Once a month at Teak, after the diners have finished their Asian-fusion sushi, a merengue band sets up in the front room and the place explodes with sounds from south of the border.
In fine weather, the large windows on three sides of the room are thrown open, turning the place into a throbbing lanai on Monmouth Street as salsa dancers spill out into the parking lot.
Well, it may be the dead of summer, but it’s time to button up, borough officials say.
The borough council is dialing up a campaign against nighttime noise with a proposal that would force clubs and restaurants to shut their doors and windows after 11p when they’re playing music, whether live or recorded.
“As more and more places go to big open windows — which is lovely — the noise is becoming more intolerable for the neighbors of those establishments,” says Councilwoman Grace Cangemi.
A recent surge in residential life in the downtown district is driving the move, Cangemi says. “Especially as we encourage more mixed-use development, we want to make sure everyone knows what the rules are,” she says.
Mayor Pasquale Menna is more critical of the bars and restaurants. He says that there seems to be an arms race of sorts in which “establishments are dueling with each other for decibel levels.”
The council introduced an ordinance Monday night that would require all non-religious establishments to close their portals when playing music after 11.
It doesn’t say the music must halt; only that the doors and windows have to be closed.
Cangemi, who spent many years working as stage manager for rock and jazz concerts — “joy of joys, I’ve worked for every horrible heavy metal act in the world,” she says — now runs the Rock ‘ Roll Music Fund, a charitable organization that puts on shows to rase money for needy causes.
“After a lifetime in the music business, I’m the last person to say we want to stop the music,” she says. “We just want you to close the doors.”
Under ordinances already on the books, there are decibel limits on allowable noise, and clubs must close at 2a. Fines for violations range up to $2,000.
Menna says there should be no first warnings to violators of the proposed law. “I’m of the firm belief that after you give them notice (of a new ordinance), you shouldn’t give a grace period,” he says.
The one club manager redbankgreen has been able to talk to about the ’shut it’ rule so far was unfazed by it.
“We usually do it most of the time anyway,” says Kira McElwain, of Red, on Broad Street.
Cangemi said that while the proposed ordinance has its roots in complaints from residents, it came about after she, Menna and Councilman John Curley tried to have a conversation one night recently in the parking lot of borough hall. They couldn’t hear each other over the music coming from Buona Sera on the opposite side of Monmouth Street, she said.
A public hearing on the proposed ordinance is scheduled for the next council meeting, at 5:30p July 9.
wow- what a wste of time. a couple of establishments in red bank play music a little too loud and its disturbing the neighbors. how about the latin music that pulses out of the overcrowded rental houses in red bank? these rentals are acutally in resedential neighborhoods. Its happening all over red bank. 25 people living in a two family home. while we are on the subject of noise problems- how about the red bank taxis that pick up the people who live in these overcrowded houses and beep their horns over and over until someone finally gets in to them. This happens at all hours of the night. Taxis will just keep honking until someone pops out of these homes. I also think that the town should post the names of the owners of the homes who are in violation and the results of the fines they recieve.
Speaking about noise…..can we get a Harley Davidson loudness ordinance? Perhaps a "Rice Burner" ordinance? These thundering and screaming motorcycles have become so bothersome that I am considering moving away. Sleeping with the windows of your home open in this town during the spring, summer and fall is a real challenge. Strange that when a politician is inconvienced by not being able to chat because of music and folly laws need to be changed or enforced. Well Pat Menna would you like to have a sleep over at my house one Fri or Sat night? Want to hear real noise? At least the noise generated by music, fun and clubs represents the borough's vitality. The thundering, wall shaking, throttle wristing club goers who leave these venues between 2 and 3am is what really bothers me. Get real Mr. Mayor, you have bigger fish to fry.
Resident and Alex are you aware of the Neighborhood Watch program which is a great venue for you to address your problems.They meet the second Wednesday of the month at River Street Commons.We do get results.
The council introduced an ordinance Monday night that would require all non-religious establishments to close their portals when playing music after 11.
Hmmm, why do they think religious noise is not as loud?
I wonder if these churches and their functions in Red Bank donate any money to the campaigns of these pundits.
Noise is noise and as a non-religious person it aggravates me that relgious noise is protected. To me noise is noise so you either have a ban for everyone or a ban for no one. People wonder why Americans are always divided, certain groups get favored over others.
Off my soap box I step.
Thank you city council!
Just last night at 3:00 am until almost 4am somewhere in the vicinity of Monmouth and Broad live jazz music echoed through the downtown. How is that possible when the bar/restaurant are to close at 2am??
