Residents complain bar still too noisy

“Eventually, something’s gotta give.”

Mayor Mark Nexsen’s comment Tuesday night seemed to echo a growing feeling about the city’s current noise ordinance.

“We need to find a happy medium,” Nexsen said. “I understand the people that live in their apartments that need to sleep … and I think businesses need to be able to operate as well.”

During its regular council meeting Tuesday night in city council chambers in the police facility, the City Council opted to give BJ’s Tavern, 2122 McCulloch Blvd, more time to reduce noise levels coming from the establishment. BJ’s Manager Artie Collins said he would work this week to reduce the bass levels.

“I’m going to call up an electronics firm out of Los Angeles this week and I will call them and see if there is a machine that we can use to almost completely take the bass out,” he said. “We will buy it, we will put it in and we will find a way this week to turn the bass down lower, as low as it can go. We will turn the bass down as low as it can go.”

The City Council enacted the current noise ordinance on April 24, 2009. According to City Code Chapter 9.30: Noise, “unnecessary, excessive and offensive noises from all sources” are prohibited in the city. The ordinance also measures noise levels in decibels from the “affected property” not the source of the noise.

The tavaern has never been cited for breaking the current noise ordinance.

Several residents in the Uptown District near BJ’s Tavern spoke about loud noise and bass coming into their homes.

“We pray for rain,” Paul Nigrey said Tuesday night. “When it rains, the noise doesn’t carry as far and it’s the only time we can get a decent night’s sleep.”

BJ’s Tavern staff member George Smith responded, stating that the noise ordinance is something that has been looked into and the bar is “well within legal limits.”

“We have had these researched studies, we have looked at other cities and I do believe that is where we came up with the noise ordinance that is in effect,” Smith said. “We have turned down the music when someone calls. … This is complaining about something that has been looked at before.”

Uptown District resident Don Casler said he was thankful for the work on the current ordinance but added the policy is not being followed.

“A year has passed and the time has come to make adjustments that mirror the policy,” he said. “This type of voluntary resolve has not worked.”

Casler said he hoped the council would adjust the ordinance with the residents’ health in mind.

“It is true that you cannot please everyone,” he told the council. “We can only trust your priority will be the health and safety of the citizens.”

You can contact the reporter at nbruttell@havasunews.com