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Neighbors press Holyoke City panel over loud Wyoff Country Club events; committee requests permits and sound data
Summary
Neighbors told the Holyoke City Public Safety Committee that amplified music and weekend DJ events at Wyoff Country Club carry into nearby homes for hours. The committee asked staff to provide Wyoff’s loudspeaker and entertainment permits, encouraged residents to record decibel levels, and tabled further action pending police, licensing and health input.
Chair Anne Tolheimer convened an extended public comment period on complaints that loud, bass-heavy music from Wyoff Country Club frequently disrupts nearby neighborhoods.
Several residents said the music can be heard inside closed homes for hours. “The noise is so loud you can keep every window and every door closed and you can still hear it,” said Robert Zjac of 39 Mount Tom A, who said he has repeatedly raised the issue with the venue and will document and call police when events exceed acceptable levels. David Worick of 31 Mount Tom displayed an aerial photo and said the loudest events—most commonly Sunday DJ brunches from noon to about 5 p.m.—are audible across the neighborhood and distress pets.
Nicole Harrison, who lives diagonal from the clubhouse, told the committee she has an autistic child who wakes when the venue holds outdoor events: “It’s my understanding they have several speakers out on the patio and many of them are pointed towards our street,” Harrison said.
Committee members discussed which city offices issue and enforce permits. Counselors noted the loudspeaker permit is issued by the Holyoke Police Department (HPD) and said the permit language they reviewed authorizes amplification but contains a 200-foot radius limit for sound. Attorney Bessinette advised petitioners could also seek changes to entertainment-license conditions from the license board, including prohibiting outdoor entertainment under an existing license.
Members and residents reported inconsistent enforcement. Neighbors said officers who visited often sympathized but left without decisive enforcement; compliance staff told residents the office had not been able to record decibel data during events. “Call the police and document every single time this happens,” Chair Tolheimer and others urged, saying a documented record will help enforcement and future rule changes.
The committee discussed sound thresholds and public-health risk ranges during the meeting (members referenced common guidance such as roughly 70 dB as conversational/noisy but safe for short periods and 85 dB as a threshold where prolonged exposure raises hearing-loss concerns). Several counselors recommended that neighbors collect decibel readings with phone apps or other meters to create objective records.
After discussion, the committee voted to request copies of all Wyoff permits (loudspeaker and entertainment), to collect neighborhood decibel records and police reports, and to invite HPD leadership, the licensing board and the Board of Health to a future session to consider enforcement and potential ordinance or license-condition changes. The committee tabled immediate action and said it would return to the matter after staff compile the requested materials.
The committee made no formal finding of ordinance violation at the meeting; it framed next steps as evidence-gathering and multi-agency review.
