WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The city of West Palm Beach is looking to tackle how loud is too loud.
"Residents want it to be quieter. Merchants want to keep it the way it is," Assistant City Administrator Armando Fana said. "I think we have to find that balance and it's not going to make everybody happy."
This comes after complaints from residents that music from bars and restaurants can be heard from their homes or downtown condos.
"After 11 o'clock, you should not be able to hear anything outside the doors of any establishment, including the residents," one man said during a City Council meeting.
"We want the bars to remain vital and healthy," one woman said. "We're patrons. We go there. We enjoy it. At the same time, there are bad actors."
The city conducted a noise measurement study throughout downtown and the Northwood area and found several bars in violation and acknowledged a large amount of noise from car speakers and exhausts.
"The idea here is not to be the noise police," Fana said. "The idea is to work with our merchants to come down to levels that are reasonable for everybody so you can have a great experience when you come downtown."
In the proposal, they'd check noise levels at 10 feet from an establishment, which is half the distance of what it used to be at 40 feet for the downtown entertainment district.
The sound would not exceed 85-95 decibels within the Clematis Street, waterfront districts, and 65-75 within all other areas downtown.
For the Northwood Village District, the sound must be 85-95 decibels Friday through Sunday from 12 p.m. to 1 a.m., and quieter Sunday through Thursday at 65-75 decibels from 1 a.m. to 12 p.m.
"We've had them come by with the meters and we just shut the door, and everything is fine," Reed Ferguson, with 123 Datura, said. "When our door is closed, you can't hear anything out here."
Ferguson said they're quick to comply if things get too loud, as businesses rely on residents just as much as residents rely on them.
"We have phone numbers of people who have complained in the past or have issues with it, so they can call us and we'll happily turn it down for them, shut our door for them and make it easier to live near us," Ferguson said.
The proposal would give noisy bars a warning and allow 15 minutes to comply with the noise level.
The first offense would carry a $500 fine, while the second offense, within one year of the first offense, and each offense thereafter would bring a $1,000 fine.
The third offense occurring within one year of the second offense, and each offense thereafter, shall be a misdemeanor of the second-degree punishable by a fine of no more than $1,000 and/or jail time, not exceeding 60 days.
"In my opinion, we have had very few noise complaints from residents regarding our restaurant businesses in the greater hospitality industry," Nicholas Coniglio, the owner of E.R. Bradley's Saloon, said. "I'm a bit surprised and disappointed that we are back to square one trying to redesign a set of regulations that work effectively when the current ordinances are enforced."
There will be a 30-day window before enforcement takes place. Leaders hope to educate establishments on the rules and regulations.
Amplified sound, such as a loudspeaker or a boom box, is prohibited to use in any public right-of-way or public space anywhere in the city.
City leaders will work with residents and establishments over the next two weeks on the final details before the second hearing.
