GREENFIELD — After the Christian music festival SoulFest concluded last Saturday at the Franklin County Fairgrounds, the Board of License Commissioners joined city officials on Tuesday to discuss noise complaints made by those neighboring the fairgrounds.
Commission members discussed adhering to a 10 p.m. cut-off time and establishing a system in which neighbors can provide feedback on the event in real time as potential noise mitigation efforts for future events.
“Last year, SoulFest was very loud and there were lots of complaints in the neighborhood there. Over the winter, there were new owners who came in,” Greenfield’s Chief of Staff Erin Anhalt said. “They spoke with the people who live near the fairgrounds and talked about mitigation strategies, how that would work moving forward. The discussion today is if the board feels that they have fulfilled their promises and if the board would entertain a license in the future for next year’s event so the SoulFest people can begin planning.”
Precinct 7 City Councilor William “Wid” Perry, after hearing reports of excessive noise from his constituents Thursday night, said he met with the festival’s producers and Michael Nelson, president of the Franklin County Agricultural Society that manages the Wisdom Way fairgrounds. Following that meeting, he said the volume was turned down and after he drove around the neighborhood on a golf cart, the volume sounded better.
“On Saturday, the neighborhood group was happy with the less noise,” Perry said. “They felt that they were heard. They felt that things had changed for the better and Saturday night was mostly quiet.”
Perry added that although the festival producers turned the volume down, he did receive some reports of loud music on Saturday night, which he said could possibly be attributed to two events being held in Turners Falls at the same time.
Nelson echoed Perry’s remarks, explaining that after neighbors complained of increased noise and traffic congestion, the Franklin County Fairgrounds made adjustments and regulations to rearrange traffic flow and orient the stage in a way that mitigates sound.
In response, Board of License Commissioners Chair Ruth Ellen Henry suggested that the applicant next year appear before the board in the months prior to the August event to ensure a noise mitigation plan for SoulFest can be agreed upon.
“When they want to hold the event in August, if it were to continue next year, we should definitely meet enough months in advance so everything can be understood,” she said. “I like the fact they responded so well.”
