The Great Noise Battle of Watertown Happens Today
Can you hear that? The rumble of citizens organizing to fight for their rights? It's happening right now in Watertown, Connecticut.
Tonight, July 19, 2021 at 6:30 PM, the Watertown Town Council will hold a Public Hearing at 6:30 PM. Originally, the hearing was scheduled to be held at Watertown Town Hall on Echo Lake Road, but due to the expected support on both sides of the argument, the hearing has been moved to the auditorium at Watertown High School and it's also scheduled on Zoom for those who cannot attend in-person.
What is this all about? Noise. Some call it music, entertainment, etc, but in the courts, it's about noise. The noise in question is reportedly coming from two local establishments who happen to book live entertainment to entertain their customers. Hawk Ridge Winery and the Sunset Grille are located within a mile of each other in a beautiful rolling valley in Watertown. Here's a map of the area from Google Maps. Hawk Ridge is on the left side of the Map, Sunset Grille is located in Crestbrook Golf Course.
Last week, the owners of Hawk Ridge Winery posted their side of the issue on social media. I wrote an article about it and presented their version of the accounts that have taken place so far. Over the weekend, an unidentified member of the group of residents making the noise complaints also took to social media to give their version of the events that have led up to tonight's meeting.
In a nutshell, both venues have hired live musicians to entertain their customers at their establishments. Both venues have beautiful outdoor areas, set up for dining and drinking outside and the noise from the live musicians is bothering some residents that live in between and surrounding Hawk Ridge Winery and Sunset Grille. It's a battle as old as the dawn of the loudspeaker. What is considered too loud?
The businesses in this battle seem to have made attempts to address the situation. Hawk Ridge Winery has modified the time, direction of sound and volume of their entertainers performances, allowing them to perform during the weekend afternoons for three hours each day.
From what I can gather, one of the main sticking points of the argument is: If the venues have the indoor space, why aren't they keeping the performers indoors behind noise-dampening concrete and steel?
The unidentified Watertown neighborhood spokesperson suggests the installation of noise-dampening barricades around the Winery and Grille. We've seen the construction during the pandemic in dining establishments to make airy, outdoor seating and dining possible. Just look at G's Burgers and Carvel in Watertown, they made a massive investment during the pandemic to open up their business, literally and allow more airflow through the hungry masses waiting for their burgers.
What is going to happen tonight? It's up to you. Do you like hearing snippets of Paul McCartney & Chicago classics performed by Bill & Brett Calabrese on a beautiful Saturday afternoon? Or would you prefer the sounds of your neighbor's lawnmower, your neighbor's Bose Wave and grapes growing? Speak up tonight at 6:30 PM. If you need more info about the meeting, click HERE
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