City Councilwoman Carol Berz on Thursday told the Beer Board she was awakened two nights in a row by loud music. On Friday, Feb. 18, she said she just went back to sleep upon hearing the music. However, the next night she was awakened again by someone shouting or singing from a speaker, she said. She and her husband then drove their car around to find the offending party.
Ms. Berz said they first went to the “usual suspect” clubs on Brainerd Rd. and found no sounds coming from them. They then drove to the Vance Road area and heard the loud music coming from behind the club LaOnda at 6175 Airways Blvd. The music, she said, seem to come from a back deck area. The music had a distinct beat that matched the music heard from their home, she said.
“This is the first time I have experienced what my constituents have experienced,” Ms. Berz said. What these establishments do inside their doors is generally their business, she said, but when it affects the quiet enjoyment of my surroundings, it’s not longer just their business.
Ms. Berz said she did not call the police that night, but on the following Monday she sent an email to zoning official Richard Hutsell. The email made its way to the regulatory office and Officer John Collins.
Officer Collins told the board when he delivered the subpoena, he told the owner, Alfredo Espinoza, not to have speakers outside on the deck or other areas. He also told him to have his security personnel to monitor the parking lot for loud music from car stereos.
Mr. Espinoza told the board his establishment does not even have a deck and wondered if Ms. Berz was at another establishment. Officer Collins said there are no other clubs anywhere near LaOnda. The club does have two doors in the back that open to an area where patrons can smoke and stand around, Officer Collins said.
Mr. Espinoza said he does not allow smoking inside his club and his customers do go out back to smoke. Sometimes, he said, we do open all doors around 2 a.m. to allow customers to begin leaving.
Christopher Smith, who provides security for LaOnda, told the board he works hard to make sure everything is done right. The doors, he said, do not stay open. The front door is large like a barn door, Mr. Smith said, and sound can escape as customers come and go from the club.
“I’ve gone as far as across Lee Highway to the Shell gas station to listen for sound coming from the club,” he said, “It’s never been a problem.”
Board member Phillip Sallee made a motion for a written reprimand to be placed in the file for LaOnda. The board voted unanimously to approve the motion.
Beer Board Attorney Ken Fritz provided board members a draft ordinance to require caterers to obtain a beer permit from the Beer Board. Caterers are already regulated by the state; however, cities may enforce regulations more strict than the state regulations. Nashville already regulates caterers, Mr. Fritz said.
Mr. Fritz said the draft ordinance is not ready to be sent to the City Council, but just gives the board members a starting point to begin discussions about regulating caterers and will require much work from the board.
The board approved the following applications for consumer and/or carryout beer permits:
Benjamin Espinoza
Dos Amigos Mexican
308 Amnicola Highway
Sharon Kelly and Jermaine Harper
Mocha, LLC
3116 Brainerd Rd.
Alfredo Espinoza
LaOnda
6175 Airways Blvd.
Vivian Johnson
Meca’s Soul Food & Lounge
2304 Glass St.
Jae Y. Lee
Happy Mart
5701 Brainerd Rd.
Jeffery Joel McFarlane
Bourbon St. Music Bar/Extended Suites
2000 E. 23 St.
Brenda F. Davidson
Skully’s
3001 Rossville Blvd.
Dennis Shane Hendrix
Southside Saloon & Bistro, LLC
1301 Chestnut St.
Kevin Cummings
Minora Management Services, LLC
d/b/a Marco’s Italian Bistro
417 Frazier Ave. Unit #101
Rami Khuri
4 Winds, LLC
417 Frazier Ave. Suite #104
The next meeting of the Chattanooga Beer and Wrecker Board will be April 7 at 9 a.m.
Dana Wilbourn
dbwilbourn@yahoo.com