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Regular Planning Commission Meeting Minutes – Wednesday, March 5, 2014 Page 3 Applicant Representatives 96 Associate Vice President for Facilities Brian Humphries and 97 Vice President for Athletics and Student Life Matt Hill 98 In addressing Chair Gisselquist’s question regarding how often all or a portion of the field 99 would be lit, Mr. Hill reviewed next fall’s two scheduled home football games and typically 100 five home football games scheduled, but some having noon kick-offs and held on 101 Saturday afternoons. Mr. Hill advised that there were approximately seven double- 102 headers scheduled for women’s and/or men’s soccer, one of which was an 103 afternoon/evening match. Mr. Hill noted that the average number of home football games 104 was between 7 to 10, and usually were held on Friday afternoons and Saturday; and 105 potentially 5 – 10 soccer matches. Mr. Hill advised that there would also be 106 approximately 5 – 10 baseball or softball games, typically scheduled Fridays and 107 Saturdays. Mr. Hill noted that tennis matches had yet to be scheduled, and were typically 108 dependent on weather conditions, with a preference to start those matches earlier in the 109 spring, with most scheduled at 5:00 p.m. start times and lights on as applicable to finish 110 matches. Mr. Hill advised that the lights would also be used for other recreational and 111 athletic opportunities by community athletic groups using the fields for their activities. 112 Member Cunningham expressed her appreciation for the light study. At the request of 113 Member Cunningham, Mr. Hill advised that he was not aware of any studies done to 114 address noise complaints in his tenure in over the last fifteen years. Mr. Hill advised that 115 he had only fielded one complaint call from a neighbor, with that same neighbor having 116 filed a similar complaint with the Roseville Police Department. In an effort to address the 117 concerns of that neighbor, Mr. Hill advised that they had repositioned some speakers, 118 and visited that particular residence to determine volume levels and other issues he’d 119 raised in an attempt to address those concerns. However, Mr. Hill admitted that he was 120 not sure if staff and the resident would ever be able to come to agreement. 121 Regarding the speaker reorientation, Mr. Humphries advised that the speakers now faced 122 east toward the internal part of the campus, opining that this should help to mitigate 123 sounds to the west. 124 Mr. Hill concurred, opining that the campus buildings should serve to mitigate noise on 125 the other side as well. 126 As a former neighbor who had contacted the college verbally and in writing, Member 127 Murphy complimented college staff on their very respectful relationship with neighbors, 128 opining that they were doing a good job. 129 Public Comment 130 Tim Callaghan, 3062 Shorewood Lane 131 Having repeatedly voiced his complaints about athletic noise at Northwestern over the 132 years to the college, the Planning Commission, the City Council, and City staff, Mr. 133 Callaghan sought to assure the Commission that he had never been contacted by college 134 staff. Mr. Callaghan alleged that if they had measured sound levels on his property, they 135 had entered his property without his permission, which caused him additional angst. 136 Mr. Callaghan advised that he had experienced noise problems since the current public 137 address system had been installed, and while he may have called about it infrequently, it 138 was not due to an infrequent, but ongoing problem, which the college, the City’s Planning 139 Division, nor the City’s former Community Development Director Pat Trudgeon, now the 140 City Manager, had done nothing to fix. Mr. Callaghan offered to provide such evidence 141 from his e-mails from Mr. Trudgeon stating that “it must be your imagination,” an actual e- 142 mail from approximately two years ago. Mr. Callaghan expressed his frustration in 143 hearing that the college was doing such a wonderful job controlling sound levels, as he 144 assured the Commission that he heard every position a player was at on the field from 145 his house, even with the window closed. Since he lived across the lake from the college, 146 Mr. Callaghan suggested that maybe the speakers were directed at his residence instead 147 of where they belonged. 148