Pitkin County: Emma Fields distillery noise mitigation found compliant; county follows up on weed complaint

Pitkin County commissioners on Tuesday heard an update on noise and site conditions at the Emma Fields distillery, with staff reporting that the operator had installed the mitigation measures the board required and that recent sound testing showed compliance with the Pitkin County noise ordinance.

Commissioner Jeffrey Woodruff opened the discussion by asking for the update and telling staff, “I do not think we need 30 minutes for this,” while explaining the background: the board had directed the applicant during its January annual-review process to implement noise mitigation and then test the results.

County staff said the applicant hired EDI (Engineering Dynamics) to recommend and test noise-mitigation measures. Those measures included a blanket on a chiller, baffling on two vents to redirect sound, and a rebuilt sound wall around a transformer. Staff reported that a July nighttime test measured sound at agreed locations. Staff also said Holy Cross required the applicant to move the sound wall a few feet to provide emergency access to the transformer and that the owners complied.

Staff told commissioners the county’s calibrated sound meters will use the EDI measurement locations as the baseline in any future complaint-driven response. Staff added that, under the distillery’s approved operations plan, the facility is not to operate on weekends nor before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m., and that the Pickin County—corrected in county records to Pitkin County—noise standard becomes more restrictive after 7 p.m., meaning certain upset or emergency activations that run equipment after 7 p.m. could exceed local limits and would require immediate notification of community development and possibly the fire department.

The board also heard that routine sound testing was sometimes impeded: during one visit the chiller would not turn on because temperatures were too cold; on a later night the team could not measure inside a nearby home because the homeowners, Michael and Elizabeth Murison, had put the property on the market and were unavailable. Staff said the lack of an interior measurement means the county lacks direct data about in-home sound levels at that residence.

Separately, the county reported it has an outstanding weed complaint about the four-acre parcel the applicant had proposed to plant with an agricultural crop. Romany of Public Works conducted site visits with the distillery operations manager, Jared Day, and recommended state funding links for noxious-weed treatment; Romany will continue follow-up and escalate if necessary. Staff noted recent fill imported to the four acres—soil from a drained lake—proved lower in nutrients than expected, requiring soil amendment work before planting could succeed.

Staff said the distillery’s full annual review is scheduled for January, when the board will again receive a formal report and any recommendations. For the present work session, staff emphasized there are no new enforcement actions pending: the facility is operating within Pitkin County’s noise ordinance and the outstanding matter is the weed complaint and the required annual report. The county will treat the EDI studies as the baseline for future complaint responses and continue monitoring.

Commissioners pressed for follow-up and for timely reporting at the January annual review. Several commissioners expressed relief that the sound measures appeared to be in place, and others asked staff to keep pursuing the weed issue. Staff confirmed they will continue to monitor, notify the board as needed and include the matters in the January review.