March 1, 2020
Noise Free America: A Coalition to Promote Quiet
For immediate release
Contact:
Shelli Eversole
[email protected]
Beth Luckett
[email protected]
Ted Rueter
877-664-7366
[email protected]
Chapel Hill: Barcode Bar and Grill in the Pleasant Ridge neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio has won this month’s Noisy Dozen award from Noise Free America: A Coalition to Promote Quiet for making incredible amounts of noise. The bar and their clientele have absolute disdain for the neighborhood. Barcode calls itself a “’bar and grill, dance and nightclub.’”
Shelli Eversole, a neighborhood resident, stated, “When I bought my house in 2017, it was in a nice, quiet neighborhood. However, eight months ago, that all changed, because of Barcode.”
Shelli noted that “it started with constant loud bass heavy music. Then there began to be yelling and screaming all hours of the night. Now we have had five incidents of confirmed gunfire within a month, with a total of around 20 shots being fired.”
Eversole and her neighbors “have been in community council meetings for months to try and make compromises with the nightclub and try to find a way to coexist. Unfortunately, the Cincinnati police have only recently taken a real notice and that’s because of there being so much community pressure and a cop actually witnessed gunfire.”
Eversole observes that “the obnoxious noise is very damaging. In this neighborhood, we have elderly people and special needs people. Many homeowners cannot park near their homes. We can’t sleep most nights. We can’t even leave our houses anymore after the crowd moves in because there have been incidents of the bar patrons yelling at residents just for leaving our homes, thinking we are looking for confrontation. The noise and the tensions have gotten much, much worse. We have already had a few neighbors move because of the noise and mayhem.”
According to Eversole, “Eight months of this has really had a huge impact on all of us. We are worn down and exhausted. It’s really just unacceptable that such a nuisance has been allowed to continue to escalate.”
Beth Luckett of Pleasant Ridge stated, “I have owned my home for 17 years. There have been occasional incidences of theft, noise, and fights, but nothing like it’s been since June, 2019. There are numerous loud fights in front of my house and disrespect when asked if they could please tone it down and leave. I live in fear of gunshots. My bedroom is in the front of my house and my bed is against the window. Because of the bar, there is also an extreme increase in traffic on our street.”
Another Pleasant Ridge resident asserted that “our situation is untenable. The noise is constant, disrespectful, and punitive. I’ve begun having anxiety attacks related to the lack of peace at our home, and are trying to sell our house because we just can’t take it anymore.”
Ted Rueter, director of Noise Free America: A Coalition to Promote Quiet, noted that “bars, restaurants, and nightclubs need to be good neighbors. They need to control the amount of noise they make and they need to control the behavior of their patrons. In addition, city officials and the police need to take noise seriously, as it is a major quality of life issue.”
Noise Free America: A Coalition to Promote Quiet is a national citizens’ organization devoted to noise reduction. Past “winners” of the Noisy Dozen award include Youngstown, Ohio; and Warren, Ohio.
Wow! That is horrible that you all have to live with this! I just joined the mailing list for Noise Free America because of a similar situation ( however not as extreme as yours). We live in a very small town of 2000 in the rural Northwest Hills of CT. We moved to this area to get away from the craziness of the city and bought an old farmhouse on 4 acres of land. It was blissful for the first year. We have a built in pool in back . . it’s like a vacation get-away. Just over a year after living here, the property next to us was sold (it was an abandoned lot). Neither our neighbors nor we were informed of the possible purchase of this property. We did not know anything until they started burning down the trees clearing the land. Well, what went in was a motorcycle bar!! It claims to be restaurant & bar BUT it’s mostly a bar. Many people in town say the food is awful. On weekend you will see at least 20 to 40 motorcycles parked in front. It’s “great” when a bunch of them leave or arrive together revving their engines. They have shouting matches. They play loud music. Sometimes the have outdoor bands! I pray for rainy weekends! We have recorded the noise for the DEEP and state cops but they say it’s not their issue. They keep passing the buck. All of these noisy motorcycles are in violation and have tampered with their mufflers. No one (especially the cops) will enforce the laws. We have a state cop who frequents there and he is one of the noisiest. We ( like you) are looking for resolution. We have been here longer and our rights are being violated. We cannot enjoy our backyard during times we are free to enjoy it . . the weekends. I am sure our property value has dropped. Who would want to buy a house next to a biker bar?
You know they are an establishment just like a sports bar and grill. There’s no difference except the obvious and one of the reasons why they were brought into discussion here. So do you think its fair that everybody else can have fun and a nice night but because you dont like their look , music, or the way they have fun besides the violence thats always being thrown in there. And what makes it more sad is the songs that are played have those sounds in them too so just because there are groups of people you feel shouldnt fun because the way the have a good time is different than yours? Thats wrong and you’re close minded.
What is wrong with that? One they are breaking the noise ordinance law. Two, the bar is in a residential neighborhood and should act as such. There are bars in residential neighborhoods that close at 11. Three, the resident do not have to here that. Most of the patrons of that bar do not live in that neighborhood, so they don’t care if it gets torn up, if they are loud and threatening. The issue is the people are fed up with the selfish mentality. Fight, long and hard enough, the bar will get inline or go away. I vote go away.