Residents ask Olean to ban amplified music in Franchot Park without a permit

Multiple Franchot Park neighbors told the Common Council they want the city to restrict or ban audible amplified music in the park unless an organizer obtains a permit.

Clarissa Billeridon, a neighbor who said her family has lived adjacent to the park for six generations, described repeated daily episodes of “loud, vulgar music” that she said drives families from the park and affects her ability to live in her home. “The music is filled with racial slurs, profanity, violent lyrics blasting so loud that it drives the families out daily,” Billeridon said.

Another resident said the park is used by toddlers and families who need a peaceful, safe space; speakers said the costs to the city in police labor and dispatch for noise calls are significant. One commenter noted that the park’s 10.5 acres generated about $25,000 in rentals over five years while some nearby homeowners paid about $32,000 in property taxes in the same period.

Speakers pointed to larger-city examples and rules — for instance, they referenced amplified-sound permitting and designated-event areas used in other parks — and asked Olean to adopt similar local regulations, arguing that a few signs and an ordinance could curb the disruptions. Resident Curtis Spiller Ivan urged the mayor to “restore the order in Franchot Park by banning audible amplified music without a permit.”

Council did not record a formal vote on a park-amplified-sound ordinance during the public-comment period. Speakers asked the council to place the issue on a future agenda and to consider a simple permitting process and enforcement plan.