Noise ordinance aims to give balance
for Mandeville businesses, residents

On the same night the Mandeville City Council introduced an ordinance that, if passed, would stiffen up the regulations concerning noise in the B-3 Old Mandeville Business District zoning, residents abutting the new Lake House restaurant showed up concerned about the noise emanating for the establishment.

The residents present at Thursday night’s meeting were expressing their concerns about a very large wedding planned at the restaurant for this weekend.

Toni Ledbetter, a resident who lives in the condominiums adjacent to the establishment, said during past events held at the establishment “the music has came through my walls.”

She just shook her head when city employees told her police would be on hand to prevent that from happening.

Planning Director Louisette Kidd said balancing the residential and commercial uses in the B3 zoning district, where homes often abut restaurants, bars or other commercial establishments, is hard.

She said the ordinance introduced Thursday night is aimed at trying to find that balance.

As introduced Thursday night, the ordinance would prohibit outdoor amplified music, require that all outside acoustic and low amplified music comply with the city’s noise ordinance and prohibit such music between the hours of 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.

The ordinance would also prohibit all indoor high-amplified music between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weeknights and between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekends and all indoor low amplified or acoustic music between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. on week nights and 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekends.

Also, these regulations could be waived with the approval of a special events permit stipulating such.

However, residents like Ledbetter fear the noise ordinance will not be enforced or will not be enough to keep their walls from rattling with the new Lake House host weddings and the like.

Vicky Bailey and Cayman Sinclair, owner of LA Grill, recently opened The Lake House in the location that formerly housed Bechac’s Restaurant. It is currently operating as a restaurant but is in the process of obtaining a permit to allow it to also operate as a special events venue.

When the issue came before the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission this month it was tabled, allowing Sinclair and Bailey to work out issues concerning parking.

This is also of concern for residents, who were assured Thursday night the two police officers hired to work a detail at this weekend’s wedding would be monitoring and controlling the parking and traffic situation as well as the noise concerns.

Mayor Pro Tem Trilby Lenfant said the trick with B3 zoning is to find a common ground between the residents and the businesses.

“We don’t want to chase off businesses, but we don’t want to chase off residents, either,” she said.

She acknowledged that sometimes such a zoning causes problems when residences are adjacent to businesses that cause a lot of traffic or noise, but she hopes the new regulations being proposed will help set some guidelines and alleviate some past problems.