Does this mean Made With Love can have their jazz trio back for communal dinners? Because it really added to the evening.

Jersey City City Council votes to allow live entertainment in some restaurants Updated: Wednesday, January 25, 2012, 8:57 PM


By Terrence T. McDonald/The Jersey Journal

Jersey City restaurants located in neighborhood commercial districts will now be allowed to have live music until as late as 2 a.m., thanks to an ordinance adopted tonight by the City Council.

Restaurants will be allowed to have live music played until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 1 a.m. from Sundays to Thursdays. Previously, restaurants had to apply for zoning variances to host live entertainment.

Carmen Mendiola, owner of Hardgrove Caf? on Grove Street, praised the council, saying the measure was ?too long in coming.?

Mendiola said she hopes to host a live jazz combo or a piano player in her restaurant now, which she hopes will attract customers who might go elsewhere.

?A lot of people, they don?t have a place to sit down and have fun and listen to music,? she said. ?So what do they do? They hop on a train and go to Hoboken, they go to New York.?

The council adopted the ordinance with seven affirmative votes. Council members Peter Brennan and Nidia Lopez abstained.

Downtown Councilman Steve Fulop said the new regulations will lead to ?improved nightlife, improved business environment.?

?This is an overwhelming positive,? Fulop said.

YES!

I think this is what you DTJC people (or all newcomers) were waiting for. It was published in the JJ last week in the public notice section with a link to the Jersey City Council Agenda. (link below)

http://jerseycitynj.gov/uploadedFiles ... /agenda%20placeholder.pdf

There is a lot of legal mumbo jumbo in it but there are also summery pages for the average Joe.


3. Concise Description of the Plan Proposed in the Ordinance:

Currently there is only one license that is applicable only to nightclubs where permitted under chapter 345 (zoning). The amended ordinance will provide for a license for restaurants and a separate license for nightclubs. The restaurants entertainment license will have restrictions in regards to hour of operation, , sound levels, and positioning with respect to doors and widows. It will be a annually renewable license based upon good standing and success of its ~e. In addition is the update and modifications of fees to coincide with the equipment and training necessary to enforce proper noise levels.

a sensible step in the right direction ....


Entertainment Ordinance To Be Re-Introduced Wednesday

http://www.jerseycityindependent.com/ ... -re-introduced-wednesday/

Jersey City will again consider amending the outdated Entertainment Ordinance at Wednesday night?s City Council meeting after disagreements over enforcement capability and permitted hours derailed the proposal almost a month ago. The ordinance, which would allow live music to be performed in restaurants located in neighborhood commercial districts such as ?Restaurant Row,? is seen as a necessary step for growing Jersey City?s nightlife.

At the meeting last month, Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop had argued that the ordinance, which would allow many more establishments to have live music, failed to account for the limited enforcement capability of the city (there are only two decibel readers). He also argued that after speaking with neighborhood groups? such as the Village Neighborhood Group, Harsimus Cove Association, Historic Paulus Hook Association, among others? he felt the permitted hours of entertainment extended too late into the evening.

The city, however, says enforcement problems have been hashed out with Jersey City Police Chief Thomas Comey, and the ordinance will be re-introduced with the permitted hours initially proposed. According to Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce Director Carl Czaplicki, Jersey City police department?s non-emergency number is the first call residents should make in case of a noise complaint. Currently only three members of the Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce are certified to use the two readers, but that soon a few police officers will also be trained.

Harsimus Cove Association president Stephen Musgrave and Village Neighborhood Association?s president Rob Crow have worked with Czaplicki following the council?s disagreements last month and say most of their concerns have been addressed. Still, at least one concern remains for the groups. According to Musgrave, the neighborhood groups were looking for the city to establish a means for residents to anonymously call in noise complaints. The problem for the city is that the decibel readings have to be taken from where the complaint is made. Musgrave says the city is currently looking into how to solve this problem in time for Wednesday?s meeting.

With the community groups? approval of the current draft, Fulop says he has no problem voting for the measure.

