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La Conner council adopts temporary sound rules to preserve Guilkey Square concerts
Summary
After extensive public comment, the La Conner Town Council adopted Resolution 690 to allow Sunday afternoon concerts between late May and Labor Day under a targeted 85 dBA sound level and transient peaks capped at 100 dBA, while directing staff to refine measurement and complaint procedures.
The La Conner Town Council voted to adopt a temporary resolution intended to preserve the summer concert series at Guilkey Square while setting enforceable sound limits and an implementation process.
Mayor (speaker 1) opened the discussion and noted the council drafted a six-part resolution to recognize Sunday concerts between the last Sunday in May and Labor Day, set sound limits, establish measurement points, authorize staff to assess compliance, and create a reporting “tip line.” A staff member (speaker 13) read the draft and outlined its elements, saying the targeted level would be 85 dBA with transient peaks no more than 100 dBA and that measurements would be taken at the midpoint of the north and south Guilkey Square property lines.
The decision followed more than an hour of public comment in which residents and musicians described the concerts as a core part of La Conner’s culture and economy. “I just wanna be in support of La Conner Live and the continuance of it because I want to support the real, not AI,” said Elton McCarthy (speaker 8), who described long family connections to the concerts. Maya O’Diletto (speaker 12), who said she serves on the town planning commission, told the council most residents and businesses want music to continue and opposed costly, new requirements.
Council members debated decibel figures and measurement methodology, acknowledging that a 55 dBA residential standard cited earlier was impractical for outdoor concerts. Council discussion explored piloting monitoring tools, placing meters at property lines rather than the dance area, and asking performers to mitigate when feasible. One council member urged treating the coming summer as a trial period to learn what measurement and enforcement approaches work in the town’s tight waterfront corridor.
A council member moved to pass Resolution 690 with the modified peak limit; the council approved the motion by voice vote and the mayor announced the motion carried. The resolution directs staff to pursue technical details for measuring compliance and to implement a complaint/reporting mechanism. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally or name a formal seconder for the motion.
Next steps noted by council and staff include finalizing permit and monitoring procedures with input from musicians and neighborhood stakeholders and using the 2026 season as a trial period to gather data and community feedback.
