Loud Music in your home town
Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 2:26 pmAnyone else have this problem in their town?
Let us know....State and Town.
STUART,FL — Complaints over loud music downtown have increased since new regulation on volume was imposed, according to the city.
The city adopted about a month ago new regulation on how loud sound could be, whether that's a barking dog, a car stereo or a live band.
Since then, there have been nine complaints over loud music emanating from downtown venues, an increase from the number of complaints for the same time frame before the new law was implemented, according to Stuart Police Chief David Dyess.
The new regulation limits sound volume to 80 decibels during the day and 60 decibels after 10 p.m.
Just because a noise complaint is called in, however, doesn't mean a venue violated the law.
Only two of the nine recent complaints turned out to be over music that exceeded the legal threshold, Dyess said. They were for riverfront restaurant Sailor's Return and outdoor concert venue Terra Fermata, he said. Each was given a verbal warning and "have not been over the limit again when checked," Dyess said.
Terra Fermata Owner Ron Hart said he questions whether there truly was a violation at his venue.
The violation Dyess is referring to, Hart said, was over stereo music and people hanging out because by that time the live band had stopped playing.
Sailor's Return Owner Bob Davis said that according to what a manager at his restaurant told him, there was no violation at the time police were there.
So far, Dyess said, the focus is on education and compliance with the new law instead of levying fines.
"Many people do comply when we ask them to lower whatever is causing the noise, and we never receive a complaint again," Dyess said.
Dyess said he expected a slight spike in complaints after the law was implemented. It's more of an adjustment period than anything else, he added.
People are calling in complaints as a way to gauge how loud is louder than legally allowed, he said. For example, when a resident hears loud music emanating from a venue but doesn't know whether it's exceeding 80 decibels, that resident calls police to have an officer check the volume and determine whether there's a violation, Dyess explained.
"People are testing the waters," Dyess said.
Hart, the owner of Terra Fermata, said he has been vigilant about having live music stop at 10 p.m.
The new law won't put him out of business, he said; nevertheless, 10 p.m. is early for a venue to close.
Sailor's Return, too, stops or lowers music to 60 decibels after 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, Davis said.
And that, he said, has cost him customers.
"If they can't dance and have fun, they either go home or they go somewhere else to a different town to enjoy the music there," he said. "It's a shame they have to leave the city of Stuart to be able to have fun and enjoy themselves."
Downtown resident Veronica Pasquale said it's difficult to gauge whether the new music regulation has worked since the venue closest to her home recently shuttered.
The Stuart City Commission approved the new sound-volume rules Nov. 23. The same regulation applies seven days a week citywide.
Aside from loud-music complaints, the city has received complaints over other noise, such as barking dogs, from across Stuart, Chief Dyess said.
Asked whether the new law is working, Dyess said: "The jury is still out on that."
Let us know....State and Town.
STUART,FL — Complaints over loud music downtown have increased since new regulation on volume was imposed, according to the city.
The city adopted about a month ago new regulation on how loud sound could be, whether that's a barking dog, a car stereo or a live band.
Since then, there have been nine complaints over loud music emanating from downtown venues, an increase from the number of complaints for the same time frame before the new law was implemented, according to Stuart Police Chief David Dyess.
The new regulation limits sound volume to 80 decibels during the day and 60 decibels after 10 p.m.
Just because a noise complaint is called in, however, doesn't mean a venue violated the law.
Only two of the nine recent complaints turned out to be over music that exceeded the legal threshold, Dyess said. They were for riverfront restaurant Sailor's Return and outdoor concert venue Terra Fermata, he said. Each was given a verbal warning and "have not been over the limit again when checked," Dyess said.
Terra Fermata Owner Ron Hart said he questions whether there truly was a violation at his venue.
The violation Dyess is referring to, Hart said, was over stereo music and people hanging out because by that time the live band had stopped playing.
Sailor's Return Owner Bob Davis said that according to what a manager at his restaurant told him, there was no violation at the time police were there.
So far, Dyess said, the focus is on education and compliance with the new law instead of levying fines.
"Many people do comply when we ask them to lower whatever is causing the noise, and we never receive a complaint again," Dyess said.
Dyess said he expected a slight spike in complaints after the law was implemented. It's more of an adjustment period than anything else, he added.
People are calling in complaints as a way to gauge how loud is louder than legally allowed, he said. For example, when a resident hears loud music emanating from a venue but doesn't know whether it's exceeding 80 decibels, that resident calls police to have an officer check the volume and determine whether there's a violation, Dyess explained.
"People are testing the waters," Dyess said.
Hart, the owner of Terra Fermata, said he has been vigilant about having live music stop at 10 p.m.
The new law won't put him out of business, he said; nevertheless, 10 p.m. is early for a venue to close.
Sailor's Return, too, stops or lowers music to 60 decibels after 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, Davis said.
And that, he said, has cost him customers.
"If they can't dance and have fun, they either go home or they go somewhere else to a different town to enjoy the music there," he said. "It's a shame they have to leave the city of Stuart to be able to have fun and enjoy themselves."
Downtown resident Veronica Pasquale said it's difficult to gauge whether the new music regulation has worked since the venue closest to her home recently shuttered.
The Stuart City Commission approved the new sound-volume rules Nov. 23. The same regulation applies seven days a week citywide.
Aside from loud-music complaints, the city has received complaints over other noise, such as barking dogs, from across Stuart, Chief Dyess said.
Asked whether the new law is working, Dyess said: "The jury is still out on that."
