‘Agent of change,’ still

The city’s ongoing work to gather community feedback regarding sound compatibility and noise issues between entertainment venues and nearby residents continues this weekend. The next community engagement session connected to the so-called “agent of change” issue will take place Saturday, April 13, at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall on West Second Street, with the city’s consultant presenting draft recommendations that will shape possible ordinance language for City Council consideration later this spring. Stakeholders in the live music community have pushed for city action on the issue for nearly four years, with a 2017 proposed ordinance process getting shut down prior to reaching Council because of lack of agreement between hotel interests, neighborhood groups and live music venue representatives. Those three groups appear to have found more common ground this time. Most seem optimistic that the city can implement expectations for soundproofing and prior notification for developers building near venues, and clear expectations for noise limits and sound mitigation for venues near hotels and residential areas.