Church rings a concern with new bell tower

Saints Peter and Paul Church is moving forward with plans to build a bell tower. Despite a neighbor's concern, leaders of the church on Granite Drive in Rocklin are going ahead with a proposed $50,000 bell tower that will be constructed over the next two months. "It was one of the things initially, as we built the church, that we would do at a later date when funds were ready," said Father Michael Dillon. The parish was erected in 1983 without a bell tower, which has become a rich tradition over centuries in the Catholic religion."Initially bell towers were used to call people to worship because people didn't carry watches," Dillon said. Dillon plans to invoke the 16th century tradition of the Angelus bell, a triple stroke repeated three times, with a pause between each set of three (a total of nine strokes). The proposed tower is 32 feet tall and features a four-pronged, open tower structure with a three-foot cross, at the top of which is suspended a two-foot high electronic bronze-finished bell, according to city documents. While the bell is more of a faux feature, it will have speakers attached that could play nearly 200 different songs for about two minutes at a time, according to Dillon."Most people like the idea of a church bell sounding for special occasions," said Dillon. For parishioners Luis and Ety Pacheco, who live adjacent to the property on Buckeye Drive, they see the new sounds as an invasion of their home life. "It's nice to hear the bell when you go to church, but it is different when you live behind it and hear the bell every day," Luis Pacheco said.Fellow parishioner Steven Ourada donated his time to design the tower for the parish."Music for one is noise to another," Ourada said. Dillon said music is expected to be played at noon and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, once for Saturday mass and four times on Sunday. It would also sound for the estimated 60 to 70 funerals and 30 or so weddings scheduled every year from the estimated 3,000 church families that come to the church to worship, Dillon said"The neighborhood is getting noisier and noisier, now another sound, which is going to be even noisier and more (often)," Pacheco said.Pacheco brought up the noise issue during the tower's design review at the city's planning commission meeting April 7. According to the city's General Plan noise standards, the output of the bell tower speakers are required to be no more than 55dB (decibels) during the daytime (7 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and 45dB during the nighttime (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.) heard from the site's property lines. Ourada used a sound meter during the meeting and announced to the commissioners that readings taken during their microphone-amplified deliberation registered a 65dB (recorded from the audience seats). Pacheco said even if you put the sound level aside, the mere repetition could be a problem. "You hear that every day, three times sometimes four times a day, it becomes obnoxious," Pacheco said.Planning Chairman Jeff Shirhall said the church had a right to build the tower as long as it meets the city's noise guidelines. "I want to make sure we do the right thing by the community." Shirhall said. "I feel very comfortable that you are protected. This project contributes to the aesthetics of the community."The Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the design of the bell tower. Showing frustration, Pacheco said he can't afford to move. After hearing Pacheco's plight, Father Dillon said he would make an exception for early Sunday mornings. "We may abstain from ringing the bell before our first mass in the morning," Dillon said.Dillon said Pacheco, like most Rocklin residents, would get used to the sounds coming from the church over time. He also said the bell may ring for the first time at his scheduled retirement, June 30.