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City hopes brick wall blocks noise coming from hockey rink

By J. FRANK LYNCH
jflynch@theCitizenNews.com

Peachtree City hopes construction of an eight-foot-high brick wall along a portion of the outdoor roller hockey rink at the Kedron Fieldhouse will ease noise complaints coming from nearby neighbors.

Six homeowners living in the Fielding Ridge subdivision located up the hill from the hockey rink filed a petition with the city in May, complaining of excessive noise.

"The noise of the cheering crowd, coaches yelling at players ... whistle-blowing referees and announcers using bullhorns all add to the near-dread returning home from work each day,” the homeowners wrote.

“The problem is not only with the games because when practice shots hit the rink’s walls the sound resembles gunshots,” they continued.

Randy Gaddo, director of Leisure Services for the city, told the City Council on Sept. 14 that his staff had gone out on numerous occasions and hired a consultant to monitor the situation and agreed with the homeowners that they had a valid complaint.

“We had a similar problem at Riley Field several years ago,” Gaddo said, with neighbors complaining of noise. “We found that containing it will mitigate the sound.”

The city was already building a $150,000 restroom construction project adjacent to the hockey rink, using funds provided by Fayette County.

Last week, Gaddo convinced the City Council to approve spending another $6,727 to erect an 8-foot-tall brick wall flanking either side of the restroom building for a total of 55 feet.

The wall will provide a sound break for most,Êbut not all, of the exposed roller rink. It wouldn’t enclose the rink, but instead would be built several feet away from the rink near the parking lot.

Councilman Stuart Kourajian was doubtful whether that would be enough to block the sound from the neighbors. But Gaddo said research had shown it would.

And if not?

“We’ll go back out there and try something else,” Gaddo said.