There is a proposal in front of city council to shelter the Maingate fairgrounds nightclub from noise violations by the LCB. The city would establish a new noise level in what it would deem an entertainment district. The bill is being promoted by Candida Affa, who previously created legislation to effectively shut down what she considered nuisance clubs. Also supporting her effort in regard to the Maingate is councilman MacLean and mayor O'Connell. They are all very wrong.
City spokesman Mike Moore stated that he has heard no objections to the Maingate proposal. I will email a copy of this post to his attention.
I would remind Affa, MacLean and O'Connell that the previous administration felt justified in deciding who were the winners and losers in regard to city bids, ignoring the guidelines that were in place. Likewise, the city should stay out of the bar business, and allow the LCB to exercise its control. There are neighbors who live by the fairgrounds. Just because they tolerate the fair one week a year, doesn't mean that they're never entitled to some quiet.
ADDENDUM: The Entertainment District would also include the Shanty and Ringers, wedging the residents of the 500 block of St. George and 18th Streets into permitted year round noise. These other bars were included so that the proposal doesn't smack of favoritism toward the Maingate, which it is.
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molovinsky on allentown is produced every weekday, year-round.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteThis club has been in this location for many years and until now have never received noise complaints. Nothing changed in the neighborhood so it is a head scratcher. The owner made an appeal to West Park Civic Association, we tabled any action until we could look into it further. I doubt we will but their seems to be a general sense that some sort of injustice was going on here with the forced closing of an establishment that has been part of the community for years. I honestly don't know what's going on, but that's Allentown isn't it?
scott@8:25, the maingate is an extension of the hotel, which remains up and open. it is my understanding that they are targeting a different crowd than years ago, and it may well be louder than before. the owner was shot this past summer breaking up a fight, but it may well have been a customer. the closing of the back loud section was done by the owner to protect his license from the LCB, it had nothing to do with the city. IMO, the city is now acting improperly, proposing a new district, which they would enforce (or not) instead of the LCB.
ReplyDeleteWhat you write matches what I have heard.
ReplyDeleteThe problem isn't the decibels but rather today's DJs pump way too much bass into these subwoofers. Tone then down and there wouldn't be a problem.
ReplyDeleteNearly everyone has experienced a car (with it's over amped bass speakers) approaching and leaving nearly a block away. Many apartment dwellers are afflicted with this same kind of problem.. It's nearly impossible to block anything below 80hz.
When WAEB moved over to Fenwick Street on the eastside years ago they tried to soundproof their AM separate from their FM studios. Being a structure with concrete floors no matter what they tried it remained a continual problem until they eliminated the large speaker monitors in both.
The City has been battling The Main Gate for 30 years
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