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Old 01-15-2010, 09:33 AM
 
809 posts, read 1,857,600 times
Reputation: 195

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that sucks. I was going to go looking at the model homes in Belterra this weekend. now I feel bummed out that the residents are such creeps.
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Old 01-15-2010, 02:14 PM
 
1,961 posts, read 6,109,172 times
Reputation: 571
Quote:
Originally Posted by OneJackson View Post
that sucks. I was going to go looking at the model homes in Belterra this weekend. now I feel bummed out that the residents are such creeps.
well if you read the rest of the thread, it isn't just Belterra residents. It appears that the Nutty Brown has recently remodelled their venue and in doing that they are now louder. Many people that have complained aren't necessarily new residents to the area.
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Old 03-04-2010, 02:49 PM
 
Location: The Woo
246 posts, read 856,295 times
Reputation: 165
Sorry to bump an older topic, but I'm looking for help from people who live near the Nutty Brown. I'm working with Mr. Farr on the noise issue, trying to find ways to reduce some of the neighbors' exposure. My first step is to try to determine the locations where the cafe is audible (whether it's bothersome or not), so that I can know what aspects of the Cafe's system to address.

If you live near The Nutty Brown, whether you can hear music or not, could you please answer a few questions at my website?

Austin Noise

I don't need your name or contact information, I just need to know where music from the cafe is and isn't audible. So even if you can't hear it, answering the questions is still very useful to me.
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Old 03-05-2010, 10:07 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
16,787 posts, read 48,916,129 times
Reputation: 9478
I have been wondering if anything changed out there, I'm glad to see some movement to correct the problem. I hope you get the responses you need.
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Old 03-05-2010, 11:17 AM
 
Location: The Woo
246 posts, read 856,295 times
Reputation: 165
After sitting down with Mr. Farr and the guys who run his sound system, I learned that they've tried quite a few things to help with the noise issue. We're going to do some pretty in-depth investigation this summer to see what needs to be done to make things more like they were pre-2006. It's going to be a fun project and, if we're successful, a lot of people will benefit.

Thanks very much to those of you who've answered the survey. It really is a big help. My map is starting to take shape and patterns are beginning to emerge.
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Old 03-05-2010, 11:47 AM
 
Location: Austin TX
11,027 posts, read 6,471,770 times
Reputation: 13259
As an aside, I read a letter to the editor in the Oak Hill Gazette this week from a man claiming that music from the Nutty Brown was affecting his children's health and growth. I really got a good chuckle after reading that ... such a dramatic exaggeration. I appreciate the frustration of some residents out this way who are affected by the music (I live just a couple miles away and have never heard a peep) but that was just sooo over the top. I can't imagine the distant sound of live music a few nights a week during a portion of the year could be any more hazardous to a child's health than spending a few hours a day parked in front of a tv or computer or Play Station, listening to an iPod at loud volume, riding a bike, driving in a car, eating fast food, or playing sports.

Some people I believe won't be happy until the Nutty Brown is shut down. What a shame that this hasn't been resolved to everyone's satisfaction by now.

Edit: Here's the entire letter, word-for-word:

Dear Editor,

Thank you for your continued service to this area through your work with Oak Hill Gazette.

I live in Big Country, 2.6 MILES from the Nutty Brown Cafe.

On Mike Farr's concert nights, the upstairs windows of my home rattle. The first time it happened I thought a car was parked in my driveway with the stereo blasting.

I have 3 young boys. When Mike Farr cranks his Nutty Noise, my kids can't sleep. In the morning they are tired, cranky, and perform poorly those days in school.

Why on earth is it necessary, in order for people to enjoy live music, that the music be so loud in can be heard over two miles away?

I have called the restaurant many many times to ask them to turn down the music a little. On every occasion I've been rudely told, "We're not breaking the law" and then hung up on.

I used to be a great customer of Nutty Brown. When my home was being remodeled we ate dinner there every night, and when friends visited Austin I would bring them there. But since Mike has become a belligerent bully to the neighborhood, harming others because he can get away with it, I've ceased my patronage of that establishment, and will never spend another dime there.

