Purplish Who should have the power to pump up the volume at Colorado’s venues
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Apr 3, 2026 A legal battle over who can approve louder sound at venues drives this talk. Hosts trace the old statewide noise limits, a court ruling that shook permitting, and why the Ford Amphitheater became a flashpoint. Listeners hear how decibel rules clash with festivals, local control debates, and concerns about health, equity, and economic stakes for small towns.
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State Law Limits Local Noise Permits
- A 1970s statewide law, the Colorado Noise Abatement Act, sets decibel limits by zoning and framed noise as environmental pollution.
- The Colorado Supreme Court used that legislative intent to rule cities cannot grant broad exceptions to private, for-profit venues.
Salida Neighbor Took Noise Fight To The Supreme Court
- Matthew Hobbs sued Salida after a bar's outdoor concert permit repeatedly disturbed his downtown-adjacent home.
- The case progressed to the Colorado Supreme Court, which examined 1971 legislative records and sided with Hobbs.
Decibel Gap Explains Neighborhood Anger
- Residential noise limits are strict — roughly 50 decibels, about moderate rainfall.
- Concert levels reaching homes were in the 60s–80s dB range, far above sleep-friendly thresholds and causing real disruption.