A woman who moved into an apartment a half block from Neighbours, a
gay dance club that has operated on Broadway since the early 1980s, has
called 911 “once or twice every night” for the past 21 months to complain about noise, she says. Her
calls began in June 2007, shortly after she moved into a new low-income
apartment building owned by the nonprofit Capitol Hill Housing at Pine
Street and Broadway.
The 56-year-old retired nurse, who asked not to be named, calls
herself “an old rock ‘n’ roll queen from way back when.” Her
one-bedroom corner apartment looks south onto the roof of
Neighbours—and, indeed, the howl of ambulances and the rumble of
traffic are plainly audible inside her living room on a weekday
afternoon.
“If it was just music I was hearing, it would be fine,” the woman
says. “But what we hear is bass and bass only. And it has been so loud
in the past that the windows rattle.” The cacophony from drunken
throngs in the alley, she says, also penetrates her fourth-story
windows.
On a typical Saturday night last month, the woman called police
shortly after 2:00 a.m. The responding officer noted in a report that
the woman “calls nightly to complain about music from this club… She
has told officers in the past that she wants to close this club down
and will call as many times as it takes to accomplish this.”
The woman denies wanting to shut down Neighbours. She says she just
wants the club to close by 2:00 a.m. (it is open until 3:00 a.m. on
Thursdays and until 4:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays). She also
thinks club security should usher people into the alley down to Pike
Street, away from her building.
The hundreds of calls to police raise questions about whether city
noise laws should specifically accommodate noisy clubs that were in the
business districts first—and whether new residents who choose to
move near noisy clubs should have to accept it.
“Clearly the noise ordinance is not [working], or else the city
would be fining Neighbours $1,000 a week,” the woman says. The city
fines bars and clubs that violate the noise ordinance $1,000 for the
first violation and $2,000 for subsequent violations, or it requires
the establishments to invest that money in soundproofing. But the city
has not penalized Neighbours in response to the woman’s complaints.
The noise ordinance, which the city council passed in December 2007,
applies to bars and clubs that have amplified noise that is “plainly
audible” from inside nearby buildings.
The term “plainly audible” is vague, acknowledges city council
member Sally Clark, who sponsored the noise legislation.
The city council–appointed Nightlife Advisory Board has
proposed setting various noise levels for different portions of the
city, but the council hasn’t done anything with the board’s
recommendations. As it stands, the noise ordinance allows new residents
to challenge noisy bars—even bars that have operated for decades,
like Neighbours.
Bars, unlike apartment buildings, can only exist in business
districts. So it seems like exempting long-established bars and clubs
from residential noise rules makes sense.
But Clark disagrees. “To me, it doesn’t necessarily matter who got
there first,” she says. “I don’t know if I subscribe to the idea that
there are entertainment districts with different noise thresholds.”
Clark suggests that residential builders should be required to
include sound insulation in homes built in business districts; however,
Clark, who is chair of the city council’s planning committee (which
would handle that type of legislation), hasn’t introduced any bills
requiring developers to do that. She also says club owners should
install sound insulation and use other noise-mitigation techniques: “I
don’t think I buy that the ‘boom, boom, boom’ has to get out of the
building,” she says.
Nightlife advocates say the kind of insulation Clark is talking
about would be prohibitively expensive.
“If we were to spend that much money insulating sound, we wouldn’t
be able to survive as viable businesses,” says Steven Severin, an owner
of Neumos, a venue a block from Neighbours on Pike Street.
John Kmetz, who has managed Neighbours’ sound and lighting system
for the past 15 years, says that the club has tried to address noise
concerns. In mid-
January, he says, Neighbours installed sound
insulation on the ceiling, covered skylights, installed double doors,
and capped the sound system’s volume—and the woman continued to
complain about the noise. A police report says no one else in the
apartment building near Neighbours complains, but the woman who lives
there says the sound from Neighbours bothers others in her building,
too.
David Meinert, a band manager and nightlife advocate, says, “We live
in a city, and in the city there is noise. And if you want to live in a
city without noise, you are going to live in a boring,
cultureless city.” He adds, “Politicians who are against nightlife are
listening to the people calling the police 500 times instead of the 500
people a night at that venue.” 
It’s obvious she needs to move. There’s other apartments. She should be fined for calling 911 so many times.
My quote should actually be “Politicians who are against nightlife are listening to the [one person] calling the police 500 times instead of the 500 people a night at that venue.”
It’s the tyranny of the minority, and unfortunately, Sally Clark, who I personally like a lot, has embraced this tyranny when it comes to nightlife.
It’s also sort of a policy joke to contend that a neighborhood’s historical use should have no impact on rules made regarding that neighborhood. It does matter when a business moves into a neighborhood where their is a school, or when an airport wants to impact a residential neighborhood, and likewise it matters when residents move into an area that has been made popular by things they then try to eliminate, like music. Clark suggesting otherwise is just ludicrous.
Just as silly is the Council, and particularly Clarks incessant disregard for decent building codes. They seem to always want to attack small businesses in favor of developers when it comes regulations. Council – get a clue – your job is to serve the people, not the developers!
As Seattle becomes more dense, we need the politicians to become smarter. I’m looking forward to a future where this is true.
People have a right to a decent night’s sleep. Either building codes should disallow residences within earshot of ongoing sound producers, or sound that is complained about should be measured with a gauge which measures sound, by authorities who measure sound with such a machine, possibly by attaching such devices to the telephone poles in the offended area. Noise disturbance fines could then be administered, by mail, for each offensive occurrence, and club-owners would speedily learn to lower their decibel dials, and club-goers could learn not to shout so loud over the sound.
Allengator, it sounds like you want to live in an Orwellian nightmare. Can you imagine if the French Quarter got shut down because of an apartment renter’s complaint? Club goers and clubs exist in loud, fun neighborhoods. It’s part of having a vibrant, cosmopolitan city. If you want quiet, just rent an apartment that’s in a quiet neighborhood. Typical Seattle “fun-police” local government BS. I live on 10th & Pike and support our local businesses and culture.
Allengator’s kidding. If not, YIKES.
She has chosen to move into (and some genius developer chose to build) a residence pretty much right in the middle of the single greatest concentration of night clubs in Seattle. The half mile in all directions from Neighbors is as big city as Seattle gets in one area. I have no great love of offending businesses but this lady simply needs to move. The city of Seattle needs to get real about this area and not permit the orgy of development to even create this conflict in the first place. And she needs to be fined for abusing 911. Much blame to go around on this one. I want to sleep at night too but, no matter what my economic circumstances, I would not move into the block around this area because I understand it was there first and thats the way it is. That part of Capital Hill should be and should remain all commercial.
Ya know what.. this lady needs to get a grip! Okay, you moved into the middle of Capitol Hill! You knew there was a dance club next door, you knew there would be noise late at night, you brought this upon yourself! You’re a very educated person and I’m really surprise by your lack of good judgement here. You’re 56, you’re retired… you don’t really belong in the middle of party central! Find another place where there are more older adults, with less noise and you can take 911 off your speed dial. Goodness!!
Wow, allengator, that’s an incredibly naive view of how people operate. As soon as your monitors are installed, the people being monitored will start to fool or destroy those monitors.
A fine isn’t going to prompt a business owner to think about how to improve their business or neighborhood. A fine prompts a business owner to find ways to fight/not pay the fine, by whatever means necessary.
Within two days of the installation of such Orwellian devices, there will be step-by-step instructions on how to disable them. think iPhone.
Seattle’s noise ordnance is outdated. It’s unable to cope with the density and vibrancy of what Seattle has become. The noise ordnance is subjective- what is considered disturbing is up for interpretation.
It lacks recourse, both for the plaintiff and defendant.
I would advise the lady to move. I would also encourage the City to update it’s laws and have nightclubs be sound proofed and put limits of the amount of bass that can be heard on the exterior.