Just because something is not illegal does not make it right. That there are currently no laws to curtail his noise pollution does not make it okay for him to disturb the tranquility of our homes and our lives. And that he harms the health of my children, depriving of them of sleep that is necessary for young brains to grow properly, is inexcusable.

Whether it's 85db or 65db is irrelevant. Imagine you were sleeping in your room, and someone came in and turned on the TV at 40db, and woke you. That would be rude, inconsiderate and intrusive, no matter the volume. You would not consider it to be acceptable behavior simply because it's not illegal.

It's not about decibels, it's about decency.

I will support, with all the time, money and influence that I can muster, every effort to corral Mr. Farr's unfriendly and un-neighborly behavior. I will support the attorney hired to fight him. I will continue to file complaints with the TABC and the Sheriff's office. I will continue to avoid his establishment and encourage others to do likewise.

The residents of this neighborhood are not against music, nor are we against progress or the development of this area. We are, however, solidly opposed to frequent unfair and unnecessary nuisance noise that diminishes the quality of our lives, reduces our property values, and is caused by one man's greedy and selfish interests.

Mr. Farr has never, to my knowledge, offered to meet with, discuss or engage in dialogue intended to promote an equitable resolution of this matter. He is portraying this matter as if he were victimized by unreasonable neighbors, when in fact he is simply reaping the results of his callous mistreatment of the very neighbors who helped his business to prosper years ago.


Sincerely,
Steve Wolf
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Old 03-05-2010, 12:04 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX!!!!
3,757 posts, read 9,039,318 times
Reputation: 1762
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nor Cal Wahine View Post
As an aside, I read a letter to the editor in the Oak Hill Gazette this week from a man claiming that music from the Nutty Brown was affecting his children's health and growth. I really got a good chuckle after reading that ... such a dramatic exaggeration. I appreciate the frustration of some residents out this way who are affected by the music (I live just a couple miles away and have never heard a peep) but that was just sooo over the top. I can't imagine the distant sound of live music a few nights a week during a portion of the year could be any more hazardous to a child's health than spending a few hours a day parked in front of a tv or computer or Play Station, listening to an iPod at loud volume, riding a bike, driving in a car, eating fast food, or playing sports.

Some people I believe won't be happy until the Nutty Brown is shut down. What a shame that this hasn't been resolved to everyone's satisfaction by now.

Edit: Here's the entire letter, word-for-word:

Dear Editor,

Thank you for your continued service to this area through your work with Oak Hill Gazette.

I live in Big Country, 2.6 MILES from the Nutty Brown Cafe.

On Mike Farr's concert nights, the upstairs windows of my home rattle. The first time it happened I thought a car was parked in my driveway with the stereo blasting.

I have 3 young boys. When Mike Farr cranks his Nutty Noise, my kids can't sleep. In the morning they are tired, cranky, and perform poorly those days in school.

Why on earth is it necessary, in order for people to enjoy live music, that the music be so loud in can be heard over two miles away?

I have called the restaurant many many times to ask them to turn down the music a little. On every occasion I've been rudely told, "We're not breaking the law" and then hung up on.

I used to be a great customer of Nutty Brown. When my home was being remodeled we ate dinner there every night, and when friends visited Austin I would bring them there. But since Mike has become a belligerent bully to the neighborhood, harming others because he can get away with it, I've ceased my patronage of that establishment, and will never spend another dime there.

Just because something is not illegal does not make it right. That there are currently no laws to curtail his noise pollution does not make it okay for him to disturb the tranquility of our homes and our lives. And that he harms the health of my children, depriving of them of sleep that is necessary for young brains to grow properly, is inexcusable.

Whether it's 85db or 65db is irrelevant. Imagine you were sleeping in your room, and someone came in and turned on the TV at 40db, and woke you. That would be rude, inconsiderate and intrusive, no matter the volume. You would not consider it to be acceptable behavior simply because it's not illegal.

It's not about decibels, it's about decency.

