Morinville's Community Cultural Centre will have to find a way to turn down the noise, but construction of the facility can still go ahead.
Tim Stirling, who lives across the street from the proposed centre, had appealed the town's development permit for the centre largely because he said it would generate too much noise.
The subdivision and development appeal board's decision came just days before the groundbreaking on the $12-million facility.
The board has ordered a third-party sound assessment and town council will have to approve sound mitigation measures before the building receives an occupancy permit.
Stirling said that requirement doesn't go far enough.
At the hearing on May 4, Stirling argued the building — which the town hopes to rent for wedding receptions and other functions — would create too much noise, hurting property values, his health and his ability to enjoy his property.
Stirling said the board's decision seems to ignore many of those issues.
"The only thing that it mentions is that we are going to lose the enjoyment of our property. It makes no mention whatsoever of health affects, it makes no mention of property values."
Health concerns
Sterling put forward reports from the World Health Organization and Health Canada about the impact of long-term exposure to noise.
The building's architect presented a report from an acoustical consultant, who wrote that, during a rock concert, backyards across the street would be subjected to between 54 decibels and 70 decibels.
Standing on a main roadway, or having a hairdryer a metre away would be about 70 decibels whereas a vacuum cleaner about 10 metres away is about 55 decibels.
Stirling said, while he initially thought the wall would be a good solution, he went to the board hoping they would move the centre.
He said he changed his mind when he learned about the negative health impacts.
Stirling said the town has been warned about the health impacts and now won't be able to pretend otherwise.
"They were told and unless they do one hell of a lot of work to take care of this problem, I could see people coming out and suing the town."
Insufficient
He said the board's ruling isn't specific enough to make sure the problem is dealt with before the facility opens. He has no confidence the town will adequately address the problem.
"Even if they put the noise attenuation into this building, I don't think they are going to do enough."
Morinville Mayor Lloyd Bertschi said the ruling gives them the flexibility to deal with the noise problem.
Stirling initially suggested the town build a noise attenuation wall along the back fence of people facing the structure, but Bertschi said the town could look at landscaping or insulation to deal with the problem.
"It doesn't have to be the 18 or 20 foot wall across there. We can look at other options."
Bertschi said he is confident the mayor and council of the day will solve any noise problems for residents through good design or good management of the building.
Stirling said, if the facility isn't going to be moved, a wall is the best option, but he doubts the town will do that.
"The wall is going to cost more than any Band-Aids they can slap on this place."
Stirling said for now he plans to protest the facility with his vote this fall and he hopes someone runs against Bertschi.
"I don't care if Elmer Fudd were to run against this guy, I would vote for Elmer Fudd."