Capitol Hill. I love it because it’s a great place to go dance, eat out, see shows, study at Seattle Central, but was too loud for me too live there, so I moved to a mellower part of Seattle. I got too old for all the youthful energy of the neighborhood. This woman should not have moved to Capitol Hill if she wanted peace and quiet, I suggest she move to Bothell or something.
Sally Clark lost some points with me on this issue. She better start supporting businesses like Neighbors that not only provides a safe community for gays (and everyone that likes to dance) but is an established and long standing business that boosts our economy, and brings people out to enjoy themselves instead of being depressed by the news all of the time.
Sally, Sally – did you douse your brain with dumb down fluid in the past year?
In the common sense bureaucratic wording, it is called grandfathering – yes – things that were there first, going back two decades in this case, are treated with special care.
Sally, in your attempt to be in the middle of the road all the time, you are on the wrong side of this. Neurotic complainers like this women CANNOT set the rational policies needed for operating a city … duh.
(by the way, EAR PLUGS, duh)
This lady needs to move. I would love to take over her empty apartment, because I love the energy of that area primarily because of the music coming out of Neighbours!
Tyranny? I hate to think what Dave would say if he didn’t like me personally. Also, I haven’t felt any love from developers since taking over the Land Use Committee, but maybe I’m missing the signs.
Extremist statements aside for the moment (although they’re fun and politically expedient), do people really want a moratorium on residential development in Pike/Pine or a moratorium on new dance clubs or music venues near apartments? Seattle’s urban neighborhoods can be mixed up places. That’s part of what makes them succesful (most of the time).
I just think everyone has to give to make it work. Developers do need to build as though they care about the mix of uses. Residents have to expect some level of noise. Clubs have to expect to contain some level of noise. Silence in the streets? No way, but not a free pass on the bass either.
A small correction on Dominic’s piece – the legislation approved by Council in late 2007 requires development of objective, measurable sound levels so we aren’t in a debate about what’s “plainly audible.” It’s bad for everyone if we’re determining fines based on a subjective determination. Unfortunately, we’re still waiting for staff on the Mayor’s side of the shop to come up with those standards. Once we receive them at Council we’ll need to test them to see if they make sense. Maybe we’ll use Neighbours as one of the test sites.
I like you, too, Dave!
For what she is paying for her low-income apartment on Capitol HIll…she could be living elsewhere in the city in a non-low-income home. A 56 year old who clearly doesn’t like noise or the urban soundscape SHOULD NOT be living on Capitol HIll…that was a poor decision on her part.
And I fully agree that she should be fined for calling 911 500 times, it’s NOT AN EMERGENCY!!! There is a non-emergency number that is meant for this. Maybe they should lock her up in a quiet padded room!
What a dumbass bitch. She needs to get some damn ear plugs. People like her are ruining the hill. Neighbours is an institution more deserving of a place on the hill than her cranky old ass.
The city ordinances need to be changed. If we are going to argue for density then let’s truly do it, and not this BS involving light rail that’s going to be up and running in 2016. The whole fact that we even consider taking decibel readings in that block is ridiculous. Capitol Hill Housing, which I feel does a great job allowing many people who are other wise priced out of that neighborhood, hopefully can expand their reach to other ‘hoods, such as the Central district where there are relatively few noisy bars put people there and allow Pike/Pine to be a spot that flourishes for night life.
I totally agree that she should be fined. While she’s on the phone taking a 911 operator’s time, someone else could be trying to get through when its a REAL emergency. If its that bad, she needs to grow up and move.
Once again a perfect situation where Seattle chooses anything or anyone over a nightclub. No other all the talent moves out of the Pacific Northwest.
We have two members on the Council and both seem to have abandoned their constituency, especially Clark. She had a lot to say campaigning, but what has she really done for our community? To add insult to injury she comes to our fundraiser at the “W” with her hand out. I didn’t notice her digging into her pocket and pulling out cash.
