Residents decry late-night noise, arrests at Boone Street Market as town manager shows police video

Town Manager Jim Tierney told the Narragansett Town Council on Sept. 16 that staff met with Boone Street Market ownership after repeated neighborhood complaints and that the town will continue monitoring and enforcement.

Tierney recounted two recent arrests tied to an incident at Bonnet Shores on Leonard Bodwell Road, naming two arrestees as Jake Dignam, 20, and Cody Calkins, 21, and said they face charges including assault, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstruction; he said both will be arraigned in Washington County Court. Tierney also showed a roughly two-minute video of the disturbance and said the town would continue bar checks and document incidents ahead of any liquor-license renewal or modification.

“Since that meeting, there have been a few items,” Tierney said, summarizing police contacts and stressing that officers have found some noise readings below the residential threshold while other complaints remain active. He asked the council and public to give the business one more week to address problems before another follow-up with neighbors.

Residents used the public-comment period to press for more action. Johanna Schiffer, who said she lives at 176 Boone Street, described repeated late-night shouting, speeding cars and litter and said the disruptions are making the neighborhood unbearable: “Boone Street has now become Bourbon Street,” she said, adding that her husband, who has stage 4 cancer, cannot sleep.

David Bird of 23 Perkins Avenue questioned how the town applies its decibel limits at the boundary between business and residential zones, asking whether the town measures the 55-decibel residential standard at houses that abut the business district. “If it was 55 at my house… it is definitely over 55,” he said, urging clearer enforcement rules.

Other residents echoed those concerns: Simone Nunes Duffy praised the building renovation but said the venue’s concept does not fit a residential area; Robert Mangiulo, a commercial property owner, said the disturbances could push him to rent to students rather than families; Mary Bird, a 35-year resident, said she and neighbors were not invited to a follow-up meeting with Tierney and the owners. Chris Mannix thanked police for de-escalating the incident and called for officials who will address such neighborhood impacts, while Harry Schofield linked the problems to student housing patterns and landlord practices.

Tierney responded that the police chief—who was excused from the meeting—has found the market responsive to town staff and that some noise-meter readings had improved, but that the department continues to receive complaints and will continue enforcement. On questions about whether an individual tried to disarm an officer, Tierney said there was some contact but declined to discuss details because the matter is before the court and charges will be addressed at arraignment.

The council did not take additional formal action on the market at the meeting; Tierney said staff will monitor the situation and document incidents on the town’s open-government portal and will meet again with neighbors if problems persist.