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Owner of Lola Surfside urges council to block nearby outdoor music; Buffalo Grill live‑music request sent to LPA
Summary
During public comment, Thomas Hogan, owner of Lola Surfside Restaurant, urged the council to deny a nearby business’s request for outdoor live music, saying performances would be 10–15 feet from his stage and would undermine his sound mitigation efforts. Council chose to refer Buffalo Grill’s application for ongoing amplified music to the Local Planning Agency for fuller review.
Fort Myers Beach — During public comment at the Dec. 15 council meeting, Thomas Hogan, who identified himself as the owner of Lola Surfside Restaurant, told the council he has hosted roughly 450–500 live music performances a year for the past decade under a special exception and that a neighboring applicant (Buffalo Grill) is seeking approval to stage outdoor live music very close to Lola’s performance area.
Hogan said he has invested in sound‑barrier work to limit noise and odors, and he asked the council to deny Buffalo Grill’s request until the buildings in Times Square are reconstructed. "Buffalo Grill is asking to have live music performances literally 10 to 15 feet away from the exact location where I have my live music performances," Hogan said, adding he had "no confidence whatsoever" the two venues could coexist without disrupting his shows.
Fred Malone, representing Buffalo Grill, said his business has progressed from a food truck to a bar on the site and seeks to add more entertainment: "We are looking to bring more people down to Times Square. We just need more music. We need more venues." Malone said the business has invested in compliance measures (including sound walls and FEMA‑compliant trailers) and planned to direct speakers and add tenting and barriers to reduce impacts.
Several councilors and staff raised procedural questions about whether the applicant’s filing represented a short‑term special event or an ongoing operational change that would require Local Planning Agency review. Because the application as submitted was ambiguous about frequency and permanence, the council voted unanimously to refer the matter to the LPA for formal consideration and public notice so that neighbors and other stakeholders can be heard.
What council asked for next: Staff will work with the applicant to prepare a fuller LPA packet that clarifies whether the application requests a permanent operational change (which would trigger a different review path) or a limited special‑event permit, and that packet will be scheduled for the LPA’s public hearing.
