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Plan commission recommends temporary‑use approval for Franklin Field and asks council to consider 65 dB cap amid resident protests
Summary
Franklin plan commissioners voted to approve temporary‑use permits for Franklin Field’s 2026 season and associated events and recommended that the Common Council consider a temporary increase to 65 dB after residents detailed long‑running noise complaints and staff described enforcement options.
The Franklin City Plan Commission on March 19 recommended approval of temporary‑use permits for Rock Ventures’ Franklin Field for the 2026 baseball season and related events, and the panel signaled to the Common Council that it would support allowing operation up to 65 decibels if the council chooses to amend municipal limits.
Residents packed the public comment period to describe years of “excessive noise” from the Rock sports complex, saying amplified announcements, music, food‑truck events and weekend programming regularly travel beyond the property boundary. “This is a loud, intentional approval by the city to harm surrounding neighborhoods,” resident Dana Gint said, summarizing neighborhood complaints that the facility’s operations have not met the protections intended by the development’s plan‑district standards.
Rock Ventures’ representative, Chris Conley, told commissioners that the operator sought to maintain the sound profile used last season and that staff recorded no citations during the 2025 season: “We did put in to increase that sound level to 65. Last season we didn’t have any citations throughout the baseball season.” He said staff and police calls allowed the operator to pull back levels as needed during events.
Commissioners debated the technical and policy tradeoffs. Commissioner Leon said he was "amenable" to recommending 65 dB to council to preserve the event experience while acknowledging residents’ concerns; another commissioner urged adherence to the UDO standard cited in staff materials, which notes a 55 dB interior/onsite guideline in the plan‑development district. Planning staff clarified that any permanent change to municipal sound limits must be acted on by the Common Council, though the plan commission may forward a recommendation.
The commission voted to approve the temporary‑use conditions for Franklin Field (the motion includes standard monitoring, coordination with police, and a requirement that the applicant maintain a functioning sound‑monitoring system). Commissioners recorded the motion and recommended the council consider permitting operation at up to 65 dB, reflecting the operator’s prior season.
Votes at a glance: the plan commission approved the temporary‑use recommendation for Franklin Field (E1, recommended to council with the 65 dB request), approved the Rock food‑truck rally temporary use (E2) under existing code limits, and approved other land use items on the agenda (see separate articles).
Next steps: The plan commission’s recommendation on sound levels goes to the Common Council for final action; in the hearing commissioners referenced an anticipated April 8 council meeting date for subsequent consideration of code changes.
Sources: Public comments and testimony at the March 19 plan commission meeting. Quotes are drawn from resident speakers (Dana Gint), applicant representative (Chris Conley), and plan commission members.
