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Britt noise reduction efforts pay off By BILL VARBLE Most Jacksonville residents in a new poll applauded the Peter Britt Festivals' efforts to address residents' noise complaints, although concert noise remained a sticking point with some. Almost three out of four (71 percent) of those polled said they're satisfied with actions Britt and a mediation team took this year to address noise, litter, traffic and other issues. In a "hot zone" of streets nearest the stage, an even larger proportion (78 percent) said they were satisfied. In the survey, which was conducted by Dennett Consulting Group of Medford in mid-September, 97 neighbors within roughly a quarter-mile of the grounds were surveyed. Results were released Wednesday. "They seem to be moving in the right direction," Jacksonville City Administrator Paul Wyntergreen said of Britt. "My reading is that the community is generally very pleased with having the festival in Jacksonville," acting county administrator Sue Slack said. "The one remaining issue is sound." Fewer than half the residents polled (44 percent) thought sound levels decreased this summer. But two-thirds (67 percent) of those in the hot zone nearest the grounds said concerts were quieter. One was Desmond Armstrong, who lives on Fir Street just below Britt's main gate. Armstrong, who has complained about decibel levels in the past, said there was a definite reduction in concert volume this summer. "One of the prime factors was that the sound engineers placed speakers on a pole that directed sound toward the west," he said. "It spread the sound more evenly over the grounds." Britt Executive Director Ron McUne said the poll results were good news. "We put a lot of effort into managing trucks and measuring sound at concerts," he said. "I'm glad somebody noticed." No complaints about noise levels at concerts were received this season, McUne said. Complaints about loud music have dogged Britt off and on for years. The Britt grounds are adjacent to a residential neighborhood. Britt's limit of 90 decibels at the sound-mixing booth is lower than many venues around the state. Confronted by complaints earlier this year, Britt, the city and the county bought an $18,000 sound monitoring system that can measure sound thousands of times a second. After monitoring shows for a season, McUne said measurements showed almost all the shows were within the limit except for brief peaks. Applause sometimes took the level over that limit, including at comic Bill Cosby's performance. Other complaints included the noise of performers' trucks and crews, tour buses, litter and foot traffic. The festival takes place each summer on grounds owned by the county and operates under a conditional use permit from the city of Jacksonville. In the poll, residents were almost unanimous in expressing satisfaction with efforts to cut the impact of performers' trucks and tour buses (96 percent) and litter (94 percent). They said having people gather on Fir Street to watch through the fence is no problem (96 percent) and needs no policing (93 percent). In the hot zone, 33 percent said they were less affected overall by Britt this year, versus 19 percent overall. Fewer than half (46 percent) said they were "very satisfied" with truck traffic (63 percent in the hot zone). Sixty-two percent said parking has improved, and 12 percent said it got worse. One in four (26 percent) said it's a problem. Forty-six percent of residents said foot traffic has improved. Forty-one percent said it hasn't. Several said it wasn't a problem to begin with. Eighty-one percent said more law enforcement isn't needed. Ninety-two percent of those surveyed said Britt is an asset to the community, and 87 percent said it enhances quality of life in Jacksonville. Many said Britt is the reason they live in Jacksonville. Some who disagreed said Britt is good not so much for residents as businesses. "We solved a lot of the problems," Slack said. "We still need a formal agreement on sound." A meeting on sound levels is planned for Dec. 10. Wyntergreen said he hopes all parties will agree to final standards. "I may be an optimist," he says. "We're just relieved they don't all hate us and want us to go away," McUne said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA