The Rogers City Council on Tuesday night changed its noise ordinance. City officials say the move will allow the Arkansas Music Pavilion to operate regularly when it opens up in its new Rogers facility next week.
Alderman passed the amended ordinance allowing more exemptions to the city’s noise code prohibiting “unreasonably loud, disturbing and unnecessary noises within the city”. The exemptions added Tuesday night include athletic or school events, along with specifically music-based commercial facilities, such as the AMP.
The amended ordinance includes a caveat that any such facilities must have sound-dampening qualities or topography that would limit the amount of noise emitted to the surrounding areas. Rogers city leaders on Tuesday said the AMP follows the newly-passed exemption and its caveat because its architecture was built in a way that forces sound down and does not spread to the surrounding areas.
Kitty Warrell said she would not have an issue with hearing noise from shows at the facility.
"I could sit out on the porch and hear the music," she said. "I wanted tickets to the Blake Shelton concert, but I could not get them because they were all sold out. So when he comes if I could hear from outside, I would sit out there and listen to the concert."
Warrell said she recognizes the noise could be an issue for others.
"It probably would, especially for elderly people that live in the area that could hear it," she said. "They go to bed pretty early, and if it's loud it may cause some disturbance."
J.D. West is 97 years old and has lived in Rogers for close to fifty years. He said if too loud, shows at the facility would be a problem for him.
"I think it's okay for the city and for people who want to go, but just let hem hear it not the whole country," he said.
Walton Arts Center board members voted last year to move the AMP venue from Fayetteville to Rogers, spurring an $11 million construction project at the new location.
The new facility is scheduled to hold its first concert June 7, when country star Blake Shelton is set to perform.