Last night Allentown city council decreed that the noise complaints against the Maingate were actually racially based against the changing demographics in the city. That distorted logic played well with the hundred or so supporters that the Maingate owner brought with him. Candida Affa testified that her gay bar had experienced the same intolerance years ago.
Residents of St. George, 18th, Liberty and Allen Streets might be surprised to learn that hardly anybody will be adversely effected by the Noise Exemption District. These are the invisible people who conduct neighborhood cleanups and hold street fairs on 19th Street. There was no polling of the residents, and some only found out about the proposal yesterday. Many others do not yet even know that City Hall just arbitrarily compromised the quality of their lives.
Conspicuously missing from the contorted map of the new district is the Wert's Cafe complex. Although Police Chief Granitz stated that he will abide by council's decision, his concerns about equal enforcement of law were apparent.
Allentown doesn't belong in the bar business, especially choosing winners and losers. It's always interesting and disappointing to see the new council members trade their ideals for a seat on that dais.
above reprinted from February 20, 2020
ADDENDUM JANUARY 3, 2023:Despite Allentown creating a special district to allow the MainGate to avoid Pa. Liquor Board loud noise scrunity, their license was suspended July 20, 2022. I do not know their current status, nor do I care. Although I went to bat for that neighborhood on that absurd city favoritism to the Maingate, I stood there alone in front of council that night... Blatant case of municipal corruption and neighborhood apathy.
First, have a good and prosperous new year, Mike.
ReplyDeleteIt appears there is apathy aplenty as many see no indication that their concerns are addressed. I guess eventually they just move out if they can. It seems to have been the fate of most cities.
It seems reasonable for PA's 3rd largest municipality to have an Entertainment Zone that allows for reasonable opportunities for food/drink businesses to provide outdoor entertainment/ music/performances and similar uses. I also find the Fairgrounds area to be an ideal location for such a zone. There are no residential properties within 500' of the former Maingate property and its already a bustling mixed use neighborhood with many activities and events such as the Farmers Market, Ag Hall, the Great Allentown Fair, and West End International Food Festival to name a few.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was reasonable/responsible public policy and perhaps the locally impacted residents who stayed away appreciate the existing character of the neighborhood, understood what they were buying into and were OK with it?
anon@10:41: with the fair, theater, etc., the residents of that neighborhood fully understand that it already was an "entertainment zone". The ordinance in question took the noise level away from the LCB, putting the city instead in charge of enforcement. As stated in the post, the city did nothing to notify the neighbors of the proposal. Just as you posted here anonymously, how would you like to stand in front of 200 supporters shouting that any opposition would be "racist", and give your name before you speak. I like Ray O'Connell, but that was a low point for his administration.
ReplyDeletePlaying devil's advocate here: The LCB laws are so draconian that if I wanted to I could shut down or at least have fined just about any bar in the state of PA with their laws. Ours was fined for singing the National Anthem during the day the weekend after the 9/11 attacks because a member used an amplifier to sing. Speaking to an LCB agent at a hearing I was told the LCB law states that a bar could be fined if an LCB agent can hear music standing next to the wall of a bar even if that bar owns the property 500ft surrounding that wall, also, if an agent can hear music at any volume or see hear a band at any volume when opening and closing a door.
ReplyDeleteIdeally when it comes to the Maingate a decibel reader and a time limit should be enforced. As far as noise in general I wouldn't mind seeing some fines when it comes to the boombox cars with exploding exhausts that constantly pass my house.
I'm in favor of the Entertainment Zone overlay - maybe it will attract new and better businesses to this part of Allentown. Imagine a craft brewery buying the old Maingate property and having an exterior beer garden with live music. That would be a great project that would benefit the neighborhood and the City and might not have worked if not for the Entertainment Zone.
ReplyDeleteanon@4:21: I'll end this dialogue with some reality. What you're describing, less the "craft" beer, is what the Maingate essentially was...and it was hell for the neighborhood. BTW, the hotel and former back maingate area is owned by the Fair Association, and leased to the hotel.
ReplyDeleteIt’s funny you bring this up. A few months ago I happened to run into a resident of that neighborhood who was very active with working on the 19th Street Theater District and had lived there for 20 years.
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly, he mentioned that he and his family were moving. While not mentioning the entertainment district specifically, he mentioned that the neighborhood was changing and noise was an issue.
What happened with the Maingate was shameful, and another example of City Hall favoring one area (or bar) over others. Loud bars and healthy residential areas don’t mix.
This was a very shortsighted decision made in the back rooms of City Hall that will add to the demise of the city in the long term. The city needs strong, safe neighborhoods where people with money are willing to LIVE, not just stop in for drinks and music.
If city residents wonder why their home values don’t rise as much as those in the suburbs, this is one of the reasons why. Instead of strengthening a neighborhood, City Hall sold it out. I see nothing that makes me believe that trend is being reversed by the current administration.
The theatre district certainly slipped under O’Connel. Nice guy but he didn’t really do much as mayor.
ReplyDeleteI live in the area and am tired of the noise. A bunch of hypocrites say it is OK, but they do not live here. No one wants to hear your music blasting matter what kind it is. We have the right to quite too.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see the people who vote yes to this stuff have a main gate open next to their house.
They would have a different view about it for certain.