NWFL Daily News GUEST COLUMN: Let's work together to manage South Walton noise
By Dave Rauschkolb | Special to the Daily News
Posted Nov 5, 2017 at 8:00 AM
We recently spent a week in Nashville. It’s a wonderful place to visit; we will go back. Many homes in the community where we stayed were full of Airbnb and VRBO rental guests.
One thing struck me. There we were in the Music City, yet it was one of the quietest places I’ve been to. I was struck by the distinct lack of sound from my neighbors who were renting near us. Even at the bars and restaurants downtown the sound was not too loud. I looked up Nashville’s sound ordinance and it’s rock solid, which is evident from what I could hear. We all deeply love live entertainment, but there’s a huge difference between the right volume with live entertainment vs. it spilling into the community, where some people may be disturbed.
As 30A has grown, so has the noise. Having been the target at Bud & Alley’s years ago with a handful of people concerned about our live entertainment, I experienced both sides of the resident/business owner fence on this issue.
In response to the complaints I spent nearly $40,000 to upgrade our sound system, and at the request of my landlord I had to stop hosting regular live entertainment after dark. The Red Bar had similar issues and responded to the community by containing its noise and the hours of entertainment. AJ’s by design is self-contained and insulated, so sound can’t be heard from outside the building. All this was prior to the Walton County noise ordinance, but every local business responded appropriately to the wishes of the community.
Ironically, where we live in WaterSound we have had to call security on several occasions when nearby renters were partying loudly and we could hear more than just the sound of the water. The preferred remedy is to call security in your community, or the Sheriff’s Office, when noise gets out of hand, rather than engage the offender.
When The Hub opened and they started hosting live entertainment, I was relieved that the strict 10 o’clock rule came into effect with live bands as The Hub is within earshot of our home. We love going to The Hub and the ownership and management have done an outstanding job of responding to the community. They have never given me a reason to complain about noise.
With loud weddings in massive rental houses, loud outdoor music at restaurants, bands in outdoor town center venues and the madness of spring break, noise is often a problem. I think we can all breath a sigh of relief now that Walton County is strictly enforcing the noise ordinance, ensuring all live outdoor music must cease at 10 p.m. and responding to complaints from nearby residents about these venues. Living next to one of them can be a cause for concern, but the noise ordinance is a valuable tool. The important thing is that locals and visitors alike learn what the county noise ordinance rules are and how to lodge a complaint. As a community we should have a low tolerance for loud renters and all live music venues that disregard the noise ordinance.
As I said, having been on both sides of the issue, I must admit I am among the converted when it comes to noise and the need for civility and our right to enjoy peace and quiet in our communities and towns along 30A. From loud noise to not digging turtle holes or not driving golf carts on the bike path, noise is one of many issues that we all need to work together on to politely educate our visitors.
We as locals, along with rental agencies, the county, the TDC and law enforcement, all need to work together to educate renters, restaurants and bars about the Walton County noise ordinance to ensure our right to peace and quiet, and the quality of life we have come to expect here.
If the Music City can do it, we certainly can.
Here is a link to the Walton County noise ordinance: https://www.co.walton.fl.us/DocumentCenter/View/1367
This guest column was written by Dave Rauschkolb, who is a 31-year business owner and resident of South Walton.
By Dave Rauschkolb | Special to the Daily News
Posted Nov 5, 2017 at 8:00 AM
We recently spent a week in Nashville. It’s a wonderful place to visit; we will go back. Many homes in the community where we stayed were full of Airbnb and VRBO rental guests.
One thing struck me. There we were in the Music City, yet it was one of the quietest places I’ve been to. I was struck by the distinct lack of sound from my neighbors who were renting near us. Even at the bars and restaurants downtown the sound was not too loud. I looked up Nashville’s sound ordinance and it’s rock solid, which is evident from what I could hear. We all deeply love live entertainment, but there’s a huge difference between the right volume with live entertainment vs. it spilling into the community, where some people may be disturbed.
As 30A has grown, so has the noise. Having been the target at Bud & Alley’s years ago with a handful of people concerned about our live entertainment, I experienced both sides of the resident/business owner fence on this issue.
In response to the complaints I spent nearly $40,000 to upgrade our sound system, and at the request of my landlord I had to stop hosting regular live entertainment after dark. The Red Bar had similar issues and responded to the community by containing its noise and the hours of entertainment. AJ’s by design is self-contained and insulated, so sound can’t be heard from outside the building. All this was prior to the Walton County noise ordinance, but every local business responded appropriately to the wishes of the community.
Ironically, where we live in WaterSound we have had to call security on several occasions when nearby renters were partying loudly and we could hear more than just the sound of the water. The preferred remedy is to call security in your community, or the Sheriff’s Office, when noise gets out of hand, rather than engage the offender.
When The Hub opened and they started hosting live entertainment, I was relieved that the strict 10 o’clock rule came into effect with live bands as The Hub is within earshot of our home. We love going to The Hub and the ownership and management have done an outstanding job of responding to the community. They have never given me a reason to complain about noise.
With loud weddings in massive rental houses, loud outdoor music at restaurants, bands in outdoor town center venues and the madness of spring break, noise is often a problem. I think we can all breath a sigh of relief now that Walton County is strictly enforcing the noise ordinance, ensuring all live outdoor music must cease at 10 p.m. and responding to complaints from nearby residents about these venues. Living next to one of them can be a cause for concern, but the noise ordinance is a valuable tool. The important thing is that locals and visitors alike learn what the county noise ordinance rules are and how to lodge a complaint. As a community we should have a low tolerance for loud renters and all live music venues that disregard the noise ordinance.
As I said, having been on both sides of the issue, I must admit I am among the converted when it comes to noise and the need for civility and our right to enjoy peace and quiet in our communities and towns along 30A. From loud noise to not digging turtle holes or not driving golf carts on the bike path, noise is one of many issues that we all need to work together on to politely educate our visitors.
We as locals, along with rental agencies, the county, the TDC and law enforcement, all need to work together to educate renters, restaurants and bars about the Walton County noise ordinance to ensure our right to peace and quiet, and the quality of life we have come to expect here.
If the Music City can do it, we certainly can.
Here is a link to the Walton County noise ordinance: https://www.co.walton.fl.us/DocumentCenter/View/1367
This guest column was written by Dave Rauschkolb, who is a 31-year business owner and resident of South Walton.