New communications to Grand Rapids City Commission on their unanimous vote to except the Amphitheater from the noise ordinance further demonstrates it is a class issue

At the last Grand Rapids City Commission meeting there was a public hearing regarding  the issue of exempting the new downtown Amphitheater from the City’s noise ordinance.

I wrote about who spoke at this hearing, where a majority of people opposed the noise ordinance exemption. I noted that there were three business people – all connected to the DeVos family – who commented about half way through the public hearing. I then went on to write:

These three corporatists and DeVos family operatives who spoke was not lost on those who spoke afterwards, those who were not happy about the invasive noise coming from the Amphitheater. In fact, one person made the point of saying that it was instructive to hear these three speakers who represent business interests and how they were received as opposed to how regular folks, folks who are part of the working class, how they were treated by the City Commission. It was a lovely moment of class consciousness, despite the fact that the City Commission unanimously vote to exempt the Amphitheater from the noise ordinance.

Out of curiosity I checked the agenda packet for the November 10 City Commission meeting, which you can find here, and there continued to be communications send it regarding the unanimous vote on October 27 to exempting the Amphitheater from the City’s ordinance. There were roughly an equal number in support and against the vote, but let me begin with some of the comments from those who opposed exempting the Amphitheater from the City’s noise ordinance.

“During Sept 9, I heard the amphitheater both inside and outside my home. My house

was shaking lol. For me, this meant not okay! I just bought my house and did not sign up for this unexpected obnoxious and totally avoidable distraction.”

“Surely the City knew noise would be an issue, particularly bass noise. This ordinance needs to stand to protect people who have built their lives on the edge of downtown. The spectators IN the amphitheater can surely hear the music just fine. Please reconsider this action.”

“We are fed up with being ignored!”

“That every person who votes yes must be required to sit in someone’s home during the

performances where the sound is penetrating and invading people’s personal space.

They must sit in that home during the entire invasion of noise and feel what it’s like to

have it so pervasive and invasive.”

“On 7/26, I heard the amphitheater inside my home. I could hear very loud base and music. It woke up my husband, myself and my children, who all had sound machines on while we were sleeping.”

“I could hear it over my TV show. If I were having a party that loud the police would come to my home. I could not sleep with my windows open.”

“Also there were other times when we could just feel the vibration of the bass drums with our windows closed. I thought about older people, people working early the next day or families with kids who needed to sleep or get up for school.”

“Make the amphitheater put up sound barriers. The sound traveling all the way over to my home, about 3.5 miles away, is ridiculous and the result of poor sound engineering.”

“Represent your constituents and recognize the fact that you would not be considering making this change to a legitimate ordinance if any one of us, your constituents, were operating outside of any ordinance parameters.”

“On July 17,2026, I heard the amphitheater both inside and outside my home. Base, boom, boom , even with earplugs ,I live 7 miles away there is absolutely no reason for it to be so loud. It actually has health risk. I get up at 4am for work. This noise pollution affects my sleep and performance at work. No to letting we the people vote on this matter. A few greedy people put money before anything or anybody.”

“I have to get up early for work, and I found it difficult to sleep due to the constant bass noise, which can travel for miles. I also have a condition called misophonia, a sound sensitivity associated with neurodivergence that can cause significant overstimulation in response to certain noises.”

“I live just over 2 miles away and I could hear/feel the thumping of the EDM as well as multiple concerts this summer. You disappoint me as mayor.”

I am not going to quote people who supported the City’s unanimous vote to exempt the Amphitheater from the City’s noise ordinance, but I do want to provide the names and profession of the people who support the commission’s vote.

• Bradley Thomas – Progressive Companies which was involved in the development of the Amphitheater and is involved in the soon to be opened soccer stadium.
• Doug Dozeman – attorney and partner for Warner Norcross & Judd.
• Bryan Harrison – Government Affairs Manager for Amway.
• Javier Olvera – Co-owner and President of Olvera Enterprises
• Kara Harrison-Gates – Vice President of Plante Moran (which has contracts with the City)
• Leonard Wernette-Leff – Account Manager for AVI-SPL
• Maddy Miller – Event Coordinator Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce
• Michael B Verhulst – Founder & CEO of Spesh Construction. Verhulst also site on the Board of Directors for the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority, which manages the Amphitheater.
• Monica Steimle-App – Cofounder and CEO of Innovar Advisors.
• Sherry Rennick – CEO of Perspective 3D
• Wendy Ensing – Independent Business Owner at Legacy Finance Solutions, LLC.
• Will Payne – CEO, TRELLIS and Curo Cleaning Services

It is hard not to see how those who are part of business class are all in favor of the City’s unanimous vote to exempt the Amphitheater from the noise ordinance, as compared to what residents, both home owners and renters feel about this matter.

The class division is abundantly clear on this matter as it has been with so many contentious issues facing Grand Rapids in recent years. The City of Grand Rapids has consistently sided with the interests of the Capitalist Class since 2020, like their response to the 2020 Uprising, their refusal to reduce funding to the GRPD, voting to adopt a GR Chamber initiated ordinance to criminalize the unhoused, voting to approve the use of public funds on the DeVos/Van Andel Three Towers project, and voting to approve the use of public funds on the Grand Action proposed projects like the Amphitheater and the soccer Stadium.

Ultimately, the Grand Rapids City Commission ends up rubber stamping whatever provides more funds to those in the Capitalist Class in the city, while ignoring and dismissing working class families, marginalized communities and the unhoused. Another example of West Michigan Nice!