Agenda - 10-03-2017 - 8-a - Minutes

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7 1 My family is one of the closest houses to The Barn of Chapel Hill. We are heavily impacted by 2 sound from the late night events. We have reported noise disturbances multiple times to the 3 Sheriff's office. Often, the police go to the event center first, ask them to turn down the music, 4 and then come to our house and measure sound. Many times it is long after we have called. 5 6 Last night, Sunday 9/10, the police were called as music blared across the street to our house. 7 We heard every word to songs like "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks and the YMCA as 8 my children were being tucked into bed. When police arrived, there was no sound recording 9 taken at all, even though the yelling continued past 9:00 p.m. Lights were still on and talking 10 was heard until almost 10:00 p.m. 11 12 What we are finding is a pattern of loud, disturbing noise blaring at our house during these 13 events, but no plan for police to track this pattern. There are isolated reports filed, but no 14 cumulative way that they are collecting information, so this pattern can be tracked and handled 15 more efficiently. We are left with the task of calling, reporting, but nothing carries over to the 16 next offense. There is no consistent way of measuring noise, and then connecting that 17 disturbance to following disturbances. 18 19 We would like to request that a procedure is put in place to handle this noise impact in a more 20 consistent and helpful way. When we call the police, we would like them to bring a modern 21 sound recording device to measure sound before asking them to turn down the music so real 22 impact to our family and surrounding neighbors can be documented. We would like to request 23 that the procedure allows police to collect and document a pattern of numerous disturbances so 24 that further action can be taken. We would like to request that there is action taken against the 25 party barn when families are negatively impacted in this way weekend after weekend. Right 26 now it is poorly documented and without consequence to the party barn. The consequence is 27 our families, our neighbors, and ours. We are up late, bothered at home with loud noise, and 28 talking to police weekend after weekend. We feel this can be handled more fairly and 29 effectively. 30 31 Tom Schopler said he is a resident of southwestern Orange County, and said the Board 32 needs to look at commercial entities coming in and using the agritourism loophole to further 33 their business. He said he would like to know how the permits are regulated and monitored. 34 He said the Board of County Commissioners should remove weddings from the definition of 35 rural special events, which may address a lot of the issues concerning the community. 36 37 Richard Lawrence thanked the BOCC for listening, and asked the BOCC to consider 38 how other counties handle these issues. He reviewed the following information: 39 40 Subject: Ongoing Party Farm Problem 41 42 Dear County Commissioners and Others, 43 44 This letter is a follow-up to one sent in September of 2016. The subject of these letters is 1870 45 Farm, a party "farm" located in a residential neighborhood and adjacent to our property at 1212 46 Old Lystra Road, Chapel Hill (partially located in the Chapel Hill ETJ). 1870 Farm offers 47 revenue-producing activities to the public at the expense of its neighbors and, according to a 48 local realtor, to the detriment of neighbor's property values and sell-ability of homes. 49