Salty Dog closed

[Dayna Rose]

Thanks Jim! I will be eating at Stinky's ASAP!!!

Same here! I hope to see you there.

 

[waterst1]

i don't agree that you are signing away your rights when you move near a restaurant, etc. there is such a term as "reasonableness". i had the misfortune of sleeping at our son's house in louisville one night that is a couple of doors down from some bars & restaurants. louisville permits these places to stay open until 4 a.m. as you can imagine, i got about an hour of sleep. in my opinion, it isn't reasonable for places to stay open that late, even until 2 a.m. lets be honest...the people still out that late are drinking alcohol and getting on our roads and driving. those late hours just lets them do it longer. i don't think cutting off music at 10 pm or maybe 11 pm is unreasonable if you are located near residences. i'm all for musicians supporting their livelihood but there has to be compromise. if the noise is coming from loud people in parking lots, security personnel can solve that problem.

I think it is reasonable for restaurants to stay open as late as they need to, to serve customers. 4 am makes sense to me in many places. I guess you don't like NYC!

 

[dmarie]

IMO, this issue stems from people moving to this area because they love it, then trying to change it once here. We locals have seen this time and time again. The Salty Dog has been a venue for live music and good times for YEARS. Those complaining about the music brought it on themselves by moving to that location. The Dog was there long before any of those out-of-towners moved in. They just need to go back to Atlanta, or wherever the hail they come from and take their nasty attitudes with them!

 

[Groovegirls]

diamondD, I showed those houses on Vickie St as recent as several months ago. They were unoccupied. They are currently available for rent. I understand what you are saying about the potential for someone going to look at the house in the day time, or while the restaurant/bar was not in operation, then buying or renting it, not knowing the potential. That is why it is important to have a good Realtor to point out those kinds of potential. I've also shown the cheaply priced lot on Vickie St, adjacent to Cafe Tango, and directly behind the back porch of Salty Dog. Even if Salty Dog was another Cafe Tango type restaurant, anyone considering purchasing that property to build their home, would have to think about the worst possibility in the future. Surely, they could recognize the potential for the owners to sell or change the type of commercial biz to a late night bar. I can sympathize with the people in the neighborhood would want peace and quite, and I do believe there should be some expectation of their right to enjoyment of low noise. However, I have to ask what they were thinking when they purchased in a neighborhood which has commercial restaurant/bars type properties as part of the neighborhood. Those people didn't seem to make much of a voice when, about six months ago, another property owner and his mother, owning on 30A, in that sub-division, applied for a zoning change for their two lots, allowing for mixed-use. They were granted the request. The applicant noted the other commercial uses along 30A in that specific area, and stated that 30A was a transitional buffer from the residential properties behind it. I believe there were three people who spoke in opposition, and there didn't appear to be others in opposition in the audience from what I could tell.

gayboi, I believe I read that the person who was charged with aggravated assault with attempted felony, was trying to stab Stan (the manager) after being told that he couldn't smoke inside. That sounds like a completely different issue than the noise, just coincidentally at the same time all this other crap is going down.

From my observations, I don't know Stan that well, but I see him around town fairly often, and I've always enjoyed talking with him. He is always very level-headed, and very calm-natured. I really cannot see him raising the music volume after being asked to hold it down via a phone call from neighbors (as was reported in the news). It isn't his nature. I have personally seen Stan with his noise meter and clipboard, going out to the property boundary of Salty Dog, to record noise volume. When I asked what he was doing, he said it was a proactive measure which he chose to do, after hearing complaints of noise from neighbors. He said that he checked the volume regularly (maybe every 30 minutes or hour, I cannot recall) and kept a log of it. I was at the Old Salty Dog during one night of the Blueground Undergrass show. It is from one of those nights that Stan (the manager) had a warrant due to noise violation. I can say that the music was loud inside, but from outside, I really couldn't hear it. I believe the noise is coming, not from the music, but from the people who sit outside on the deck. (the only place people are allowed to smoke.) I can say this, from the deck outside, I cannot hear the music being played inside. The back deck used to be open on the side facing Vicki St. Since the complaints, they have changed that. I can understand if the music is too loud, because that is something which can be adjusted by turning a knob or two. However, that isn't the issue, as I understand it. I cannot understand how the Manager could be arrested because individual people on the deck are loud. The manager has no knobs to turn, to quieten them. It would be laughable at best for the mgr to ask bar patrons to be quiet while they smoke outside.

Well put. It is always refreshing to hear common sense. Perhaps we should rezone the whole area commercial and seperate the two worlds. It isn't exactly a revolutionary idea. Anyone wanna buy commercial property by the Dog? We could call it music row.

 

[Arkiehawg]

I am sad to hear you are closing "The Dog" Jim. I have ton of respect for you as a fellow restaurant operator and friend. My suggestion is to reopen with no live music. It is that simple. People love your place. You have created a loyalty that is rare in a short time because of your quality of food and staff. I truly think you will keep the late night crowd with great music inside at a volume that will keep the neighbors from controlling your business. Close up the outdoor porch and air condition it so there will no longer be crowd noise. The Salty Dog previously was successful with that format and there is no reason you can't do the same. And besides, I need a place to go when I want to party elsewhere on 30-A and I LOVE THE DOG. You have invested far to much money, time and heart to walk away. Just my two cents. Dave

Jim,

There are several in the area the want the Dog back and we need to figure a way to make it happen. I would bet that we could have an old fashion barn raising....err...make that porch closing....by those that luv you and the Dog. Donations of time, expertise, materials should make this of little/no cost to you. You've put enough into it already.....

Let's have those on SoWal help you out and try to find a win/win situation for all....

 

[scooterbug44]

If the porch gets enclosed, won't it have to be non-smoking too?

How about building a new "smoking" porch or patio next to the road so the building blocks the noise from the princess-in-the-pea eared neighbors and their knife wielding renters?

 

[elgordoboy]

IMO, this issue stems from people moving to this area because they love it, then trying to change it once here. We locals have seen this time and time again. The Salty Dog has been a venue for live music and good times for YEARS. Those complaining about the music brought it on themselves by moving to that location. The Dog was there long before any of those out-of-towners moved in. They just need to go back to Atlanta, or wherever the hail they come from and take their nasty attitudes with them!

Since transplants are being blamed for the closing of a newly rechristened watering hole, I feel compelled to defend them, I am a transplant also. There is basically one reason for a restaurant or business to shut down completely and it is not "noise complaints". As has been mentioned by several posters there are options that would resolve the issue. Does anyone not believe that were it financially warranted that one or more of these options would be implemented? Fostering ill-will towards your newish neighbors (the transplants) is needlessly divisionary.

 

[Dave Rauschkolb]

Smokers lounge, like in the airport, a novel approach

Perhaps a "walk in cooler" smokers lounge would do the trick. Get a big walk in cooler, ventilate it, throw in some windows and "voila" an insulated, quiet smokers lounge. Used, they may be had for $4 to $6 K

 

[Hop]

Jim,

There are several in the area the want the Dog back and we need to figure a way to make it happen. I would bet that we could have an old fashion barn raising....err...make that porch closing....by those that luv you and the Dog. Donations of time, expertise, materials should make this of little/no cost to you. You've put enough into it already.....

Let's have those on SoWal help you out and try to find a win/win situation for all....

i have a drill...

 

[Kurt]

"Will work for PoBoys"

You guys that love the dog don't despair, show your support by eating at Stinky's.