BottleRock organizers work with community to eliminate problems

Latitude 38, the company that produces the festival, took over the event in 2014, according to CEO Dave Graham. At the time, Graham said they set up two town hall meetings to listen to the concerns and complaints from neighborhood residents.

"We not only listened to those concerns, but we addressed those concerns," Graham said. "This year we had our town hall meeting and ten people showed up. We received zero complaints, but had three compliments."

Some of the changes include a sound barrier to help with the noise and changes to the parking situation.

"Anyone driving to BottleRock this year will be able to park and walk to the festival," Graham added.

The parking situation is a change from the last year when shuttle buses were used to transport patrons to a parking lot off site.

Graham said a neighborhood ambassador program was also developed out of the concerns.

The Napa Neighborhood Ambassadors Program was started in part by Dana Barks. A Napa resident, Banks always had love for the festival, but knew some residents were upset with the parking, the noise and the congestion in the past.

"I was certainly supportive of the event from the beginning," Barks said. "It seemed like a really good things for this town."

He said people are slowing getting used to the idea that BottleRock is doing everything they can to make the event better not only for patrons, but for the neighborhood. He even said some residents with initial concerns are now ambassadors and a part of the solution.

"Music heals," Barks added. "Music is the thing that brings us all together. It's one of the few things in this life that we can all do at the same place and the same time and just be happy and joyful."