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tv   [untitled]    September 14, 2013 12:30pm-1:01pm PDT

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things that we are looking for in reviewing the conditions. the sound proofing and that phone number, take it away. >> hi, i am jason perkins and i want to thank audrey joseph and glendon hyde to come down and review the club. i know that's beyond your normal scope of inquiry and i appreciate it. i made one set of copy and talked to jocelyn that invoiced work and pictures and the material that we bought over the last 20 months. the work that we have done, they believe the commissioners and the inspector has been here several times. can see in the back of the club and the walls built all the way to the ceiling. we used sound-proofing material between the sheet rock.
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we sheet rocked the entire ceiling and the glass wall on the mission side of the street. on one side of the club near the bathrooms, it was like a funnel that went up to the ceiling. we basically enclosed that, and basically an entire shell was inside of the building. we have been constantly testing. we have been in contact with neighbors. i mean almost daily, just to make sure because this is not a science, it's an art. and even though we have brought in west coast sound solutions three times for consulting. they would give us one idea and it wouldn't always quite work and then try it again. i think we -- there is no doubt that our communication not only with our neighbors but with everybody else in the community as well that has really improved. and we really put this effort in, and i am hoping if the
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commissioners have further questions. i was not there when the commissioners were there to inspect, but i am happy to answer any questions you have now. >> thank you. commissioners. comments/questions? hyde. >> can you define what you are asking for tonight? what is it you want? >> i would like our decimal level to be raised on a nightly basis, and also for our live permit to go to 12:30 during the week and 1:30 on the weekends. >> is there a certain decibel level you are requesting? >> i think 95 is not an issue. based on our personal tests. i think when the department of health ran their tests we were spiking at 95 inside the club.
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yet we were outside and well within the legal limit. so that's based on the copies of the reports i think everyone received. as far as the phone issue, my business partner, michael, has volunteered his cell phone number and an office number and a phone that blinks when it's ringing when there is a show on. i believe that our staff is pretty good, i think that the police department would say we don't have a problem there. they are pretty responsible. and again i am not denying the problems in the past. but i believe that we are addressing our neighbors. and we have been having a very good -- we had one issue with a neighbor a couple of weeks ago. the people behind us are not having an issue, it's the one on
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the side of us. the last nights we tested and called and connected with her, and i think that went really well. i am not going to say it's perfect. but i know for a fact we are very responsive. and i think for me as a business owner, i want to be sure that gets across the commission that we are responsible business owners. >> thank you. commissioner perez. >> hello, how are you sharing your numbers to the neighbors? >> all of our neighbors who have e-mailed us and michael is the point person. they have e-mail and text all of that. in that way. we also have it on our website too. >> right. part of the issue is that land line which is right at the front door. and it's only a one-room club, not like there are different rooms. the front door when the staff is there, it's louder.
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and then i gave the cell phone to the, not just the sound guy but the door man. and i requested that all three of us get texted at the same time. i felt that was the most direct way than the land line. >> all right, any other questions commission? commissioner joseph. >> i am glad that you provided pictures, that saves me from running my little memory stick with all the pictures i took. a couple of things, when i got to your place. the guy gave me a sheet with the work you prepared and you boxed the windows well. and i saw that the socket over the stage was not completed. it stilled more sheet rock,
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and the sheet-rock joints were not sealed. i did see that. and the bathroom looked great. and i understood what you meant being a funnel. but you didn't take care of your kitchen, and the kitchen is your new funnel. what happened is that the ceiling is open in the kitchen. and one thing that happens is that the sound through the wall or kitchen door goes into the kitchen. and probably hits the pipes that goes up to the water heater and resounds in that. you dropped the ceiling but you didn't sound proof the area above the dropped ceiling. what is happening -- i don't know if you thought of it, it goes up in that area and that goes out the back of your club. you probably have sound leakage there. my suggestion to you is that you seal off that ceiling and put a
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wrap-around to the pipe up to the water heater. it's really inexpensive, you buy it at home depot, it's a foam wrap. and same with the ceiling in the office above the kitchen. it's open, and you have this space acting as a sound tunnel that is no open, it could be going out to the back. and you said that you did double half-inch sheet rock, and we saw someone finish sheet rock and only single half inch. i don't know if that paper you left for us was correct or not. but i took pictures of it, it wasn't finished. it was only single sheet rock, not double. so the paper was incorrect. >> audrey, was the single sheet rock behind the stage? because we did behind the stage we did sheet rock and then a sound like that insulation material and then sheet rock
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behind that. >> it was but it was also in the corridor of what i think is a dressing room. and the sound goes in, sound goes back into that, hits that room. the ceiling is partially open and that's only singly sheet rocked you have a ton of leakage in that place you are not thinking about. sound doesn't stay in one place, it travels around. that's part of the problem, you are not seeing all of the places. i think you are doing a great job for what you have done. you have to seal up your ceilings better. you have a lot of empty spaces. i think if you sealed up the ceilings in the kitchen and the dressing room area. and finished the sheet rock, you would create a better space. what else -- >> audrey, one note about that.
