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Venues getting noise violations


jeff42

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Uggh... A real cool touristy place we play just cancelled ALL entertainment cuz of a $2000 fine for noise violation. Now we are out 3 fun gigs this summer... bummer.  Word on "the street" has it a nearby bar is calling in complaints. 

At another place we played last week the owner said that the police were called because of an acoustic guitar player he had on a Thursday night.... Again he thinks it was a rival bar up the street. 

in both cases the owners say they have talked to few neighbors around the places (who say they are not complaining or even hearing the loud noise) and have taken steps to sound proof but the complaints keep coming in. 

 

sucks

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ForgetMeNacht wrote:

 

This sounds rather fishy. If I was the owner, I would take this up with the police. Seems like the rival bar is trying to pull a sabotage.

 

I think the owners of both places are doing so. both instances stink of jerk face bar owners who don't have entertainment so NO ONE can.

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Do you know if there are any specific noise ordinances that they have to observe?   I actually had a conversation with a bar owner/manager about this one time, and she showed me a copy of the actual city ordinance that spelled out the restrictions for her area.  

As I recall, the wording for that particular locale (Pensacola Beach, FL) was something like "measurable volume level of live or prerecorded music at the property line of the premesis must not exceed 85dB  before 8:00 AM or after10:00 PM on weekdays, or after 11:59 PM on weekends" or something like that.

It just seems to me that unless there was documentation that specifically spelled out what was and was not acceptable levels, it would be awfully hard to enforce.   Of course, in a situation like that, the police are always going to side with the person filing the complaint.....regardless of what the law may or may not say.

 

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ForgetMeNacht wrote:

 

This sounds rather fishy. If I was the owner, I would take this up with the police. Seems like the rival bar is trying to pull a sabotage.

 

No, you don't take it up with the police.  They work for the mayor and the city council.  That's where you go.  Get support from one of the councilmembers ($$) who can introduce a motion in your favor at a meeting. Get affidavits from surrounding neighbors that they are not complaining; Bring evidence of the community benefits your business brings (i.e., tax revenue, employment opportunities; entertainment for the community, etc.) and ask for a variance.

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Huntsville, AL, has recently made news for their simultaneous effort to establish an entertainment district downtown to improve the "nightlife" and boost revenues, complete with allowed open containers on the street, and enforce a 62 dB noise ordinance! For at least the nearly 20 years I have been playing around that scene, there's a spot downtown that, during the warmer months, features a live band in the alley behind the building. Although the establishment has been under multiple owners/names, the music has remained a constant.

So, a developer moves in and buys/renovates a building near this downtown area, with apartments, and now the residents are complaining about the noise. (Rumor is that the main complaintant is the developer's mother-in-law, who lives in the building.) $500 fine, I believe. And I think it's the band that is getting the citation.

Exactly how much research did these developers and tenants put into their locale? I know for a fact that certain people now are laying down on their horns in the area, just for spite. There was even a mention of campaign for "Honk If You Love Live Music!" signs to be strategically places at intersections around the apartment building.

Now reference that 62 dB for a moment. Can you imagine a half-dozen intoxicated people walking down the street NOT being louder than that?

Here is an al.com article on noise ordinance.

And here is an online petition to fight the noise ordinance. 

jamieb

+++++

 

 

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