Northampton panel restores Hayes’ entertainment hours after safety fixes and quieter nights

The Northampton License Commission voted Feb. 18 to restore Hayes’ previously established entertainment days and hours after a public hearing in which neighbors and venue supporters said recent safety and noise issues have improved.

At the hearing, neighbor Eric Bennett said the loud incidents that prompted earlier complaints had largely stopped and that communication with the venue’s owner had improved: “Anya’s been very responsive…if there’s gonna be a nightclub downstairs, we’re gonna hear it, but as long as I can put earplugs in… I’m good,” Bennett said. He told commissioners he was withdrawing his ongoing complaint for the time being.

Several patrons and workers spoke in favor of Hayes’ role in Northampton’s music scene. Anthony Patrick “Tony” Hall, who works at Hayes, described the venue as an important late‑night space for service workers and musicians and urged the commission to find a compromise that allows the business to remain viable while addressing neighbor concerns: “The opportunity to find good compromise…is really important to me, as a worker there and also as an artist,” he said.

Owner Anya Wood told the commission Hayes has addressed safety deficiencies and is actively working to reduce sound transmission. Wood said the venue installed a required exit sign with emergency lighting, has staffed events with security, is using a decibel reader and is fundraising for additional sound panels: “We have been working really hard…we have a sound meter…we’re also thinking about trying to move our speakers,” Wood said.

City staff confirmed progress on safety items. Kevin, speaking for municipal inspections, said the exit sign and emergency lights were installed and inspected on Feb. 6 and described preliminary sound‑mitigation steps discussed with the owner, including trialing heavy drapery and repositioning speakers to reduce vibration through the building’s brick envelope.

Supporters said limiting Hayes’ hours would harm downtown nightlife and the local music economy. Resident Melissa Bonacourso said Hayes is one of the few late‑night venues remaining downtown and warned that restricting hours during a venue’s peak period could aggravate downtown decline. DJ and resident Rory Cronin urged the city to back venues that provide performance opportunities for local artists.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions, heard from staff about outstanding building and fire requirements, and discussed that the hearing’s purpose was to ensure safety and better sound control rather than to put the venue out of business. After deliberation, a commissioner moved to reinstate Hayes’ previously established entertainment days and hours, citing the business’s completion of safety corrections and neighbors’ reports of improved noise conditions. The motion passed unanimously: Natasha Yakovlev (yes), Jennifer Ewers (yes) and Amy Cahillane (yes).

The commission recorded that some technical improvements — additional sound panels and longer‑term mitigation measures — remain a work in progress and encouraged continued communication between the venue and nearby residents. The public hearing closed with the commission restoring the entertainment license to its prior schedule.

The record shows the restoration was a formal modification of Hayes’ entertainment license; the commission noted its intention to monitor compliance and that future complaints or code failures may prompt further action.