?It was important to me that the community concerns were addressed and seems to now be the case so this is a big improvement from my standpoint,? he said.

from HCA -

Entertainment Ordinance

There is a community meeting this Monday, December 5 at 6:00 PM in the Council Caucus Room in City Hall (280 Grove) to discuss the entertainment ordinance that the Municipal Council will be considering on Wednesday, December 14. The proposed ordinance separates the entertainment ordinance into two categories, a nightclub category and a restaurant category. Additionally, the new ordinance creates maximum decibel levels for entertainment and adjusts hours when entertainment is permitted. The purpose of this meeting is to brief the community regarding the entertainment ordinance. Members and residents interested in the proposed changes are invited to attend. Please contact Maynard Woodson (201)547-5843 at the Division of Commerce to confirm your attendance.

Any ideas on what can be done about the lack of code enforcement? I think many people have lost faith in the JCPD's ability and desire to address quality of life issues. I'm sure many people have experienced calling them for a non emergency situation only to have them not show up at all. Honestly, if a bar or it's patrons are being loud and police are called I don't think the police would do much. They would probably just get irate at the person who called!

as being part of and having led a neighborhood association, I have first hand dealt with (successfully) problem bars/restaurants in/near residential areas. I have also assisted other groups with the same.

I specifically want to permit entertainment in business/commercial districts, not residential. and yes, I do remember Albert's on Marin and was involved with dealing with it.

code enforcement is at the heart of many of our city's problems, affordable housing, litter and more. the answer is enforcement not letting Jersey City wither.

I believe we need to move forward on permitting live entertainment and we can preserve our quality of life - its is also my quality of life.

Being in favor of Live Music is as provocative as saying you like kittens. But, as pointed out, this is a city. Lots of issues, lots of opinions. The kitten question isn't so simple after all. Look at Liberty Humane.

As for the music, gee, it'd be nice. Maybe. Fact is you don't legislate for the holiday sing-a-long that happens once a year. DJs, live music, performance can spell disaster for a neighborhood, or enliven a downtown. Counting on sound level meters and enforcement is delusional. You're going to have to come up with a better plan than that.

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Dan, as a neighbor, friend and someone I support for Council At-Large, but I hate when you or others, not just politicians, transpose what someone says and creates a "straw-man argument" that was never said to posit their own seeming opposite and positive reply.

To wit, I read closely every post here regarding your reply above and here is what was really said:

tommyc_37: "...Most suburbs have more live music than JC does. It's really, really backwards, and needs to change."

BrightMoment: "This ain't the burbs, it's a city and the vibrant energy of music is a major part of creating a unique city-scape of life for all."

Neither tommy c 0r my statement says "that if one does not like the noise / disturbance etc, that they should move to the suburbs. One says the burbs has more music and my statement is declarative in fact: "This ain't the burbs, it's a city...", suggesting that "noise / disturbance" is characteristic of a city, not what you posit.

So, please don't create straw-men in your upcoming debate forums, my friend.

thank you all for feedback and comments. here and on facebook there has been unanimous support for permitting and expanding live entertainment opportunities and options. The concerns are the obivious, preventing the resulting noise from being a disturbance or nusance.

a couple of years ago, I held a meet up with a group of friends at a downtown bar/restaurant around the winter holidays. one of us wanted to bring an acoustic guitar and sing (unamplified) holiday songs. the owner declined out of fear of being cited in violation of having live music without an entertainment license.

I find the current situation unacceptable. our administration and council have been working on this issue for more than 5 years with little to show.

my thinking is to split the the use (entertainment) from noise (disturbance).

permit live entertainment in commercial and business districts (zoned) and address the disturbance though the existing or an updated noise ordinance understanding that a noise ordinance must be enforceable, not just for live entertainment but for all generators of noise.

if our existing noise ordinance is not effective or is difficult to enforce. research and benchmark of other cities that can effectively have live entertainment while protecting the public from excessive noise (and vibration). use staff and our law department.

a license fee could be used to purchase decibel (or other noise readers), train enforcement officers and even pay for noise enforcement.

its long overdue.

unfortunately, I do not have an answer for 58 Gallery and its events. I believe there is precedent to obtain a zoning variance for the retail gallery, but application would need to made and still would not address the event issue.

also, I do not subscribe to the idea that if one does not like the noise / disturbance etc, that they should move to the suburbs. we are here and we can make it work.