And to top it all off, neither of them – Clark nor Rasmussen – had anything to say about including gays in their own department’s “social justice” project. Cowards.
I’m surprised no one commented on the fact that, there might not be a lot of choices for low-income housing. Sometimes there are waiting lists, and you have to go where there is a space available. I wish the Stranger had more details in this article. The article also states that the building is ‘new’. Is this bad zoning? Low-income multi unit living space shouldn’t be in the middle of party town. There are plenty of other locations for building low income housing, that are not next to an established nightlife section of town. Please read Meinert’s comments above, we need a city council that understands all of the city.
questions – the building where this lady lives is BRILLANT zoning. The site used to be a gas station, going back 60 years. They build a 5 story building with a Walgreens at ground. PERFECT for the use and the neighborhood. Perfect. It is very mixed with a community college on the other side of the streeet, three or more bus routs in the street … perfect for a new urban build.
The lady is a kook.
And is Sally threatening Neighbors? “Maybe that is where we will test the noise issue” – too bad, as a charity fund raiser they give more money to the GLBT community than the city council budgets …. endless fund raising there week after week for 18 years — hundreds of hundreds of thousands raised, for the most diverse array of groups.
i would find this utterly hilarious if it weren’t Seattle we were talking about, because i’m actually concerned this one clueless, whiny woman could be treated as more important than a well-established club and all of the patrons who enjoy it.
People who move to Capital Hill and expect it to be quite are just plain idiots. I’m sorry, but I have ZERO sympathy for this twit of a woman. She needs to get the hell out of our neighborhood or shut the hell up. It is people like her who ruin places like Capital Hill. These are the same jerks buying the condos in the new tacky looking buildings. Sorry if this sounds hateful and mean, but this kind of crap is ridiculous. The whiny bitch needs to move.
I think I’m going to move next to a dairy and then complain about the stench of cow manure. And I give you permission to call me retarded (at the risk of offending retarded people).
I think that Sally needs to be voted off the island. She seems more of a curmudgeon than my 86-year-old grandmother.
Seattle is a big city, and not all of us want to be in bed at 10 p.m. The vast majority of the city is residential. Leave the nightlife areas alone, and let people have a little fun. There are PLENTY of places in the city for people whose first priority is peace and quiet to live. If someone chooses to move into a nightlife district, then they should accept the consequences.
In fact I’m just waiting for the problems to start at the Cuff. There’s an apartment building going up next door, no doubt made of flimsy plywood. I bet money it will be only a matter of weeks after the first tenants move in before the complaints start.
Do people like Sally really ever tour the thousands of acres of residential zones where the noise is a car rolling by, a fart in the night, cats mating – a child yells – so quiet it feels like you should exhale with less force so not to break the silence, esp. after sundown.
AND, I walked around the very block under discussion last night… after the bars and bistros had closed. Still as death, empty streets, one person per block, a car here and there. Empty.
The noise the lady is all uptight is the sound of homophobia gushing in her brain.
In Seattle, no bigot would ever own their shit.
She needs to be cited for abusing 911, some community service, and a mental exam.
Although I patronize bars and clubs, I also value my sleep and would never actually move in next to one. I can’t imagine why this woman would live on the same block as a nightclub, and then complain that there is noise. If she was placed there by a low-income housing agency, why not call the agency 500 times until they find her another place to live?
Sally – I’m deeply disappointed by your reaction and comments on this matter. Part of living in a vibrant city is accepting that there are certain inconveniences – noise, traffic, other people. Having lived here for 15 years in neighborhoods all over the city, I can tell you that the vast majority of Seattle is residential and dead quiet at night. I’ve lived in apartments in Wallingford, U-District, CapHill (13th/Howell, 12th/Republican, even Summit off Pine), Madison Valley and Green Lake, and have never had a problem with nighttime noise from a bar or club, BECAUSE I MADE SURE I DIDN’T MOVE IN NEXT TO ONE. This is not a matter of a bar moving into a residential neighborhood. Neighbors has been there for two decades, and is at the epicenter of the Capitol Hill nightlife district. When a developer chooses to build next to a nightclub, and tenants choose to move in, they have to accept that there is going to be noise and inconvenience. If they can’t tolerate that, then the 95% of Seattle that is quiet and residential is available to them.
