at 8:16 pm #796941
BostonmanMemberI am pretty close to the junction also, about .7 miles from the bands. I look at it like I look at the fireworks. Its limited time each year and I can deal with it for the benefit. I enjoy the fireworks like I enjoyed the music. I had a 1 year old who had no trouble sleeping with the windows open so no hard no foul.
September 6, 2013 at 12:48 am #796942
alywest63ParticipantIt’s the best weekend of the summer for West Seattle….Don’t complain about one weekend a year.
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