Anthems of censorship, community and livability filled Dillon Town Hall last night when more than two dozen locals spoke passionately about Dillon Amphitheater.
Council chambers was packed with music fans. They urged council to reconsider a few isolated complaints about noise, disruption and profanity. Many of them have been employees, volunteers and musicians at Dillon Amp, including Tyler Easton of Frisco Funk Collective and Summit Musicians Relief Fund.
“I plead with you, I beg with all of you: Please, please, please do not sacrifice the progress that we have made,” Easton said. “Don’t sacrifice the integrity that we’ve got.”
Easton gave the example of Avon, where the SnowBall Music Festival lasted two years in the early 2010s before neighborhood complaints convinced town officials to get rid of it.
Some supporters rallied against claims of censorship, saying it “blows me away this is even a conversation,” and “true belonging, real community means creating space for everyone and their cultures.”
Tuning into the meeting online were three members of a neighborhood group from Lake Cliffe Condos. That building bears the brunt of at least 25 live concerts every summer, including morning sound checks and after-dark encores.
One resident at Lake Cliffe, Susan Adams, said this is not about censorship. This is about her walls rattling.
“We cannot stay and live in our homes when (noise) levels are excessive,” Adams said. “Refrigerators dance across the floor, windows sway, pictures fall off the walls, objects on coffee tables and light fixtures rattle. Moving to a back bedroom does not help. Neither does putting in earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones.”
Adams’ voice cracked as she talked about her young grandchildren and 90-year-old mother. She suggested a decibel limit of 65db. That is about as loud as a dishwasher.
Another member of the neighborhood group, Nic Zador, reiterated their three main requests.
“We are not seeking censorship, we are seeking accountability and transparent process,” Zador said. “We have three primary concerns. One is sound. The second is frequency of shows. Third is the length of the shows.”
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The group wants an independent sound engineer to measure decibels inside the Lake Cliffe units during concerts. They also want no more than three concerts per week and a hard stop at 10 p.m.
In December, Dillon staff said they monitor noise levels inside the venue at every live show. It has never broken the threshold of 110db. Not one concert last summer went past 10 p.m.
Like Easton, many supporters ended with a common refrain – Dillon Amp is the town’s most valuable asset.
“I’ve seen the amphitheater go from that little, tiny shack to what it is now, and you guys have done a great job of making it a world-class amphitheater,” Hugh Taylor, of Wildernest, said. “It is on the map. This town is on the map.”
Dillon mayor Carolyn Skowyra gave the only council comment of the night, telling the packed house she believes staff can find a solution that satisfies music fans and frustrated neighbors alike.
Council hears a presentation from Dillon events staff on Feb. 17.