Entertainment License Rules and Regulations

To The Editor:

We are Maureen and George Butler, the couple who have lived next to the Inn at Shipyard Park for many years. We have read that we are trying to close down the Inn at Shipyard Park. Nothing could be further from the truth.

When the Inn was purchased by the current owners a few years ago, we congratulated them on their new venture in a letter to the Editor of The Wanderer.

As we did with the last two previous owners, we ate at their restaurant.

On April 26, 2012 the Mattapoisett Selectmen held a hearing on the current owners’ application for an entertainment license. Many of the neighborhood residents attended.

This is what they were told at that hearing:

The new owners of the Inn planned on having “upscale food.” They said that entertainment would be a “very small part of the percentage” of the Inn’s business.

With regard to entertainment, a well-respected, local folk musician was cited as being the type of music that would typically be performing at the Inn, with “perhaps Jazz for brunch.” We were specifically told by Mr. Johnson, at the hearing, that the room doesn’t support a “Rock and Roll” band. He stated that he would agree to set up the music “kitty corner to the kneewall in the bar area.”

We were comfortable with that, and we and the rest of the neighborhood welcomed the new owners. And we think that our neighbors would still join us in saying that we welcome the Inn that was described to us that night.

But, shortly after the current owners started operating the Inn, the bar’s configuration was drastically changed, the “kneewall” was removed, and the occupancy in the bar more than tripled, from 26 to 80 patrons.

And, in addition to the previously cited local folk musician, the following have played at the Inn Wednesday to Saturday evenings: Dancing Dogs, Daddy O, Pumpkin Head Ted, Moldy Suitcases, Loose Cannon, Whiskey Affair, Pourmen, and Wood N Wire, etc.

We are not alone in thinking that the noise from the Inn’s entertainment is disturbing. At the Inn’s website, people interested in booking a room there are warned of the noise from the bar area, specifically from live, electronically amplified noise, that may be heard in the Inn’s rooms that are available for lodging. Of course, the prospective guest has the option of staying somewhere else. But we and our neighbors don’t have that choice. This is where we live!

And, we are not the only ones disturbed by the noise. We are aware of neighbors who have resorted to wearing earplugs to sleep, who keep the air conditioning on, and close all their doors and windows to try to prevent the noise from disturbing them at all hours of the night. This is not right.

Again, we do not want to close the Inn. We want the Inn to operate like an Inn, as opposed to a nightclub. The Inn is in a residential neighborhood.

On numerous occasions, we have tried to meet and work with the current owners of the Inn. We were optimistic when some of the Town officials became involved. We so appreciated Chief Lyons and Selectman Paul Silva for taking time from their very busy schedules to participate in a meeting with us.

At that meeting, an amazing draft of Entertainment License Rules and Regulations, which included regulations for noise that Police Chief Lyons had prepared and posted on the Town’s website, was discussed. It was clear to us, if this noise regulation was put in place, that it would be a benefit to the Town of Mattapoisett as a whole and would address many of the issues related to the Inn. If enacted, and enforced, no residential area or any area in the vicinity of entertainment, would have an issue with noise.

Turk’s and Reservation Restaurant stated, in writing, at that time, that they had no problem with that Noise Regulation language drafted by Chief Lyons.

Chief Lyons is to be congratulated in being so forward thinking as to create these regulations (including noise) for entertainment licenses in the town. Unfortunately, to date, these rules and regulations have not been enacted, and, as such, there has been no attempt to restrict the noise from the Inn.

This has left us in an untenable position. Without any cooperation from the Inn, we have been forced towards litigation. This is never where we wanted to be.

Again, we have no interest in closing the Inn.

We would ask anyone who has an interest in this matter, take a few minutes and review the proposed Entertainment License Rules and Regulations that was drafted by Chief Lyons. If people take the time to review it, and realize that it was proposed in order to ultimately protect all of the residents of Mattapoisett, it is our belief that not only would it put this matter to rest, it also would safeguard some of what makes this great town so special to us all.

We are more than happy to share our experience and concerns with anyone who cares to hear our side of the story.

Respectfully submitted,

George and Maureen Butler, Mattapoisett

 

The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

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