Dan,

I see you're making this a priority in your City Council run. How will you fix the ordinance?

I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you -- what did you say?

Quote:

YES!

I've lived here almost 30 years and when any of you bought places near the aforementioned it was up to you to do a material disclosure of fact about noise.

This ain't the burbs, it's a city and the vibrant energy of music is a major part of creating a unique city-scape of life for all.

In business districts yes, in primarily residential areas no. Corner bars in residential neighborhoods become a nuisance quickly when entertainment is introduced.

Dan, that?s not a simple question without a thorough understanding of the noise ordinances. Are they genuinely appropriate? Have professional acousticians been consulted and if so, what were their conclusions? It goes without saying that neither city legislators, law enforcement personnel, business owners, nor residents can be considered experts in this field, which opens the door to subjective interpretations. I think quite a bit of work, and certainly many disagreements, will have to be part of building truly fair live music ordinance.

However, yes, I absolutely support the hosting of live music in Jersey City. Music is important. Just please, no soulless white boys or girls with guitars who can?t sing their way out of a paper bag.

Really embarassing that we don't have a single live music venue in this city.

is it true that current laws don't even allow a bar to have a DJ?

100 million times yes, why not?

The city's entertainment ordinance has been a disaster since it was put in place. It's terrible how few venues host live music in this city, but the licenses are apparently difficult to apply for and impossible to obtain.

Adding in the other giant obstacles to opening businesses here, Jersey City has a reputation for being more difficult to operate in than New York City. It has to stop.

only if they have a permit and a facility to accommodate the entertainment - namely noise.

imagine living next-door to a retuarant/bar/coffee shop for years with limited exposure to noise, then all of a sudden they have some Black Sabbath cover band blaring tunes till closing time.

If the building they are playing in can not stop the noise blasting out into the neighborhood then I say no entertainment permit for you.
I'd be asking for a sound test me made when there is no live entertainment and ensure that the same level is when there is. Residents should remember that many if not all new high-rise apartments and developements are crap when it comes to sound-proofing qualities and this will create many disputes and arguments - even the possibility of devaluing a property if noise is an issue !

yes

Yes I do, once a week would do fine. Depending how the business embraces it some customers may frown upon it I guess the atmosphere dictates the vibe.

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Totally agree. Just because you own a bar it should not give you the right to host live music. Amplified music should never be allowed just anywhere. I would suggest that double doors also be a requirement for venues. When I lived across from the former Cole Street cafe they had horrible live music. Luckily it didn't last long.

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Exactly correct. Most suburbs have more live music than JC does. It's really, really backwards, and needs to change.

I support having live entertainment anywhere that it's desired by the business owner.

It's also ridiculous that it's 2011 and Jersey City doesn't have its own, legit, music venue yet. I would support legislation that would cut through the red tape so that the "cost of entry" would be lowered for an entrepreneur wanting to open a music venue in Jersey City.

As it stands now, it seems that in order to open a business downtown, one needs to have funds to rent the space for up to 18 months before opening in order to wait out the bureaucracy and corruption.

They city should not be issuing separate licenses for live performance venues. In this city, its too easily corrupted. Just look at what happened with the street vender licenses.

Instead, the city should draft specific, minimum requirements that a given venue must achieve to host live music events and allow any venue -- bar or cafe or laundromat or whatever -- to meet the minimum requirements and host events thereafter. City requirements should look to noise insulation, minimum stage sizes, bathrooms, safety systems and exits. Determine what requirements allow a safe, unintrusive performance.

Stop worrying about collecting the licensing fee and focus instead on developing businesses and jobs in Jersey City.

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2 Words :Why Not????

I have never lived or visited a city that did not have live music in a bar/coffee shop etc. It is a city for God's sake.

Quote:

I think most people would be for this but the key to it being successful is in your statement...as long as noise ordinances are fairly and consistently enforced. Most people have come to realize that the JCPD are very inconsistent in enforcing anything. You can call them about quality of life issues and be lucky if they show up at all...they don't really consider it to be part of their job priorities.

And this is a city issue right? I had heard from one of the local bar tenders that JC keeps a real tight grip on giving out entertainment permits for potential places to have music.

Anybody have more info on this? I wanted to hear more but things got crowded and busy there.