What “I don’t think I buy” is that people can move into an established nightlife area and then try with all their might to shut it down, including abusing public emergency services. Perhaps your idea of nightlife is a quiet square dance and everyone home asleep by 9:30, but there are many of us in Seattle that enjoy bars, clubs, music and dancing. Just ask the thousands of people that patronize the Pike/Pine area every week.
This woman needs to be fined for abusing 911 and/or the police non-emergency number, and she needs to be moved, perhaps forcibly, to a quiet location. She might also need a psychiatric evaluation. Turning all of Seattle into a sleepy bedroom community, or into a town where a small minority of NIMBYs determines what kind of entertainment we shall have, when, and how, is unacceptable.
In fact, why don’t you get out of your quiet Southeast Seattle neighborhood now and then, and visit Pike/Pine. Spend some time up there and have a fun night out. See that nightlife is an essential part of keeping our city exciting and vibrant. It contributes to the local economy and makes the Pike/Pine neighborhood lively, instead of a quiet ghost town, like most of Seattle at night. You might(gasp) actually enjoy yourself, like many of your fellow citizens.
I live in the heart of Pioneer Square and it’s very, very loud. Particularly on the weekends. But I knew that when I moved here having been in business in the neighborhood since the early 1990’s. I am in the habit of installing earplugs at bedtime and that seems to work just fine.
The only thing that wakes me these days is the Seattle Police Department. An officer parks his prowler car at 2nd & Washington usually around 1:40 AM Saturday and Sunday morning and uses a loudspeaker to ‘encourage’ folks to head home. Think of an very, very loud restaurant manager thanking the crowd for turning out and wishing them a good night-at ear-splitting volume.
That said I cannot for the life of me understand why clubs aren’t required to soundproof and contain the the music inside their spaces. Many of the clubs have enormous surfaces of single pane glass windows which do nothing at all to mitigate the volume. Who ‘got there first’, clubs or residents is sort of beside the point. Oddly enough I can’t recycle used motor oil in my apartment anymore either. Things change.
Of course they could be good neighbors and do this on their own. But that isn’t going to happen.
Fighting ‘tyranny’ for fun and profit!
Went to QFC lat last night then over right by Neighbors to hear the noise.
Totally OK, some muffled vibes, not offensive, under control, no big deal at all.
This lady wants to close the gay bar. …. every instinct tells me she is a Christian who does not approve.
Bet close friends will confirm, her thing is not distant muffled sound, but, too close dancing and prancing gay males in the hundreds every sweating night almost all night long in tight pants and bare chested and they are kissing and hugging and going to dark corners to do it – and – God – Seattle must be saved from it all … you know …call the cops, yes the cops, to do something, something, anything..
This is a very slippery slope. Neighbours is not only, as cob mentioned, a long-standing safe-haven for Seattles gays, but the whole of the Capitol Hill nightclub district are a vital part of our city’s culture and economy. Shame on this woman. Not only for putting her own interests above the hundreds (maybe thousands) of people who support this local business, but for wasting the SPDs precious time, which we all pay for.
If you don’t like the heat step away from the oven
I know this lady in question. Live in the same building. I do not think this stems from homophobia what so ever. Also, to the person who mentioned that the noise was not audible from outside. I know. That is part of why Neighbours, although they have tried to lessen the problem of the bass noise in the apartment, have been unable to. You can’t hear it from the alley, or outside Neighbours, or outside the apartment building. Only in some of the units. So what it sounds like from outside the building is not what we are hearing inside. Having said that. Yes I know they were here 1st and I don’t think the way she is going about this is respectful.
The old ding bat needs to leave. Shes the dumb granny that moved in right next to the place. You dont like city noises dont live in the city, its that freakin simple.
