Sound limits: Cape Girardeau City Council studies noise at outdoor demonstration

Tone Loc, Nickelback and Trace Adkins -- members of the Cape Girardeau City Council got an earful of rap, rock and country Wednesday in their efforts to mute concerns some downtown residents have about live outdoor bands.

Songs such as "Wild Thing," "Rockstar" and "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" were blared at 5,000 watts from four speakers as the council listened from distances of 300 and 800 feet as part of a noise demonstration.

"We just want to put ourselves in their shoes," said council member John Voss, who suggested the demonstration. "It's important for us to experience noise at different levels before we make our decision. We need to listen before we can make an informed decision."

The demonstration was outdoors as council members, city manager Scott Meyer and two Cape Girardeau police officers traveled to two downtown bars by bus: Last Call on Broadway and Bel Air Grill on Spanish Street, the latter of which was the source of complaints last summer and has caused the council to reconsider its noise ordinance.

A truck carrying the speakers went to those spots as well, and the music was cranked up, and lowered, as the council looks to either tweak its existing noise ordinance or create a separate ordinance that would specifically regulate noise downtown.

"I just want the residents and the business people to cohabitate," Mayor Harry Rediger said. "They need to come to an agreement on what's acceptable and what isn't. They're at exact opposites right now."

The city's existing noise ordinance limits the operating of any musical instrument or amplifier between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. The ordinance says live music cannot be played from a private business or home in such a manner as to create a noise disturbance any farther than 50 feet from where the noise originates.

The ordinance currently defines noise as any sound that endangers the safety or health of people or animals and annoys or disturbs a "reasonable person of normal sensitivities."

But after a special citizens committee was charged with looking at the ordinance, it suggested a new ordinance for downtown that would make it a citable offense if any sound is "plainly audible" at distances greater than 300 feet at any time, though the distance becomes shorter the later it gets.

With the music playing from the Bel Air's property Wednesday, the council stopped at the home of Craig and Cristy David, who live about 300 feet from the Bel Air. The Davids were among those who complained that the outdoor bands were aggravating last summer.

"The noise gets louder and louder as the night goes on," Cristy David told the council, which had gathered in her yard.

Other neighbors showed up for the demonstration as well, including two owners of nearby bed-and-breakfasts, who said the music needs to be turned down. Tom Neumeyer, a former member of the council and owner of Neumeyer's Bed and Breakfast on Lorimier Street, said no one who wants the music turned down is trying to inhibit downtown commerce.

"We just want it turned down," he said. "We invested our time and money here and saying we should just put up with it is illogical."

But council member Meg Davis Proffer represents Ward 2, which includes downtown. She said she comes down firmly on the side of the businesses.

"It's downtown. I expect music, fairs, races. There's going to be sounds here. It's typical," she said.

Not all downtown residents think live music should be turned down, including Kelison Hines, who lives on Lorimier Street.

"I think if you live downtown, music is part of it," she said. "You should expect to hear music in the summer. That's why we chose to live downtown."

Council members said they want to think about the noise demonstration before deciding what to do next.

smoyers@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent Address:

24 S. Spanish St., Cape Girardeau, MO