The city Planning Commission said yesterday that Heinz Field was in "substantial compliance" with city-mandated noise limits, despite ongoing complaints from some Allegheny West residents who live near the stadium.
The commission voted 6-2 to accept the results of sound monitoring tests conducted by a consultant, hired by the Steelers, during three games in 2001 -- an Aug. 25 preseason game and regular-season games Oct. 29 and Dec. 23.
Residents of neighborhoods that border Heinz Field objected to having the same firm that designed the stadium's sound system -- WJHW of San Antonio, Texas -- do the testing.
"It casts a shadow of a potential conflict of interest over the conclusions that have been drawn," said Michael Coleman of the Allegheny West Civic Council.
At the Oct. 29 and Dec. 23 games, noise levels at most of the sites tested were lower than those previously measured at Three Rivers Stadium. But testing during the Aug. 25 game concluded that most of the sites exceeded Three Rivers levels.
Noise levels for the Oct. 29 Monday night game were found to be lower than those recorded during a game in 1999 at Three Rivers, where noise was in the 65- to 68-decibel range. The Heinz Field noise levels also met standards adopted by City Council in December, which raised the allowable level to 75 decibels.
For the Dec. 23 game, the testing showed that Heinz Field noise levels were lower than Three Rivers' levels at three of five testing sites, the same at a fourth site and greater at one site. The noise levels exceeded the newly adopted city standards at two of the locations.
For the Aug. 25 game, noise readings in five of nine testing sites in nearby neighborhoods exceeded Three Rivers levels.
Coleman disagreed with city environmental planner Dan Sentz, who said the Heinz Field noise levels were "in substantial compliance" with city rules.
The commission agreed with Sentz' finding, with members John Martine and Claudette Lewis dissenting.
"It's not un-American to vote against the Steelers," Lewis said.
She said the Steelers told her that by spending an additional $1.2 million, they could have added more speakers to better distribute the sound so less would spill into the surrounding neighborhood. She didn't think that was a lot to spend, in light of the total $281 million stadium cost.
Commission Chairman Tom Armstrong said the team should spend less on lawyers and consultants and more on additional speakers at the stadium, to create a "distributed sound system" like the one used at PNC Park.
However, he voted to approve the noise report, saying the Rooney family, owners of the Steelers, "are good people and I'm sure they will do the right thing" regarding future noise levels.
When the Planning Commission approved the noise levels for Heinz Field last June, it told the Steelers to have noise testing done for two University of Pittsburgh football games and three Steelers games last fall.
W. Gregory Rhodes, a Steelers lawyer, apologized for the team's forgetting to do the testing for the two Pitt games. He said it was inadvertent.
Armstrong said the commission should order additional noise tests for the 2002 season, but the commission didn't take action on that suggestion. The question of who would pay for such tests wasn't resolved.
Heinz Field wasn't too noisy, says Planning Commission 
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