After a bit of a struggle with the Westbrook City Council over noise during functions, the Fraternal Order of the Eagles has received a new amusement permit.
A month ago, the council refused to renew the organization’s license to have bands, DJs and dances in its main hall and lounge on Saco Street because of complaints received by the city due to noise. Instead, the council issued a temporary permit and asked the Eagles to fix the problem, which the organization did.
According to neighbors in the area, noise from the club during functions could be heard throughout the neighborhood. At the request of a resident, Councilor Michael Foley visited the site during a function, during which he said he could hear the music himself and also yelling in the club’s parking lot.
John Gallagher, executive director of the Westbrook Housing Authority, which operates a housing project behind the club, also said he’d received complaints about the noise.
Instead of renewing the permit, the council asked the Eagles to perform a number of renovations to lessen the noise emanating from the hall and also take steps so that music isn’t played too loud and visitors to the hall don’t make a ruckus in the parking lot.
At an Aug. 14 council meeting, Eagles President Phil Farr said he wasn’t aware that noise was a problem or that anyone had complained. At the time, city staff admitted that the city had received complaints but that no one had informed the Eagles it was a problem.
After discovering it was a problem, Eagles club manager Mike Verostick pledged to eliminate the noise issue. According to Verostick, he met with Code Enforcement Officer Rick Gouzie, Council President Brendan Rielly, Foley and neighbors to discuss what could be done.
The group decided the noise could be lessened to an acceptable level by enclosing a rear vestibule and sealing the windows shut so that they could not be opened during events. As of Monday’s council meeting, Verostick said the windows had been pinned shut and a rear enclosure built with the exception of the addition of the door, which would be done this weekend.
Verostick also said he would set an upper decibel level for the club at 100 decibels, which would not carry outside. After hearing Verostick’s report, the council voted unanimously to renew the club’s amusement permit.
“Just so you know, you’ll be under a watchful eye over the next year or so,” said Foley, after voting in favor of the renewal.
In other news Monday night, the council approved the acceptance of a Community Development Block Grant of $10,000 for a software-testing lab. The money would go toward hiring a firm to determine whether a software-testing lab in the city is possible and to develop a business plan for the lab.
The testing lab would link the Westbrook Regional Vocational Center with the Maine Software and Information Technology Industry Association, York County Community College, the University of Southern Maine and southern Maine’s technology community in an educational and vocational program. The effort would be to get Westbrook’s youth interested in computer programming through video game programming to create an employment base for companies such Idexx.
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