I will support, with all the time, money and influence that I can muster, every effort to corral Mr. Farr's unfriendly and un-neighborly behavior. I will support the attorney hired to fight him. I will continue to file complaints with the TABC and the Sheriff's office. I will continue to avoid his establishment and encourage others to do likewise.

The residents of this neighborhood are not against music, nor are we against progress or the development of this area. We are, however, solidly opposed to frequent unfair and unnecessary nuisance noise that diminishes the quality of our lives, reduces our property values, and is caused by one man's greedy and selfish interests.

Mr. Farr has never, to my knowledge, offered to meet with, discuss or engage in dialogue intended to promote an equitable resolution of this matter. He is portraying this matter as if he were victimized by unreasonable neighbors, when in fact he is simply reaping the results of his callous mistreatment of the very neighbors who helped his business to prosper years ago.


Sincerely,
Steve Wolf
To be fair, on average, kids do need a good 10 hours of sleep a night for their brains to grow properly and scientific research backs that up. If in fact the rattling windows from the music are keeping his children up at night, then I can understand him making such an assertion and wouldn't consider it a dramatic exaggeration. It's a direct "but for" causation.

I am glad to read that the owner is working to limit the impact of the music on the neighbors.
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Old 03-05-2010, 12:09 PM
 
Location: The Woo
246 posts, read 856,295 times
Reputation: 165
People in different places have very different experiences. I've been an acoustical consultant for 6 years and this is definitely the weirdest situation I've seen in terms of sound propagation. After hearing from many people in the area I am quite hesitant to doubt anyone's report about what sound they can hear.
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Old 03-05-2010, 12:15 PM
 
Location: Austin TX
11,027 posts, read 6,471,770 times
Reputation: 13259
As I understand it, NB uses the outdoor stage about 20-25 times per year, usually on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. I believe the outdoor season starts around April or May and runs through the summer and into the fall. So I'd estimate the actual number of concerts on school nights to be oh, maybe a maximum of 8-10 nights or so per year. The author of that letter doesn't just have a problem with music 8 to 10 school nights a year, he appears to have a personal problem with the owner of the Nutty Brown, and makes that pretty clear in the tone and language of his letter. As a parent myself who lives just as close to the Nutty Brown as Mr. Wolf, I would definitely have some irritation on concert nights if they kept my children awake 'til midnight 8 to 10 times a year. Would I make it a personal problem with the owner of the establishment and participate in a vendetta against the establishment? No. The Nutty Brown is too good a neighbor in my opinion, and even the best of neighbors can cause some irritation on occasion.

Just my own opinion as someone who lives close to the Nutty Brown and enjoys it's presence. I do hope for a resolution that will put this drama to an end.
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Old 03-05-2010, 12:25 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX!!!!
3,757 posts, read 9,039,318 times
Reputation: 1762
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nor Cal Wahine View Post
As I understand it, NB uses the outdoor stage about 20-25 times per year, usually on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. I believe the outdoor season starts around April or May and runs through the summer and into the fall. So I'd estimate the actual number of concerts on school nights to be oh, maybe a maximum of 8-10 nights or so per year. The author of that letter doesn't just have a problem with music 8 to 10 school nights a year, he appears to have a personal problem with the owner of the Nutty Brown, and makes that pretty clear in the tone and language of his letter. As a parent myself who lives just as close to the Nutty Brown as Mr. Wolf, I would definitely have some irritation on concert nights if they kept my children awake 'til midnight 8 to 10 times a year. Would I make it a personal problem with the owner of the establishment and participate in a vendetta against the establishment? No. The Nutty Brown is too good a neighbor in my opinion, and even the best of neighbors can cause some irritation on occasion.

Just my own opinion as someone who lives close to the Nutty Brown and enjoys it's presence. I do hope for a resolution that will put this drama to an end.
Obviously, I don't know that much about it,I don't live near there at all. I was just making a statement about how important sleep is for a child and that's it's not an exaggeration to say that anything that keeps the kiddos from getting their 10 hours of sleep a night is interfering with their development. Don't get me started about the early school start times in this city
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