HopMonk tones down music plans
His HopMonk Tavern in Sebastopol was just voted the best music venue in Sonoma County by readers of “The Bohemian.” It may take awhile for owner Dean Biersch’s Sonoma location to contend for the title — the Planning Commission has limited the Broadway venue to just two live, amplified shows per week.
Biersch had applied to the panel for permission to offer more amplified music and later performance hours. But when neighbors offered a chorus of opposition, he scaled back his proposal.
The commercial property, previously Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack, is flanked by a residential neighborhood. Residents who came out in force against the idea of loud music at Emmy’s mobilized once again, writing a flurry of letters to commissioners and speaking at the March 10 meeting.
Biersch was surprised by the negative comments. “I hadn’t heard a peep,” he said.
Biersch said that the tavern has hosted some 25 performances since opening six months ago. “We have had zero complaints from the neighborhood about sound or anything else. We think this is notable; not a single complaint about parking noise, garbage, or general disturbance.”
Opponent Beth Harper said the proposed changes violate the city’s general plan promise that “residents enjoy peace, quiet and security.” For another neighbor, it came down to “getting a decent night sleep.”
One person’s music is another person’s noise, said neighbor Kassandra Miller. “Those of us who are permanent residents should not be subjected to noise that intrudes on our space and prevents us from enjoying our homes and yards.”
Biersch had hopes of a more ambitious schedule of live music. The new parameters allow for acoustic amplified music (basically, no electric guitar or bass) in the outdoor beer garden up until 8 p.m.
Indoor shows, which can feature full electric bands, can run later, but, for six months at least, there is a cap of two per week. HopMonk will probably utilize Fridays and Saturdays for those shows, Biersch said.
“I would have liked to have more,” he said, but taking into account neighbors’ concerns is very important.
“I’m satisfied where we are,” he said. “We’ll prove we’re an asset to the community, not a detriment to the neighborhood.”
2 thoughts on “HopMonk tones down music plans”
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Look, once again, its a nice restaurant and I want it to thrive. But if Biersch says “he had no idea noise was a problem” he’s pulling our leg. As a resident of Sonoma for 13 years, I’ve read about complaints and concerns voiced in the papers regarding noise and bands in that location for years now and when he got his original permits and as it was opening. Even when it went from Deuce to the Spaghetti place…it was a concern.
I thought I remember reading he agreed to keep bands and noise to a minimum but to have 2 live performances per week is a stretch already and to ask for more? He’s kidding himself. The area people won’t stand for it nor should they have to.
He chose a location thats residential and commercial mixed and to build a beer garden and patio and think he can party till the wee hours of the morning with amplified music is rediculous.
Again, wishing him success, love the menu, the beers, the garden patio concept…but gotta tone down the decibels and not try that again. Its not going to work.
The fact that its not electric guitars and bass…amplified aucoustic, percussion, and a host of other instruments are loud particularly when in an open patio in dense populated residential mixed areas.
Look, once again, its a nice restaurant and I want it to thrive. But if Biersch says “he had no idea noise was a problem” he’s pulling our leg. As a resident of Sonoma for 13 years, I’ve read about complaints and concerns voiced in the papers regarding noise and bands in that location for years now and when he got his original permits and as it was opening. Even when it went from Deuce to the Spaghetti place…it was a concern.
I thought I remember reading he agreed to keep bands and noise to a minimum but to have 2 live performances per week is a stretch already and to ask for more? He’s kidding himself. The area people won’t stand for it nor should they have to.
He chose a location thats residential and commercial mixed and to build a beer garden and patio and think he can party till the wee hours of the morning with amplified music is rediculous.
Again, wishing him success, love the menu, the beers, the garden patio concept…but gotta tone down the decibels and not try that again. Its not going to work.
The fact that its not electric guitars and bass…amplified aucoustic, percussion, and a host of other instruments are loud particularly when in an open patio in dense populated residential mixed areas.