Is it time to replace Metropolitan Park?

[thelakelander]

Lately, there's been a lot of debate about concert noise at Metropolitan Park. Is it time to move on from Metropolitan Park by building a modern amphitheatre in town?  If so, where do you think would be the best potential location?

Much ado about noise at Metro Park on Jacksonville's riverfront

City Councilman Richard Clark had heard enough about imposing regulations on concert promoters using Metropolitan Park, the riverfront park next to EverBank Field.

Instead of drafting regulations, Clark said, the city should be competing with St. Johns County for the tours that have been flocking to its St. Augustine Amphitheatre.

"This stuff is the reason St. Augustine continuously kicks our butt," Clark said during debate last week on proposed noise level limits. "We need to find a way to promote Metropolitan Park, not get in the way."

But City Councilman Bill Bishop said if Jacksonville wants to compete for those tours, the city should find a location that's suitable for that kind of entertainment and build an amphitheater there.

Metro Park isn't it, he said.

"Met Park was never intended to be for rock festivals," Bishop said. "It was for Starry Nights and for Jazz Fest."

full article: http://members.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2013-12-01/story/much-ado-about-noise-metro-park-jacksonvilles-riverfront

[sheclown]

And Bishop's statement would make sense if we didn't have exploding fireworks every time two or three are gathered together.

[Tacachale]

My vote is "both". The current facility should be promoted and used, not restricted. But it's definitely inadequate for modern outdoor concerts. We need something new, either at that site or elsewhere. Otherwise we'll continue to miss out on concerts - not just to St. Augustine, but concerts that continue to pass the whole region by.

[mtraininjax]

My favorite quote was  from Bill Bishop "we are supposed to use it for Starry Nights and the Jazz Festival". Uh, Bill, when was the last time Mayor Alvin Brown presents the Jacksonville Jazz Fesitival, was at Met Park? Starry Nights? I think the Symphony played with Styx like 5 years ago.

Bill, wake up!

Does Met park need welcome to Rockville to succeed? No, there is no need for that vulgarity there. Put them at the Fairgrounds, where they can handle that and have in the past. Use Met park for similar events that are making St. Augustine RICH. If we need to put up a HUGE Steel Wall to keep the eardrums from the people in St. Nicholas from exploding, do so. The Arena is too big at 12-13k seats for most of these acts, so we lose out to the likes of SA.

[tufsu1]

And Bishop's statement would make sense if we didn't have exploding fireworks every time two or three are gathered together.

please...fireworks last 10 minutes....not for hours on end (like some of the rock festivals)....not even close to comparable

[sheclown]

BS. Fireworks wake people out of a dead sleep. Make dogs randomly bark and pee inside. Wake sleeping infants   And how often do we have them?

We won't even talk about what it does to the birds

I was at Rockville. It was fine and fun

[ChriswUfGator]

And Bishop's statement would make sense if we didn't have exploding fireworks every time two or three are gathered together.

please...fireworks last 10 minutes....not for hours on end (like some of the rock festivals)....not even close to comparable

I'm surprised you're not in favor of the concerts, think of how much business it generates for your precious parking meters.

[Gators312]

Is there currently a curfew for Metro park? 

I know St. Augustine has a 10pm weekday and 10:30 weekend curfew with a $1,500.00 fine for every 5 minutes past.

I would love to see Metro Park become what the St. Augustine Amphitheater has become, while keeping a balance to the concerns of its neighbors.

[tufsu1]

And Bishop's statement would make sense if we didn't have exploding fireworks every time two or three are gathered together.

please...fireworks last 10 minutes....not for hours on end (like some of the rock festivals)....not even close to comparable

I'm surprised you're not in favor of the concerts, think of how much business it generates for your precious parking meters.

oh don't get me wrong...I have no problem with the concerts (parking revenue aside)...just think noise from fireworks is not a good analogy

[tufsu1]

BS. Fireworks wake people out of a dead sleep. Make dogs randomly bark and pee inside. Wake sleeping infants   And how often do we have them?

We won't even talk about what it does to the birds

I was at Rockville. It was fine and fun

so basically you don't like fireworks but music is ok...how is that different from those who may like fireworks, but not the music?

and, btw, fireworks pretty much happen around 9 or 9:30pm and have been done before 10 every time I can remember...not exactly bumping up against the late night noise ordinance

[tufsu1]

And Bishop's statement would make sense if we didn't have exploding fireworks every time two or three are gathered together.

please...fireworks last 10 minutes....not for hours on end (like some of the rock festivals)....not even close to comparable

yeah.  pretty close to comparable.

This is all based on an imaginary right to silence.

its not really imaginary...there are acceptable noise levels in local ordinances all over the country...which is why curfews like the one mentioned above by Gators312 are implemented

[sheclown]

Did Rockville violate the curfew?

[sheclown]

Noise is noise bubba. If you want a quiet city it needs to be across the board 

[sheclown]

This is clearly not just about noise, it is about controlling the type of music (or type of noise -- fireworks, airplanes, trains, crowds cheering, broadcast recorded music at the landing -- these are all around us, but not a problem somehow?).  If Rockville violated the curfew, then discuss that issue.  If it violated the sound level, then discuss that (which I don't believe it did). 

Is it okay if only for a few hours?  So it is the length of time? 

What is the real issue. 

[mtraininjax]

I was at Rockville. It was fine and fun

Rockville went on the same time as Cole Pepper's BBQ event at the Jaguar facilities. I definitely heard the F-bombs a number of times, and there were kids at this family event. Not family entertainment when you have to explain what the "singer" is spewing.....