Brice and Robin Hahn live about 2,000 feet from the site of a proposed $12 million, 5,000-seat amphitheater in Washington.
Their home on Wellington Road is one of the closest residences to the site.
They came to an open house Wednesday at Five Points Washington hosted by the Hengst Foundation, which wants to build and operate the amphitheater, to express their concerns about the noise above legal limits the acts at the amphitheater could bring to their normally quiet neighborhood.
"We spoke with several professionals at the stations with our primary focus on noise attenuation," Brice Hahn said. "We heard about utilizing berms and buildings, but didn't leave with any sense of comfort that they would successfully bring noise down to legal levels.
"There seems to be too many unknowns until further design work is done, but that seems to be dependent on further financial commitment from the foundation."
There was one bit of good news, he said.
"I was assured by Jon Oliphant (Washington's planning and development director) that a noise variance or hardship agreement would not be considered by the city to allow events to take place in violation of noise ordinances," he said.
Noise was one of the concerns about the project expressed by open house attendees during the public's first opportunity to weigh in on the proposed amphitheater since it was introduced to the Washington City Council late last year.
Discussions with several of the estimated 100-150 attendees at the 90-minute open house included positive comments about the project and other concerns including traffic flow, security, environmental issues, the city's investment, the amphitheater's impact on the Caterpillar Performing Arts Center at Five Points and what would happen if the amphitheater failed.

The amphitheater site is 20 acres in the northeast corner of the city's "223" farmland property off U.S. Route 24 and Nofsinger Road.
The city has plans to install $3.5 million worth of infrastructure for both the amphitheater and other businesses that could locate on the property, which was purchased by the city for $4.9 million in 2013 to slow residential growth and create opportunities for development.
The Dee Amphitheater is the dream of former Washington resident Jim Hengst, who donated the money for the project. The amphitheater would be named for his late wife, also a former Washington resident.
Hengst selected Core Construction of Peoria, Terra Engineering of Peoria and Epstein Global Architects of Chicago to design and build the amphitheater.
Nick LeRoy, acting director of entertainment for the foundation, said he wanted to assure Washington residents that the amphitheater would not harm the 1,100-seat Caterpillar Performing Arts Center, which is successfully emerging from tough times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
LeRoy said he spoke with a three-year Washington resident who hadn't been to a show at the Performing Arts Center.
"He was excited about the amphitheater. He said going to shows there will put the shows at Five Points on his radar," LeRoy said. "We can promote Five Points' shows to the thousands of people who will come to the amphitheater.
"The Dee Amphitheater will be operating during the warm weather months. Most Five Points shows are in the fall and winter months. There won't be any competition."
As he's talking to agents and booking shows at the amphitheater, LeRoy said, it's likely he'll hear about acts that are looking to perform at venues the size of the Performing Arts Center and will pass along the information.
Steve Brown, chairman of the Five Points board, said the board hasn't taken a position on the amphitheater.
Personally, he said, he sees the amphitheater as a benefit, not competition for the Performing Arts Center.
"I think the amphitheater is a unique idea," he said. "It would add a new dimension to the entertainment venues east of the Illinois River. But of course a detailed study is needed on things like infrastructure costs, noise abatement and traffic, and a multi-year business plan is needed. All can be addressed."
LeRoy said it's an live entertainment industry standard that 70% of attendees at shows live at least 50 miles from the show venue.
"So you're going to get people staying in hotels here, eating dinner and breakfast here, and buying gas here when they're at the Dee Amphitheater for a show," he said. "That will help Washington."
LeRoy has a wish list of acts he'd love to book at the Dee Amphitheater. Several were listed on information boards at the open house.
The names include musicians John Mayer, James Taylor, Amy Grant, Luke Bryan, Jason Isbell, Alanis Morissette, New Kids on the Block, Lainey Wilson, the Gatlin Brothers, Air Supply, America, Heart, Earth, Wind and Fire and comedians John Mulaney and Nate Bargatze.
If Good Neighbor Days, presented by the Washington Chamber of Commerce, is moved from its current location along Washington Road to the amphitheater site, performances and shows by the Washington Community High School marching band, Washington resident Shawn Degenhart's GospelFest Ministries, the Penguin Project, Peoria Symphony Orchestra and Peoria Civic Chorale could be booked.
In addition to speaking with representatives from the companies involved in the amphitheater project and a feasibility study done on the project, and city staff and elected officials, open house attendees could leave written comments and questions on cards.
A seven-page listing of FAQs (frequently asked questions) about the amphitheater project can be found on the foundation's website, TheHengstFoundation.org.