Kent to test late-night noise limits for live music performances

Kent is attempting to strike the right chord between residents and downtown businesses with a trial measure extending the time limit for late-night live music performances.

Kent City Council approved changes last week to the city’s noise ordinance to restrict loud noise in the Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) Sunday through Thursday after 11 p.m., and on Fridays and Saturdays after midnight. The restrictions will be in place for a 120day trial period.

Prior to the change, Kent’s noise ordinance stipulated a hard stop at 9 p.m. to “sound generated by devices or instruments.”

In an email, City Manager Dave Ruller explained that as Zephyr Pub and other downtown businesses add live music to their repertoire, a change in the ordinance is necessary.

The trial restrictions will “better manage expectations for the music performances for both the businesses and adjacent neighborhoods by setting specific hours when noise from music shows is permitted,” he said.

Some residents have been complaining about the noise coming from these businesses, and council began addressing the need for a change at a committee meeting on June 7.

At that meeting, Ruller characterized the complaints as a sort of sign of success. The bicentennial plan, he said, had an entire section dedicated to outdoor music events downtown and their importance to the community.

“Well, apparently we’re doing it,” Ruller said, “and maybe, like anything, I guess, too much of a good thing can cause some problems.”

He urged that discussions take everyone’s position into account so a solution could be found to benefit the entire community.

“It’s one of those [conversations] that can be challenging because one person’s noise is another person’s wonderful music,” said Ruller.

Kent Police Chief Nicholas Shearer told council that the city’s noise ordinance gives officers a clear path to enforcement.

There’s an unwritten rule, he said, that downtown businesses are exempt from the noise ordinance, but that the law is enforceable. The only hard exemption is city-permitted events.

Shearer said he can’t remember a time in his career in Kent when the department cited a business for unlawful noise.

What followed was a discussion between council and community members — including area musicians and management from the Zephyr — about how to address the concerns.

After wrangling over the details at another committee meeting on July 5, council voted to approve the language for the trial changes to the noise ordinance.