Noise Distrubance- Blend Coffee

Hi all,

I wanted to ask if anyone else living behind in Village Dr / Crosswind is getting frustrated over the weekly weekend music noise from Blend Coffee Bar? Many of the neighbors and myself are getting very frustrated at the loud disturbance they are creating. Don't get me wrong, we love the cute coffee shop and support them. But living right behind the coffee shop and hearing their loud open mic every weekend is getting too much for us to bear. It's causing peace disturbance and focus issues. We've tried to block out the noise and by being patient because we don't want to be a party pooper and destroy their fun. But something needs to change, having open mic every weekend is starting to give us all a headache. Is anyone else having this problem/frustrated?

 

Have you spoke to the owners of Blend about this? They're nice members of the community, and I'm sure would be happy to oblige moving it indoors.

 

What time frame is this disturbance occurring?

 

Why open mic? The area does not seem large enough to justify using one. I would chat with the owners to see what they can do.

 

Noise Ordinance
Chapter 654.02 of Loudoun County’s Codified Ordinances

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office will begin to enforce changes to the county’s noise regulations Thursday, September 1, 2016.

The amendments to Chapter 654.02 of the county’s Codified Ordinances were recently adopted by the Board of Supervisors. The amendments bring Loudoun into compliance with a Virginia Supreme Court ruling which struck down the noise ordinance for the City of Virginia Beach which was similar to Loudoun’s. The court found that enforcement of the law – which declared that certain unreasonable noises are a detriment to the public health, comfort, safety and welfare – was unconstitutionally vague as it relied on a “reasonable person” standard.

The amendments to the ordinance prohibit some noise based on time of day or duration of sound. For example:

• Music may not be plainly audible and discernable within 100 feet or more from the sound’s source during a private party or other similar non-governmental event between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
• A horn or alarm on any motor vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle, or other vehicle on a street or in a public place cannot be sounded for more than 20 consecutive seconds except as a danger warning or as permitted by law.
• Spinning of tires and racing of engines in a motor vehicle or motorcycle are prohibited as well as the emission of noise created by the absence of a muffler.

The amendments exclude some sound generating activities from regulation, including agricultural operations; sounds from places of worship such as bells and chimes; sounds from emergency operations such as sirens; parades and fireworks and similar county-approved events; operations of a public facility; and school-sponsored or organized youth athletic contests or practices, or other school activities.

Violations of the noise ordinance range from a Class 3 misdemeanor, which carries a maximum fine of $500, to a Class 1 misdemeanor, which carries a maximum penalty of twelve months in jail and a $2,500 fine. Over the next several weeks the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office will conduct an education phase prior to any citations issued for violations of the ordinance. Warnings will be issued to educate residents on noise levels that are now in violation of the county code. During the education phase, repeat violators may be subject to a citation after their initial warning.

Since the Virginia Supreme Court struck down the noise ordinance of the City of Virginia Beach (which was very similar to the former Chapter 654.02) as unconstitutionally vague, the county has lacked an enforceable ordinance addressing noise. The amendments to Chapter 654.02 establish a clear definition of what constitutes noise, requiring that the sound be audible and discernable inside a residential dwelling.

 

I remember reading the 11-7 quiet hours before. The open mic is supposed to end at 9. Is it going that late?

Open mic without the mic is no fun lol

 

I second the suggestion of speaking with the owners before we get into complaints to the county. Is the situation that you have to speak with raised voices when inside your house and turn the television volume up to hear? Or is it that you can tell there is music outside which, while it may be annoying, isn't really impacting the quality of life? If it is the first, then I would certainly think there is room for them to turn down the volume a little. If it is the second, there is always the perspective of being glad we live in a vibrant community that has a wide array of entertainment options available to us.

 

The tire shop is more annoying to me, but only when we are walking the dogs on the trail close by (daytime). I have not heard the music outside at Blend. I have attended live music indoors there but it did not seem noisy outside.

 

The live music ends by 9:00, and it depends on the night whether it's outside or not. Frankly, I can hear Broadlands live from my house, the cheering of people, music, etc. and I just know that's part of living in the community, and having activities.

 

While I don't live in an area where we are within earshot of the noise I can certainly empathize. I would send a letter in the mail and invite to meet with them.

 

great answer. lol

 

As owners of Blend Coffee Bar, we regret that our summer patio music programs have caused a disturbance for some of our Broadlands neighbors. We will be making necessary adjustments for next summer in the way of lowering the volume on amplified music and limiting use of drums.

We do want to let nearby neighbors know there is a band scheduled to play THIS Friday night 9/9/16 from 6:30-8:30pm. They are looking forward to playing a Dixieland-style of music so we ask neighbors who might be bothered by an outdoor band to plan their Friday night accordingly. There will be grilled hamburgers and hot dogs so we hope some of you will come and enjoy a night off from cooking and convenient entertainment.

Also please note Blend will be hosting Ashburn's Got Talent on 10/8 and 10/22. This is a musical competition benefiting two local non-profits. Acts will be limited to one or two musicians and will not feature drums, but we do want to warn neighbors there will be amplified voices and instruments coming from our patio on those two nights. We expect those to be fun and entertaining evenings and hope you'll come out and support the performers while helping raise money for Friends of Loudoun County Mental Health and Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers.

Thank you again for your support of Blend and for bringing the disturbances caused by the music to our attention. Feel free to contact us with further comments or questions at info@blendcoffeebar.com or call the shop at 571-442-8718. Mimi Backhausen and Tracey Powell (Broadlands residents)