When it comes to noise, one size does not fit all. That's the thinking behind the Deep Ellum Noise Task Force recommendations.
"The idea of making Deep Ellum silent, especially after a pandemic, it just doesn't make sense for businesses," Deep Ellum business owner and Deep Ellum Noise Task Force member Allen Falkner said, saying the current city noise ordinance does not work for Deep Ellum. "The way it's written is that any music that can be heard outside of an establishment violates the noise ordinance, and that's kind of a problem for Deep Ellum because Deep Ellum is an entertainment district. As you walk through, it's full of life. You hear music coming out of all the businesses, and the idea of making those silent makes no sense at all."
Falker owns The Nines and a couple of other businesses in the area.
"We lost so much business in 2020 and in 2021, and now we're in 2022 and trying to recoup our losses and bring everyone back," Falkner said. "We're also trying to get everyone outdoors and spread apart, and so what we need is we need to be able to play music outside."
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The Deep Ellum Noise Task Force is recommending an overlay district with tiers of allowable noise, as well as expanded loading zones for musicians.
"It's going to be a work in progress for a while, I'm sure," Falkner said. "We're hoping the plan that we've put together will benefit everyone."
