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Sound inspector reports Clusterfest complaints, venue citations and ongoing enforcement work
Summary
Sound Inspector Sean Burke briefed the Commission on recent noise complaints tied to Clusterfest, multiple venue inspections and citations (including 3910 Geary), and ongoing compliance checks; staff warned some venues remain under close watch and the city attorney has been involved in enforcement at sites with revoked permits.
Sound Inspector Sean Burke told the Entertainment Commission on June 5 that staff have handled multiple recent noise complaints coming from major events and neighborhood venues, and that enforcement actions have included citations and coordination with police and the fire department.
Burke said Clusterfest produced seven 311 complaints and two hotline complaints routed through the promoter "Another Planet," and said staff coordinated patrols and hotline routing. "We collaborated on that," Burke said, and staff planned to bring fuller complaint descriptions to the next hearing.
Burke listed venues subject to inspections and enforcement: address 3910 Geary was cited twice in the prior two weeks for hosting entertainment without a place-of-entertainment permit; Richmond Station and the fire department visited and the fire department shut the site down on the night of inspection. Burke also identified Carbon as a place of ongoing concern after reports that music was stopping at 2 a.m. and restarting at 4 a.m.; staff said the venue is subject to a prior revocation and the city attorney is involved.
Staff reported a series of venue sound tests that passed (August Hall, Tradition, Phonobar, Ichi Club, Rusted Mule) and said they will re-check Great American Music Hall during a fuller show to verify whether sound is escaping. The Commission discussed outdoor-amplified-sound permits and noted standard conditions: typically a 10 p.m. cutoff and a rule that amplified sound not be audible more than 250 feet beyond the property plane, with planning and port approvals sometimes required for outdoor activity areas.
Burke also noted capacity and staffing updates: inspector Fiorentino is in training and staff are recruiting a second part-time sound inspector (20 hours weekly) to meet enforcement needs. The acting director asked commissioners to push the job posting to industry networks.
Next steps: staff will return with additional complaint detail and continue inspections and sound testing; locations cited will remain under administrative monitoring and subject to enforcement if noncompliant.