In Spain, it’s considered torture:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/arti…
setup a web page donation page and hire a lawyer. End sound polution.
All businesses of all kinds in Seattle should close before 6:00 p.m. to avoid any inconveniences they might possibly cause anybody.
If I can fall asleep in my apartment right behind The Eagle while unwillingly listening to a group of big hairy bears boof each other’s brains out, then I think this woman should shut her yap.
People who choose to live in a mostly club-surrounded city have no right to bitch, period.
This self-proclaimed “old rock ‘n’ roll queen from way back when” needs to get a life. Maybe if neighbors had 70s night, she would be happy. Imagine the kids dancing to Three Dog Night? Yeah, baby… woo hoo. She would love it and start remembering when she was wild and sassy and her fingers slowly move down to her……
Soon after the bars close
as the early quiet wets down the concrete with misty drops
before the first transit
she mumbles to herself suprised she has her own thoughts
I don’t want to be the only one defending this woman, however she does have a right to be able to sleep in peace in her own apartment. I’ve been in a situation where noisy neighbors (above me, not the bar) kept me up all night for months on end. I’m a very calm and reasonable person, but I have to tell you that sleep deprivation can make you do some crazy shit. Also, I’ve experienced first hand being completely blown off my Seattle PD when calling the non-emergency number, or 911 in a noise situation. They do absolutely nothing but give you a song and dance about how busy they are with more important things. If this woman can’t afford to move, she likely doesn’t have money for a lawyer either. By calling the police, she’s doing about all she can since the police should take care of this if they are making noise later than allowed. (I won’t defend her calling 500 times…)
Since Neighbors has been around forever, one would think they would be able to properly soundproof the place and respect noise ordinance laws/times etc. If it were a construction company, or politic rally, they would never be allowed to get away with what they do.
August –
you seem more like drizzle April showers – this woman was offered an apt on the other side of the bldg, refused.
She could use earplugs, doesn’t.
She has declared to the police that she will close the bar no matter what … which sounds homophobic.
And, frankly in an era of violence and mayhem, the police do have something to worry about beyond this neurotic and her weird crusade over some muffled sound waves.
Sorry, you are defending that which can’t be defended.
Bright Sunny June
I’m going to move in to one of those apartments right next to I-5 and call 911 about the traffic noise 500 times the first week! Maybe they’ll shut down I-5.
john kmetz RAWKS!
Dear retired lady,
Your apartment used to be a parking lot where I would park my car to go out and add to the noise of a vibrant neighborhood. Move somewhere else.
@LOVE the Spring:
I may be blind, but where are you seeing that she was offered another apartment on the other side of the building, and refused?
If that’s true, I certainly would lose some sympathy for her.
I personally feel sympathy towards this lady. Yes, she’s being unreasonable… That’s a given. However, it seems like she’s putting too much energy into this situation. She’s retired (fairly young), living in low-income housing at the clusterfuck that is Capitol Hill, and calling the cops over 500 times. I wish she’d get outside and walk around a park or join a book club or something.
That woman sounds like someone who just wants to be right no matter what, even if she knows she’s wrong and will only make a complete ass of herself. She needs medication and a house somewhere like Bellevue.
That club has been there forever. I understand times are tuff, but dont complain if you choose to live next to a place that is know to be noisey. It seems simple to me.
Can Neighbors not get a break? The issues with their lease, the ricin scare, and now this? I feel the free market argument is the best, 500 calls vs. 500 patrons. Government normally LOVES to salivate over the virtues of the free market.
#37 – her refusal to move to the other side of the bldg. is in a letter supporting Neighbours – cirulating among the local Dem District … I was emailed a copy in the past days.
It makes sense, I am sure building management wants this to end and the cops to feel free to do the their jobs and not hold hands with this neurotic lady … maybe that is it, she likes to fuck cops … 56 years old and horny for cops … very possible
There’s housing for poor folks in quieter neighborhoods like Lake City or Greenwood. If she wants to milk the system, that’s fine – all public housing is pretty much a sham – but don’t bitch about the charity you’re getting.
