Neighbors happy that SHS band is now set to abide by county’s early morning noise ordinance

A group of Stansbury Park residents say they’re sleeping better — and longer — now that the Stansbury High School marching band is adhering to a county noise ordinance that stops them from practicing before 7 a.m.

The residents, who live just north of SHS, became frustrated when the sound of pounding drums and other instruments continually filtered through the walls of their homes every weekday morning during the six o’clock hour.

“The general consensus from people was that this was probably just a few people that were bothered by the noise,” said Ryan Willden, who contacted the high school and Tooele County School District officials earlier this month about finding a resolution to the problem. “I don’t think people realized that it was the entire neighborhood that was bothered. Some people were annoyed about it, but they didn’t think there was anything they could do.”

Willden said he never realized that speaking out on the issue would garner so much attention from residents countywide criticizing him and other Stansbury residents for being complainers.

“All we wanted is for the school to have to follow the same ordinance that we all do,” he said. “It’s frustrating that so many people within the community are saying that we are anti-band.”

Regardless, Willden said for over a week now he hasn’t heard the band practice before 7 a.m., as dictated by county code.

“They start practicing at 7 a.m. on the dot and that doesn’t bother me at all,” Willden said. “We hope these changes last through this next year.”

Kami Tripp, who can see the school’s practice field from her front door, said she is also satisfied with the school’s effort to correct the situation.

“The band is now conforming to the ordinance and that’s all we can ask for,” she said.

Tooele County School District Superintendent Terry Linares said the changes were made after a conference between her and SHS Principal Kendall Topham two weeks ago.

“We are working with the Stansbury residents and trying to come to some sort of understanding,” Linares said. “The band is together before 7 a.m., but they aren’t playing [out on the football field] until after 7. I think this situation is a new thing in the community, and the community has been very cooperative in helping us understand it.”

Though bands at Tooele and Grantsville high schools both practice before 7 a.m., Linares said the district hasn’t received complaints from adjacent neighbors. As a result, bands there will continue to practice as scheduled.

“We don’t have problems at other schools,” she said, adding that marching band practice will be winding down for the year by the end of next week as state competitions approach.

Linares said she and other officials are currently discussing a potential plan that will continue to promote good relationships with neighboring residents, like marking the school’s parking lot so marching band practice can coincide with other extracurricular actives during other times of the day. Nothing is set in stone yet, however.

“Hopefully by next year when we get into marching season we will have a plan in place,” Linares said. “We’ll keep trying to figure this out.”

Jamie Belnap: jamieb@tooeletranscript.com