Franklin The Rock Sports Complex noise, report shows how loud it is

FRANKLIN, Wis. - Neighbors have complained for years about sound levels coming from Franklin's The Rock Sports Complex, the home of a minor league ballpark. Milwaukee County paid $200,000 in taxpayer dollars for a sound study that finds ballpark sounds are sometimes too loud and could be heard up to two miles away. 

Neighbors want to turn down The Rock.

"That'll have a double effect here," said Tom Kowalski. "You'll have happy neighbors. You'll have neighbors, they're interested in going to the event instead of a lot of the neighbors who are shunning it right now. It definitely is a win all around."

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Tom Kowalski grew up in the home that he and his wife, Rebecca, have lived in for 15 years. Now, they find their tranquility interrupted.

"It's really a very simple request," said Rebecca Kowalski. "Manage the noise level, and then you will have happy neighbors, and we will all be able to move forward together and make this successful."

Franklin The Rock Sports Complex 

The Rock houses the minor league Milwaukee Milkman. The site also houses a snow park, a bar and community baseball fields. It sits on an old Milwaukee County garbage dump, which the county sold to Roc Ventures.

"I come here a lot, and I don't think it's that loud at all," said Randy Voegely of Franklin. "The speakers actually face northwest, so I understand their concerns, but I have concerns to, because I come here a lot, and I enjoy it, and Franklin doesn't have a downtown. It's nice to have someplace to go for other activities in Franklin."

Across the street from the complex, in Greendale, Joy Draginis-Zingales says she can sometimes hear every word of the game's announcer, plus events from the bar.

"When it's 180-plus days a year in your home that you're hearing this constant noise, you get a little irritated," she said. 

She also says it's also bothering her eighth-grade son, who has sensory integration disorder and ADHD.

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"He likes to go in the backyard and swing on the swing, and that's very calming and relaxing. Well, when there's noise coming from across the street, it agitates him even more, so it's even harder for him to settle down, come inside, rest and relax," she said. "He’s not getting the sleep during the school year that he needs and deserves. Because when that's going on, it just grates on him because of the disorder."

After all these complaints, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors hired an outside group to investigate. RSG conducted a sound study. The company said it did six months of continuous sound monitoring from June 2022 to January 2023.

The report found fireworks and concerts exceeded both Franklin and Greendale noise limits.

Franklin The Rock Sports Complex 

"We all want to live alongside of something that is successful, so our part is to provide a certain level of support," said Rebecca Kowalski. "Your part is to manage the noise so that you actually do have happy, satisfied neighbors who would refer people to this, who would bring people to events, be part of a magnetic attraction."

The report made several recommendations. It found some loudspeakers faced toward residential areas, so the study recommended turning them toward the crowd, while also lowering the volume.

It also recommended the ballpark limit the number of nights offering fireworks and provide the people who live nearby advance notice.

For the Halloween haunted house "The Hill Has Eyes," the report suggested using temporary sound-blocking blankets, while also getting rid of the chainsaw noises.

Franklin The Rock Sports Complex 

The report explained ballpark owner, Roc Ventures, would not participate in the sound study. The company also did not respond to FOX6's request for an interview.

While the Kowalski's, who live a half mile from the stadium, hope the company is listening.

"It’s a beautiful facility," said Rebecca Kowalski. "It's brought a lot of amenities to the community. Now, let's figure out how we live side by side and make this a benefit for the entire community."