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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 2, 2005 Neighbors wish sound was a little bit louder By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT — When city officials and crowds of residents protested the Lithia Motors Amphitheater five years ago, they ranted about shaking windows and traffic backed onto the nearby Interstate 5. Some residents threatened to sell their homes while others said they would sue. Friday afternoon, as final preparations were under way for The Steve Miller Band to take the new venue on its maiden run, residents and city officials were expecting the worst.When the sounds of a crowd cheering could be heard only as far as Jewett Elementary at 8:10 and 8:25 p.m., the peace-shattering ruckus anticipated for so many years never did happen.When the band began playing, it was no louder in some portions of the city than a car radio — turned only halfway up. When loud trucks rolled by, residents as close as Gebhard Road and North 10th Street could barely make out the lyrics. "Could someone tell them to crank it up?" grumbled Gebhard Road resident David Webb. One of the closest homeowners to the stage, Webb had voiced concerns over traffic and noise in fall 2000 when the project first made headlines. Advertisement At the time, fairgrounds officials had declared construction would begin in 90 days; concerts beginning by summer of 2001. After two-plus years of city and county officials ironing out sound and traffic issues, Webb had mixed reviews about the less-than-noisy venue. "It’s kind of crappy. I was sitting out in my yard with a cold beer waiting to hear Steve Miller," said Webb. "It was a half-an-hour late to start and when it did finally start I could hardly hear it�. maybe it’s the way the wind is blowing but the quality is really bad. I wasn’t really in favor of them building it but since they did anyway, we might as well get a free concert." While some residents were expecting to experience the wrath that they’d heard tiny Jacksonville residents faced with sometimes noisy Britt concerts, Webb surmised that perhaps Britt "has a better sound system." Fairgrounds manager Chris Borovansky was thrilled that his biggest headache of the night was concession-stand lines. "There were some pretty long lines and I’m sure we’ll hear about that," he said, "but the major issues — traffic and noise — we took care of easily. I think what that points out is we did our job for the community." Borovansky said the venue was better because of the challenges tackled. At one point, fairground officials vowed not to build if noise could not be handled. At the height of discussions with the city, former Mayor Bill Walton, who was unavailable for comment Friday, went so far as to travel to Southern California to interview residents in a town where an amphitheater had been built, failed, and closed down. "Nothing good comes easy," Borovansky said. "We wound up with something better because of the challenges we ran into. I wouldn’t have done it any other way." Council president Dick Halley, who served as the city’s liaison to the fair board during planning phases for the amphitheater, was surprised at the lack of noise. "We were sitting out front talking with friends and the traffic noise was more than the concert," he noted. "Every so often there was a little blurb and you could tell music was playing. I think we came up with a good product� I was real worried in the beginning about what they had going on � Of course this is one concert, so we’ll have to wait and see." Close to 10 p.m., Central Point Police sergeant Jack Britton, on bike patrol from Pfaff Park, said he had been down the Bear Creek Greenway near the fairgrounds and could barely make out any words to songs being played. No residents called in the complaints that are commonplace during fair week, either, he said.Former councilwoman Donna Higginbotham said the music was not quite as loud as a radio being played a house or two away. "I can only hear it when the kids turn theirs down. It just sounds like sweet refrain on the evening breeze," she said. "We were really worried to start with but the council worked with the fairgrounds to put some things into place and it seems to have really worked out ... if this is how it’s gonna be, it’s fine with me." Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. 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