This is CAPITOL HILL YOU FUCKING IDIOTS. If you don’t like noise, if you don’t like nightlife, if you don’t want to participate in weekend activities, if you don’t like to drink, then DON’T FUCKING MOVE HERE. People like you are RUINING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
If the noise is more than conversational volume right next to the club, the owner needs to fix the problem instead of expecting to impose the cost of his own bad decisions on the entire neighborhood. In effect, he’s partially taking over other people’s property because he’s unwilling to pay for what he wants. That’s neither reasonable nor moral.
Why should the neighbors, who are quiet and bothering no one, be the ones to bear the cost (suffering, sleep deprivation, inability to use one’s own home or office, expense to insulate against unreasonable noise, taking on the work of trying to get the city to enforce its own ordinances, etc.)?
The City Council is partly to blame. They changed the zoning to allow residential development in the Pike/Pine business district. I appreciate the lady’s desire to get a good night’s sleep. However, she knowingly moved above a night club that has been there since at least the early 80s. It’s classic “coming to the nuisance.”
Alan, you have it backwards. The night club was there long before that residential building. Their needs and use come first. Not the residents. Like another poster said, you can’t move into a place on Melrose above I-5 and then complain to the city about the freeway noise.
Put another way, the residents, well this one in particular, are the ones who are bothering business owners, and as the new comers, should bear the brunt (and costs) of their decision to move into a neighborhood with an existing, vibrant neighborhood.
oops, i meant to write “move into a neighborhood with an existing, vibrant nightlife.”
I should go get some coffee.
The city needs a common-sense group against loud, obnoxious drunks.
Wait- I know, why doesn’t she move into one of the open Ballard condos? Not only will she not have any loud neighbors, but really, no Neighbours at all!
This building is hard to get, so she really tried to move into it. Ask CHHIP(the agency that manages the waitlist for all of it’s low income housing). They have buildings in much quieter parts of town that are always available. When I was on the waitlist with them they told me that this building is the most desirable because it was new. This building was her choice, she wanted this.
As for Sally Clark, what a shame. Going against your own people? If she is such an advocate for noise, how about requiring better construction quality and better zoning for residential building. Where was she when the city issued the permit for this plywood residential box? From second floor up this building is made of stitched cardboard, remember when it was under construction? It’s a miracle this building is still standing.
Alan – the two building are NOT next to each other – opposite ends of the the north/south block.
There are several buildings between them.
She has problems, needs meds and therapy about her life.
Key words: “low-income housing”. She probably doesn’t have much of a choice about where she lives. It is also likely that she did not know about the club noise until she had spent her first night in the place, after she had moved all of her stuff an laid out the cash for deposit and first month’s rent.
Noise hurts peroid.
To prevent a Asperger’s syndrome {form of Autism} meltdown from the screams and vibrations feels physically painful as much as novacaine shoved agaisnt my will.
Even if it’s a city it comes down to one basic human need sleep.
I’m sure even the nightclub owners needs sleep. he forgets in his quote.
If he didn’t have sleep he couldn’t run a nightclub.
If people aren’t getting sleep, it would make the atomosphere of a city seem angry.
The impact of noise on mental health should be considered.
Just because someone can do something doesn’t make it right.
The sensitive hearing people are ignored sadly seems discriminating to me.
Lynn
Way late to the comment swarm, but it’s clear that the poor woman is delusional. Calling 911 so many times expecting a different result. Whoever is responsible for subsidizing her apartment needs to step up and find her another place to live. George Freeman wouldn’t have let this go on if he was in charge.
Johnny Kmetz is a personal friend who I have known and respected since the tail end of the 1980s. He really knows his craft. I have no doubt he has done everything reasonable accomodate the crank although his primary responsibility is ensuring that the sound and lights at Neighbours is fabulous. That’s what John does. He’s a diva. Love and respect John. You’re the best.