Local News

Fredericksburg City Council Meets to Discuss Loud Music Ban

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Tony Maples Photography

 

The venue for Monday’s Fredericksburg City Council meeting was moved to the high school auditorium because of expectations of a large crowd. The meeting, which included the first reading of a proposed ordinance regulating noise and sound level, was attended by over 120 people, far more than would have been able to fit into the council’s usual chambers.  This issue has been hotly debated in the community for months, and has even been covered in Texas Monthly.  In the photo above, local musician Josh Dodds passes out information to residents Cookie Althaus and Billy “Sticks” Burdett prior to the start of the meeting.

Fredericksburg City Council

Fredericksburg City Council

Photo: Robert Deming

The current noise and sound level regulation dates to 2012.  Chief of Police Steve Wetz presented the ordinance as it has been drafted.  The proposal included distinctions for commercial and residential zoning areas:  sound levels above 85 db(A) during daytime hours, 70 db(A) during evening hours, and 65 db(A) during nighttime hours are generally prohibited. Outdoor amplified sound is prohibited in residential areas from 10 PM to 7:00 AM.  Much of the information gathered for the drafting of the ordinance was collected by the police department.

Council listened to comments from several musicians and venue owners

Hondo's on Main

Photo: www.hondosonmain.com

Hondo’s owner John Graham said that he had worked with police officers who measured the sound levels coming from his outdoor area, and they learned that the measured 70 db(A) level was consistent whether music was being played or not, as the crowd of people talking reached the same 70 db(A) level.  Graham warned that recent development of tourism related businesses could be in jeopardy if regulations are tightened too much.  Pierre Minjuaw, general manager of Sozial Haus, which also has an outdoor music program, warned that citations for violations are written to the manager on site, not the owner, and that most employees don’t have the ability to pay such costs.

Fewer Complaints in Recent Months

The Coop

Photo: Twitter/@thecoopfredericksburg

It was evident that each side of the issue had many supporters present.  One resident complained about loud music coming from The Coop, which opened less than a year ago.  Another suggested that all outdoor music should be acoustic only.  A Main Street winery owner said that the problems came from a very few businesses, and that a system of increasing fines would quell such offenders.  Another said musicians were sharing their hearts with their audiences.  Another said he finally gave up and moved away from downtown because of the noise from Hondo’s.

Fredericksburg Live Music Coalition creator and local musician Josh Dodds told the council that the rules are too complicated, making them difficult to understand or enforce.  Mayor Linda Langerhans said she has heard from many people that the problem venues have made efforts to minimize the impact of their music on residents.  Two council members indicated that the council did not need to be in a rush, and they weren’t ready to move forward with the second reading of the ordinance until they could hear more comments.  Fredericksburg has a reputation for being a “city that works,” and that was never more evident than in the discussions after the meeting, when people mixed and mingled and cordially talked over the issues of the day.