FRANKLIN — The sights and sounds of the baseball season returned to the Rock Sports Complex on Friday night.
The Milwaukee Milkmen had their home opener against the Kane County Cougars.
Just behind the complex, the Zuberi family was hosting a bonfire. They've lived there for about 13 years. In the last few years, they've witnessed an uptick in noise.
"It was quiet and peaceful," said Hamza Zuberi. "We had a lot of trees back here, and then, as stuff started getting constructed, we started getting a lot more noise, and that's just been a big change."
Neighbors have been frustrated with the noise coming from the ballpark for baseball games and events like Tacos and Tequila.
This week, Franklin Common Council passed an ordinance limiting sounds from the complex to 55 decibels and axing any firework displays.
"It's really no different than any other stadium we have," said Josh Schaub, commissioner of the American Association of Professional Baseball. "We're here to entertain, and we bring life to the things that fans love. Part of that is music. Part of that's fireworks, food, and great baseball."
TMJ4's Mike Beiermeister took decibel readings both inside and outside of the park during the game. Levels inside the park ranged from the 60s to the 70s. In the Zuberi backyard, the levels ranged between the 40s and 50s.
"I think this is better," said Hamza. "This has been a lot better than it has been before. It's been a lot worse before."
Hamza tells me his family doesn't mind the fireworks since they are short, but other events like Tacos & Tequila can shake the whole house due to the bass.
"It's hard to sleep," said Hamza. "It's also during the later time of the night, so that's why it interrupts us as well."
ROC Ventures CEO Mike Zimmerman tells us the venue has brought in a sound engineer to help reduce the noise during games and has been working with neighbors to reduce the levels.
"I think it's a little better today," said Hamza. "I haven't noticed anything too much, but I guess as the season gets going, we'll start seeing a little bit more, but who knows?"
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