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Board fines Iconic Assembly Room after multiple loud‑music complaints; ten violations cited
Summary
Inspectors cited Iconic Assembly Room for repeated loud‑music disturbances and health‑code restroom issues across several dates; the board assessed $100 per violation and recorded ten violations in total.
The Board of Liquor License Commissioners found multiple violations at Iconic Assembly Room (316–318 Guilford Ave.) for loud music and related health‑code restroom deficiencies after repeated 3‑1‑1 complaints and inspector observations, and imposed fines totaling $100 per violation at its Sept. 25 hearing.
Inspectors and agents reported receiving multiple 3‑1‑1 complaints and conducting on‑site responses on June 4, June 22, June 29, July 19 and July 26. Inspector testimony described hearing music emanating from the venue’s rooftop from distances of 260 to 500 feet. Inspector Todd Hope told the board he “could clearly hear the music 500 feet, which was 2 city blocks away” when he responded to the June 4 complaint. Inspector Zane Nazir and other agents made similar observations on later dates and documented recordings and videos.
Tracy Stafford, the venue’s full‑time manager and operator, told the board that the June 4 event was a monthly event the venue no longer holds and said, “Once I got the complaint, I canceled it. We no longer do the business on a Wednesday.” Stafford said she had signed and was attempting to comply with a neighborhood memorandum of understanding governing rooftop sound and that she routinely turned music down when notified.
Board counsel and inspectors debated whether the venue’s memorandum of understanding (MOU), which sets a sound‑level limit expressed in decibels at the rooftop boundary, or the city noise ordinance language that references audibility at 50 feet should govern enforcement; inspectors testified they did not take decibel readings and relied on disturbance reports and audible observation from public locations. The board’s findings recorded violations of Rule 3.12 (general welfare) and Rule 3.092 (restroom facilities and health regulations) on the listed dates.
The board described the pattern of repeat offenses and the venue’s cooperation, noting Stafford’s statements that events had been cancelled and that she had worked with neighborhood contacts. The board imposed a $100 fine for each violation and gave the licensee 30 days to pay. Board members recorded ten violations in total across the referenced dates and directed staff to note the compliance history in the license record.
The decision documents and the board’s docket include inspector reports, video excerpts and service request summaries submitted as evidence.
