Many residents have been pretty upset with how loud the J Resort's concert was on Halloween night, and the Reno City Council is looking into ways to possibly regulate noise levels in downtown Reno.
One public commenter said, "This concert was so loud and so disruptive that it literally shook the homes in our neighborhood."
Another person said, "I can only describe it as an incessant pounding. Amazingly, we could also hear the f-bomb being dropped repeatedly."
As we reported, J Resort is permitted to host outdoor concerts that last until 12:15 in the morning twice a year.
JMF Presents, the organizers of events for J-Resort, says this particular concert was operated at a volume level no different than any of their other shows.
Chris Sewell, President of JMF Presents, says, "What was different on Halloween than any of our previous events was a combination of an atmospheric inversion layer and zero wind, both of which allow for sound to travel further than normal."
Councilmembers suggested possible noise restrictions based on weather and creating a noise restriction for base levels since Reno doesn't have one right now.
The city has been monitoring and gathering data on noise in downtown Reno, midtown, and the Fourth Street corridor for the last six months. They say comparing them to other cities has been a challenge.
Angela Fuss, assistant director for development services for the city, says, "Most cities across the country close down at 2 a.m., so we're unique because we have bars and nightlife 24/7, so we are definitely in a different situation where our noise regulations have to be very different or should be very different from other communities."
Another challenge was enforcement. Fuss says some cities have entire teams dedicated to enforcing noise, while Reno does not.
She tells us other cities also have different noise regulations depending on where you're at.
Downtown specifically has no noise restrictions except for certain outdoor events.
While concerts and other entertainment were a main concern, Fuss tells us it's not just music but all types of noises that impact people, making it difficult to find one solution.
Councilmember Meghan Ebert says, "If we're going to look aggressively at noise in the entertainment area, like I'd like us to look at noise in the whole city."
Mayor Hillary Schieve says, "There are lots of different sounds that people complain about, from motorcycles to rock crushing plants."
Councilmember Naomi Duerr says, "If we are a 24-hour city, then we should be regulating things 24 hours."
Again, no action has been taken today, but the city will continue to measure noise levels to better understand and find ways to resolve them.
