Restaurants and other businesses near Old Poway Park may soon be able to offer indoor and outdoor music with monitors on the noise and hours.
Poway City Council members took the first step in establishing a music district in the area of Midland Road and Brighton Avenue between Edgemoor and Temple streets at their July 15 meeting. The council voted 4-1 in favor, with Councilmember Tony Blain opposed, and will take a final vote on Aug. 5.
Venues such as The Hop Stop, UVAS Urban Winery (formerly Mission Cellars Urban Winery) and Smokin J’s BBQ on Midland Road have expressed interest in offering live music to attract patrons, add vibrancy and promote the neighborhood as a gathering space, said City Planner Stan Donn.
As it is now, live music isn’t allowed in the Old Poway Specific Plan.
If the music district gets final approval, noise levels could be limited to 84 decibels for outdoor events and performance hours would be allowed between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily, Donn said. The volume of performances could be increased to 89 decibels if acoustical screens are added at the venue, and performances as loud as 109 decibels could be allowed if the venue’s windows and doors are closed, he said.
Councilmember Christopher Pikus said he supports a music district. It would help businesses attract customers while setting boundaries on what is permitted,che said.
“Before it was completely unregulated,” Pikus said. “In Ramona there was nearly a Civil War over outdoor music. Maybe we can adjust it in six months. This is a good start.”
Blain said he likes the idea of extending arts opportunities in the community, but believes Poway residents should be able to vote on whether to approve it.
Businesses in the music district that want to offer live entertainment would apply for an administrative use permit that costs $504, according to a city staff report. Applicants would give the city information about the site and venue location, sound levels, date and time of the performances and a description of the performances.
The permit could be used to monitor regular performances over extended periods of time, such as over a season, the staff report said.
Julie Gallant
UVAS Urban Winery has opened at 14053 Midland Road where Mission Cellars Urban Winery was formerly located. (Julie Gallant)
Reaction to the proposed music district at the meeting was mostly positive.
Poway resident Chris Olps told the council that the permit would be easy to use and helpful to businesses. He said he also liked the idea of Poway businesses being able to offer lively entertainment similar to Escondido’s street fairs on Grand Avenue.
Other supporters included Sharlene O’Keefe, executive director of Poway OnStage, a nonprofit that arranges professional performances at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts.
O’Keefe, who also represents the San Diego County Arts & Culture Commission, said a music district could liven the community, bring economic benefits to businesses while protecting neighboring residents from noise and encourage arts and creativity.
“The district would be a smart way to allow live music, create vibrant businesses and bring new energy without disrupting the charm of Old Poway,” she told the council members. “I can say confidently that it will connect people, elevate businesses and enrich civic life.”
Jill LaHaye, a resident near Old Poway Park, told the council that she is concerned about noise, particularly when different venues offer overlapping performances, as well as low bass frequency tones that are hard to measure but can be felt within residents’ homes.
Music can sometimes be heard through double-paned windows when she and her husband are in the back of their house, she wrote in a letter to the city in October when she heard about plans for the music district.
“Will there be a city official to train the onsite employees how to use sound meters or will it be up to me to do sound level metering and call the Sheriff’s?” LaHaye wrote in her letter.
Julie Procopio, the city’s director of Development Services, said businesses and other venues that do not comply with the ordinance can have their permit revoked. Live music performances in Old Poway Park and at its gazebo, which are owned by the city, are regulated by the city’s Community Services Department with a special event permit, she said.
If a music district is established, Sheriff’s deputies would mainly be responsible for the enforcement of noise complaints, according to a staff report.
Mark Stone of Dudek, an environmental, planning and engineering services firm, told the council that 60 decibels is comparable to conversational speech. At 84 decibels, it is equivalent to shouting, he said.
Council members agreed with a request by LaHaye to have the music district evaluated after a trial period if it gets final approval. They called for a staff review in six months.
Rebecca Saldivar, owner of The Hop Stop, said offering live music on a regular basis would help her craft beer garden and other nearby businesses such as UVAS Urban Winery attract customers.
“It would be a good thing to have regulations on noise levels and hours,” said Saldivar, who did not attend the meeting. “There should be regulations … I totally agree on that.”
The Hop Stop has been hosting live music for about four years, she said. Usually the performances are acoustic guitar, sometimes accompanied by a singer, during mostly Saturday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m.
Over the past few years, Saldivar said she received complaints from only one person who repeatedly said the music was too loud. Then about a year and a half ago, she said she and the neighboring winery owner received a letter from the city stating that their music performances should stop because the venues did not have a permit for them.
The city started discussing the music district to help businesses like the Hop Stop, officials said,
If the music district gets final approval, Saldivar said she would probably continue acoustic music performances on Saturday evenings and occasionally host a live band, such as for The Hop Stop’s five-year anniversary in September.
“It’s good for the whole village because it would bring people to the area,” she said.