If they agree to keep the volume down, Wynwood nightclub and bar owners could get a reprieve for playing outdoor music into the wee hours of the night.
On Wednesday, a Wynwood Business Improvement District committee proposed legislation that would carve out an exemption for the trendy neighborhood from adhering to a Miami ordinance that prohibits outdoor music after 11 p.m.
The committee’s proposal would only ban outdoor music between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. seven days a week. At the same time, decibels for outdoor music could not exceed levels that disturb residents and commercial tenants who have moved into recently completed projects, such as Wynwood 25, a 285-unit apartment building developed by The Related Group and East End Capital.
In recent weeks, noise complaints prompted Miami city officials to crack down on venues playing outdoor music. Businesses such as Coyo Taco and 1-800-Lucky, which are owned by Wynwood BID member Sven Vogtland, have received citations for playing loud music. Last month, city officials also shut down Wynwood Marketplace, a former weekly pop-up event held on property owned by developer Moishe Mana, for playing music past 11 p.m. and other alleged violations. The closing of Wynwood Marketplace ignited a fierce stand-off between Mana and other prominent developers in the neighborhood.
The committee’s proposed remedy would still require approval from the full Wynwood BID board and the Miami City Commission. Before moving forward with the legislation, committee members agreed to measure noise decibels from inside a unit at Wynwood 25. The Wynwood Restaurant & Bar Association, a recently formed group, proposed allowing businesses to play music that doesn’t exceed 90 decibels beyond 15 feet from its property line. The Wynwood BID committee suggested capping outdoor music at 80 decibels beyond five feet of a property line.
Tony Albelo, owner of Swarm Marketing, the company that operates Wynwood Marketplace and hosts events there, said changes to the city’s noise ordinance is a step in the right direction. “They have to base it on scientific data,” he said. “One of the best suggestions we heard was going into one of the buildings. Let’s put some real life experience behind some of these numbers.”
Since Wynwood Marketplace was shut down, Mana and Albelo helped launch an online campaign called “#SaveWynwood,” that claims “certain officials in Miami, under pressure and coercion from real estate developers, have taken steps to remove Wynwood’s status as an Arts & Entertainment district.” An online petition falsely claimed city officials and developers were pushing for an 11 p.m. closing time for all bars and nightclubs.