BOARDMAN Noise amendment worries B & amp;B owner

The amendment could take effect Dec. 12.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- A township businessman says a potential amendment to the township noise resolution will jeopardize his business, but officials say residents' concerns must be addressed.
Dave Roberts, owner of the Bull & amp; Bear Tavern on U.S. Route 224, opened an outdoor theater, called the B & amp;B Backstage, with seating for more than 1,000 people and spent the summer putting on concerts that often would run up to the home-rule ordinance's midnight cutoff for outdoor concerts.
Township trustees are focusing on a second of three readings to a resolution moving the cutoff time from midnight to 10 p.m. It would take effect Dec. 12.
Roberts said the B & amp;B Backstage is finished putting on concerts this season, but the change would seriously jeopardize business next summer.
"This really hurts things because most concertgoers or even people who plan to go out for the evening stay out later. Most don't plan on ending the evening by 10 o'clock," he said. "This will definitely jeopardize our ability to offer two acts for the price of one."
Roberts said he worked closely with the township when planning the outdoor theater and he doesn't understand where all the noise complaints are coming from.
Complaint calls
The restaurant got about 15 complaint calls this past summer and, Roberts said, with more than 48,000 people in the township, even 100 complaints would be minimal.
"You are never going to be able to satisfy everybody," he said.
Roberts says he's being targeted by the ordinance.
Township administrator Curt Seditz said the ordinance is not an attack on the B & amp;B Backstage, but is meant to control outdoor concerts in general.
He said the township has received hundreds of calls about noise from not only the B & amp;B, but other events such as the ribs festival.
"The trustees have to respond to the constituents of this community," he said. "There wasn't a couple dozen complaints, there were a couple hundred. Those people do live here and have a right to voice their concerns."
Should the amendment be approved, Roberts is not sure if he will be able to continue holding night concerts and meet the 10 p.m. cutoff.
With more than $100,000 invested in the amphitheater, he is ready to take legal action.
He said the business should be grandfathered in on the new noise resolution because the theater was there before the amendment.
jgoodwin@vindy.com