Select Board clears tented Whitney’s Inn concert with conditions after resident questions noise and zoning

The Jackson Select Board on June 2 approved a tented concert at Whitney’s Inn scheduled for June 7, subject to conditions discussed at the meeting.

Mark Lahood, owner of Whitney’s Inn, told the board the band will play inside a 20x20 tent with sides down so the setup meets inspection requirements and alcohol will be served only in areas covered by his existing liquor license, not inside the tent. He said event parking will be routed through the Black Mountain lot and that signs will mark the areas where alcohol is permitted. The tent was inspected by Kevin Bennett.

Select Board Chair Barbara Campbell moved to approve the tented event at the Shovel Handle Pub and Whitney’s Inn for June 7 through roughly 9:00 p.m.; Frank DiFruscio seconded the motion and it passed with all members present voting in favor.

Police Chief Perley expressed concern about the town’s ability to staff additional events. Resident Emily Porath asked, “Who is measuring the decibels?” and raised whether the event is a conforming use in the rural residential zone and concerns about drinking and driving. Campbell said the band and the event owner would be responsible for decibel compliance and acknowledged the board did not have an immediate answer about zoning conformity; she said the board would draft a letter covering the event details.

The minutes note that this first concert will be treated as a test and that changes may be made for future events if problems arise. The minutes also record that the Christmas Farm Inn’s extended liquor license is already in place.