Council continues Boone Street Market liquor-license review to July 21 after months of neighborhood complaints and owner's mitigation plan

The Narragansett Town Council on April 7 continued its four-month review of the class B victualler alcoholic beverage license for Boone Street Market, 145 Boone Street, setting a follow-up public hearing for July 21. The council's decision keeps in place the conditions the council adopted in December: outdoor live music to cease at 9 p.m., all outdoor music to stop by 11 p.m., and the license's existing serving hours (up to 1 a.m.) maintained pending the July review.

Owner Lindsay Holmes told the council she has pursued a multi-step mitigation plan since the December hearing, including evaluating sound-dampening panels, contracting an engineering firm and a pergola manufacturer, and engaging Jensen & Hughes for code compliance review. Holmes said an early plan to affix acoustic panels to a stockade fence would only reduce sound by about 5 percent, and the team changed course to design a freestanding pergola structure whose posts could support acoustic baffles and provide more effective sound reduction. Holmes said engineering reviews confirmed the building soffit could carry the pergola's load and that she has a Class 1 property survey and site-specific drawings under review by town officials.

Police and enforcement data: Town officials said the police department reviewed calls since the December hearing and found no nuisance complaints linked to the establishment in the review period; Chief Raikes reported one noise call that was unsubstantiated. Holmes said her staff uses a NoiseAware monitor that alerts management to elevated decibel readings so they can respond and deescalate; town officials said the police rely on calibrated departmental monitors when enforcing noise ordinances.

Resident concerns: Neighbors who spoke urged stricter limits. Mark Crook, 161 Boone Street, and David Bird, 23 Perkins Ave., said pergolas and baffles would not eliminate crowd noise or post-closing disturbances and asked the council to consider reduced hours. Multiple residents described recurrent summertime disturbances last year and questioned whether proposed measures would be effective once warmer weather draws larger outdoor crowds.

Council action and rationale: Council President Menzies said councilors would give the market time to implement the mitigation measures but emphasized the council will revisit hours and enforcement at the July 21 review if residents report continued disturbances. The council voted 4-0 to continue the license review to July 21 and asked the owner and town staff to document progress on permits, sound mitigation and any police details; Town Manager Jim Tierney said staff will update the council on permit status and inspections.

What to expect next: Holmes said a number of vendors and consultants are under contract and material procurement is underway; she asked the council and neighbors for the chance to complete permitting and construction. Neighbors said they want a convened meeting between resident representatives and market management to seek local solutions before the July review; councilors encouraged the parties to meet and asked staff to facilitate.

Outcome: License remains active under the December conditions; the council will reassess in July with attention to summer operational impacts, police data and the status of the pergola/sound-damping permits.