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Council grants Ice House Pub limited outdoor-music approval for June after neighborhood complaints
Summary
After months of complaints about loud music, the council approved a one-month conditional permit for live outdoor music at Ice House Pub for Saturdays in June, contingent on decibel monitoring and compliance.
The Lackawanna City Council on May 19 approved a limited outdoor-music permit for the Ice House Pub, allowing live music on Saturdays in June from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., contingent on the owner’s compliance with city noise rules.
Lynette Welch, manager of Ice House Pub, and Melinda Martin, the pub’s manager who books bands, asked the council to approve outdoor music starting June 7. Welch said the pub had purchased a decibel reader and that bands would be required to sign an agreement to follow the city noise ordinance; she said if bands exceed limits, she would “cut them short and they won’t be booked again.” Martin added the patio is the business’s busiest area and that customers expect outdoor entertainment.
Several residents urged the council to deny or limit outdoor music, citing repeated disturbances. Dennis Gordon, a neighborhood resident, said neighbors “do not want it” and described recurring loud events. Council members repeatedly raised complaints that the pub had produced excessive sound in prior summers and noted police calls and neighborhood gatherings disrupted by noise.
Council Member Maflahi moved to approve outdoor music only for June, with performances limited to Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and the motion passed unanimously in that vote. The motion as recorded tied approval to owner compliance with decibel limits and other city requirements; several council members warned that repeated violations would result in loss of the entertainment privilege. During debate, council members suggested a one-strike/second-strike approach: one violation might result in a warning; a second would lead to permit revocation.
City staff said enforcement to-date has relied primarily on police department responses; the transcript records that the police department has received complaints but staff were not aware of frequent use of a decibel reader by police for these events. Council asked staff to monitor complaints closely and to report any repeat violations. The council scheduled Ice House Pub’s matter to be heard early in the regular-meeting agenda to allow follow-up if complaints continue.
The council did not change the city noise code at the meeting; it approved a time-limited, conditional permit with enforcement expectations to be monitored by staff and police.