You try sleeping on a hot summer night with that nonsense. On a week night? Saturday I can understand, but not at the beginning of the week.
As for the Harley's thundering through town and the taxi's honking senslessly at all hours, that is another whole set of issues the council need to address.
Regulating loud music beyond the confines of the establishment is just the start….Yes please close those windows and doors!
I am not an attorney, but I suspect there are legal reasons to exclude religious establishments. In either case, I really don't understand why this would bother someone so much. I am not aware of any religious establishments creating noise problems at these hours in the evening, unless that Easter midnight mass is too much of a disturbance.
I find it dubious that any of the religious establishments in town are giving money to the mayor and council in order to pass this ordinance. I doubt they care. Such allegations should not be made unless there is evidence of such a claim.
God bless
"Its happening all over red bank. 25 people living in a two family home. while we are on the subject of noise problems- how about the red bank taxis that pick up the people who live in these overcrowded houses and beep their horns over and over until someone finally gets in to them. This happens at all hours of the night. Taxis will just keep honking until someone pops out of these homes."
Up north, we call that the "Hoboken doorbell."
Think of it as just more diversity to "celebrate" as RB becomes more "vibrant."
The NY Times editorial staff thinks this is a good thing.
I have been able to control taxi beeping on my street a little. For 5 years I dealed with it but I had enough. So what I do now is I walk over to the taxi driver ask them where they live and when they tell me I say thanks because I will beep my horn in front of your house tomorrow.So it has cut it in half.
It is somewhat unfortunate establishments require an ordinance to force courteous behavior when operating their business!
Live entertainment is a huge attraction for Red Bank. We moved to RB to live in a vibrant city. This is what we asked for. But not at the expense of sleep!
We're neighbors AND we're patrons.
(Good move, borough council.)
(..living within a block of Teak, The "Dub", and so-on.)
Noise pollution is becoming quite an increasing problem in RB. I feel for those folks who live near the loud music venues.
Music is not my noise problem but lawn service is. It is not pleasant to be woke up at 6:45A, or 7:00A, or 7:30A to the beutiful sounds of a gas lawnmover, a gas edger and the best of all, two gas blowers. Not everyone has to rise at 5:30A….some of us work later hours and don't need to be up until 8:00A. There should be enforcement of the ordianance that says 8:00A for loud noise and it should be amended to say no noise before 9:00A on weekends.
All of the above comments have documented merit and I thank you for yor opinion. The state master plan was thrust upon us during the previous administration providing a mixed use of retail and residential. Fortunately or unfortunately many of our residential streets back up to restaurants, bars and night-clubs and many rent apartments nearby. It is the councils intention to keep the music playing in Red Bank and keep the rythem of our town intact. A little compromise goes a long way to ensure the well being of all. Many of our establishments already compromise as they contiue providing the entertainment so pertinent to the vitality of Red Bank. THERE IS NO RESTRICTION OF ENTERTAINMENT just a thoughtful request to close the windows turn up the air conditioning and enjoy the music. See you there!! John P. Curley Councilman
Someone should buy the Councilman a Dictionary!
another knit picker. PROBABLY JUST TYPOS SALLY THRY HAPPRN ONVE IM A WHILR
Sorry for any typos Sally! The sentence structure however was perfect, I Think? Please review. What are your feelings regarding the ordinance? Please let us know. I will try not to type after 11PM. John P. Curley Councilman
Count your blessings and forget the typos! Members of the city council come to this forum and listen to us squabble.
If Mr. Curley, Mr. Menna, and the rest of the gang come onto RBG; they're getting your feedback.
Contrast it to the "good old days," where the only feedback an elected official gets would be on election day or at some protest..
Keep it going, man!
Hooray for Alex! I thought I was the only person angry with the increasing number of loud motorcycles driven through Red Bank.
I have never understood how someone could get away with deliberately altering a machine to make it extremely loud, then driving it around where a lot of people live.
Many of these motorcycles are so loud they cause me physical pain. My elderly neighbors are awakened three or four times a night, and it is impossible for the young mothers on our street to get their babies to sleep through the night. These jerks are making life miserable for everyone, and somehow it hasn't occurred to the administration that it might be a real problem.
By the way- who benefits from parking enforcement? who benefits from noise enforcement? Which is enforced with its own officers? Which isn't enforced at all?
P.S. Take a good read of this NY Times article and the accompanying photo. You will need it to respond to the police chief, town attorney, and city manager when they look you square in the face and tell you noise enforcement is "technically infeasible":
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/30/nyregion/30noise.html?fta=y