SOUTHERN IWNOIS' PREMIERE SPORTS EXPERIENCE
April 13, 2006
State of Illinois
POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
James R. Thompson Center
100 W. Randolph Street, Suite 11-500
Chicago, Illinois 60601
RECEIVED
APR 1 7 2006
STATE OF ILLINOIS
Pollution Control Board
?
L
60
This letter is to address the matters delineated in the correspondence forwarded by Complainants
James and Lynn Chew, 1600 Neil Lane, Carbondale, Illinois regarding a filing with the Illinois
Pollution Control Board on March 27, 2006 . Herein I will respond to the specifics of their
complaints, as well as speak to the general matters of noise regulations for the Carbondale
municipality, my continuing efforts to be mindful of noise emanating from my business concern,
and specifically, metered noise level readings that I have personally monitored in order to be
proactive in regulating noise levels associated with Sports Blast
.
Overview.
Sports Blast is a 43,800 sq . ft., multi-sport, recreation, and entertainment venue offering a wide
variety of activities and programs-from a indoor soccer field offering everything from Soccer
Tots for children ages 1.5-6 years old to fully competitive volleyball leagues, softball and
baseball training programs taught by recognized professionals with batting cages for indoor and
outdoor use, indoor tennis facilities and youth tennis academy, a 24-hour weight training and
workout facility, children's arcade, a dedicated children's birthday party and meeting room, and
an entertainment staging area for bands . Additionally,. Sports Blast works with many outside
organizations throughout the community in varied programs and services to include advanced
athletic programs on the High School and College level
.
Since the inception of Sports Blast I have been concerned with, and taken a personal interest in
the betterment of the community and have worked hand-in-hand with the city to address every
matter-often proactively-to be a good corporate citizen . For example, virtually every wall and
ceiling surface is insolated to help abate any noise generated by Sports Blast activities
.
Additionally, I recently completely replaced a door/ wall facing on the east side of the building in
order to eliminate potential noise leakage resulting from music generated on the premises .
Overall, I work to hold noise to a minimum, regardless of the Sports Blast program or activity
.
1
Regarding the specifics of the complaint .
I take exception to the complaint filed by complainant regarding instances of noise pollution
cited
(dates and times listed in the notice of complaint) for the following reasons :
I
.
The specific dates and times whereby complainant specified that noise expressly emanating
from Sports Blast occurred were not known to me, not represented to me, or registered as a
complaint to me, either informally or formally until this moment . Had I been informed, I
would have, as I always do, taken measures to work the matter to some mutual satisfaction-
if indeed a problem existed
.
2 .
Carbondale City Code 14-4-7 says this about the matter of noise pollution
.
. .
"14-4-7 B.
Noise
From Any Property: It shall be unlawful for any person to use or operate a device which
produces loud and raucous sounds at a distance greater than ffyfeet (50) during the
nighttime hours or greater than one hundredfeet (100) during daytime hours from any
boundary line ofthe property upon which the device is located
. . . " That given, there is no
violation. The Sports Blast facility is fully one mile away from the address listed by
complainant, not 1/3 mile to 1/2 mile as stated by complainant in the notice
.
Additionally, there exist myriad other potential noise generators situated between the Sports
Blast facility and complainant's address to include
:
•
Carbondale Community High School . Enrollment 1,000+ students . On the school
grounds proper is a football stadium and basketball facility, as well as activity facilities
throughout. A full student parking lot system with entrance/exit lanes fronts Giant City
Road to the East. The Carbondale High-School Administration Building is also located
on the school property separate from the high school proper .
•
Giant City Road. A major community North/South thoroughfare that is 4/10 mile West
of complainant address .
•
Several other functional facilities to include a mobile home park, churches, retail
establishments (North)fandothers-
3. I have, however, gone beyond the mere reading of local Carbondale, Illinois statutes in order
to be compliant. I researched the matter of noise measurement and the specific issue of noise
pollution and noise decibels, even though that measurement is not part of the Carbondale
City Statute. These are my findings. In order to accommodate the full range of noise
measurement, measurement compresses the entire range of audible sounds into a logarithmic
scale which corresponds to the human ear's sensitivity to sound
. The unit of measurement is
called the decibel (dB)
.
Here is a comparison of common sounds with their dB levels :
150 dB Jet take off at close range on the ground
130 dB Machine gun
120 dB Thunderclap
107 dB Loud power mower
94 dB Pneumatic jackhammer
90 dB Sports car, truck, shouted conversation
50-60dB Normal conversation
50 dB Quiet street
40 dB Quiet room
Additionally, given the acceptable dB levels for Land Use Category B (that category befitting of
the land usage and dwelling of complainant and areas surrounding-residences, motels,
hotels,
public meeting rooms, schools, churches, libraries, hospitals, picnic areas, recreation areas,
playgrounds, active sports areas, and parks), that being 70dB exterior, I measured dB readings the
2
evening of April 8, 2006 over two separate times (9:30pm and 11 :30pm), and of certain adjacent
locations in order to ascertain if, indeed, a noise pollution problem did exist . My findings :
When compared to acceptable dB levels for Land Use Category B, the above readings are
acceptable within the given parameters and so does not constitute noise pollution generally, or
certainly not "loud and raucous sounds" as described as unlawful under Carbondale code 14-4-7 .
Summary statement .
Given that I have made every attempt both to be proactive regarding any issues of noise
emanating from the Sports Blast facility proper, and continue to work to follow all laws and
community regulations as a good citizen in the Carbondale, Illinois business community, I must
state that not only do I find the repeated complaints levied by complainants James Chew and
Lynn Chew "frivolous" as outlined in the notice of formal complaint to the Illinois Pollution
Control Board, but completely unfounded as the matter pertains to any local or state noise codes
.
Should complainants continue to levy such frivolous accusations, particularly given that they
misrepresented their position referencing their location in respect to that of Sports Blast, I will
have to consider their actions harassing in nature and reserve the right to pursue the matter by
every legal means available to me
.
Dirk F. Borgsm ler
Sports Blast, L.L.C
.
1215 E. Walnut Street Carbondale, IL 62901
3
Time
Location
dB reading
9:30pm
Sports Blast Front entrance
54.5 dB
Sports Blast edge of property (East Side)
48.0 dB
Carbondale HS Administration Building
44.0 dB
Giant City Road Adjacent to Neal Lane
1600 Neal Lane, Complainant address
72.5 dB ( high traffic)
46.0 dB
11:30pm
Sports Blast Parking area
54.0 dB
Sports Blast East side property
54.0 dB
Carbondale HS Administration Building
44.0 dB
Giant City Road
1600 Neal Lane
69.0 dB (moderate traffic)
42.0 dB