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when we created that new ceiling, we built that ceiling in behind the stage. i don't know if you saw it before -- >> yeah. >> you could see the brick. the wall went all the way up and came back. and then we pulled like the sound fabric material out of the sound studio, and then we started layering it in the back. >> where are you talking about the sound fabric material. there is some on your windows but the thing behind the stage is. >> it's where the drop ceiling is. >> no, it's like someone's drapes from someone's living room. it's not sound curtain. i have touched it, it's grandma's drapes, it's not sound curtain. >> we understand that. >> what were you referring to? >> there is like a false ceiling
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back behind the stage. >> right. >> and above that we layered material. >> yeah, give me the pictures. >> i understand what you are talking about. >> what you have above your stage is called a facet. and what it should do, if it works right is direct the sound back down. so here is your soffet; right. that's it. and it's not finished underneath. the drapes behind the stage are not sound curtain. most of the work you did is good, you just have to finish it, that's all. >> is that a $5,000 order of new sound drapes from the clerk this week. the east oakland company.
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>> if you just put it behind the stage it might not cost that much. it seems like you have heavy drape on the windows. that's what it felt like to me. but the stuff behind the stage is definitely not sound curtain. that's it. >> all right, thank you, commissioner joseph. commissioner hyde you want to say something. >> yeah, what was the gentleman's man that helped us. >> barry. >> barry smith. i wanted to compliment barry he was kind and took time out of his day. i thought he did a good job, and i went down there because i hadn't seen what you had done. and i felt like i need to see something. because i didn't have the story presented to me. but i definitely believe you have made an effort. there is like she said, the dressing room. i noticed a giant hole there. and if you can abate any other
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sound, maybe that's why the lady next door is hearing it. and the metal door, if you can put something on the metal door and that's conducting and the hole in the ceiling. that's perhaps why the neighbor had the complaint. barry was awesome. >> i appreciate, we are lucky to have him. >> i want to concur that barry is great. and brick and mortar between the brick is porous, so sound permeates through that. and i know that a lot of people think if they pour concrete in, it's a sound deterrent. not necessarily. quite frankly, i don't know where you are leaking sound out the side. i looked. and other than behind the stage, i could not determine how it is you are leaking sound out of the side to affect that woman in
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that building. her building is old, i get it. the only thing i can think of, you are leaking it out of the roof. you can foam the roof i suppose with sound-proof foam. otherwise i don't know where you are leaking sound. >> on monday when i talked to chris, the person talking. and we went up there and basically that room was a box. it turned into a box. and then i realized basically that is a speaker box. when it's a solid box. that's when i explained about the material. we pulled all the sound, like carpeting and layered it all over the walls and ceiling and side. and she thought that worked and can see a difference. >> you are talking about above the drop today ceiling in the corridor behind the stage, yeah, he removed the ceiling panel and
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showed us that. >> one other thing, the inspector made a point about the door broken and not having a proper curtain. and that's addressed this week. >> and there was another thing in the report no signs displayed and to be quiet, is that the case? have you put signs up? >> we have one on the far left but could put one at the extract entrance. >> that would be helpful. any other comments? >> your neighborhood procedure, i don't see an e-mail or anything. did you relay this in writing on the procedures if there is a sound complaint this is what you guys are implementing? because i don't see a copy, i am trusting you that was sent out to everybody that has concerns here. >> it was sent out on a group e-mail to two of the main point
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people in the rear. so yes. >> okay, when i went there, i wouldn't stay long, they were on break. and again about the outside. i mean there is a lot of people smoking and things like that. the only thing i would mention if security can keep a pathway open for the neighbors. some people had to walk in the middle of the street. that's the only thing i heard. they are pretty quiet. i didn't go in because they were on break. and i had to go back to my work, my club, so i couldn't stay long. but what i see on the documentation i am okay with it. there is some stuff that was done recently and i think audrey pinpointed a few items. i know you have that pass-through window through the kitchen. probably the sound goes through and rattles around the hood and everything else and goes out.
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and something that audrey said you could do back there would help a lot. >> to that point, the thing that is directly behind that pass-rindow is a walk in. and nothing is more insulated than a walk-in. i think it's going through the other door and the wall itself. >> i want to comment that we don't feel like we are done working on this. and we are going to keep working on it. and working with the neighbors. thank you. >> well, i do appreciate hearing that. i feel like over the course of the past few months we have seen you a few times. and i think to see that good faith effort is recognized here. so thank you for that. i think we have one more comment from commissioner perez. and i would like to take a motion after that. or after public comment. >> following up on commission, the comment, you mentioned that you are communicating to your neighbors via e-mail?
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>> e-mail and cell, text. that's the quickest response i can get. and not only that, and i added the two managers to the text. so that they are getting it as i am getting it and i am them to the noise, if there is an issue. >> okay, thank you. >> quick one? >> one last comment i hope. >> ron, when you went back to do the sound check, did you go to the neighbors first? or did you go to brick and mortar first and then the neighbors? >> when i made my visit this past weekend i went to the resident's house first. and she saying i don't see any reason why you come by, because the problem has been solved her for. and i said i had to do this for the sake of the commission. but i detected no emission of sound in her space. and then i went back to the club
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to get a sound-sample reading. i can attest that the readings i have can get in one of the complainant's location. however i did not take a sample very next door to the adjacent space, i have not been able to coordinate with that complainant. >> okay. you can have a seat, we will take public comment at this point. any public comment on this item reviewing brick and mortar's condition and permit? >> welcome. >> hi, my name is alexandria deets, i am a neighbor on woodwood street. i was a neighbor that came three months to go to complain about the music. and i believe that i am probably responsible for one or two complaints filed in the last
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three months. but i came today because i want to give credit where credit is due. i think there is a significant improvement in the sound. overall i rarely hear anything. however there was a two-week period, i think at the end of july that the music was starting to creep back up and that's when i contacted mr. o'connor. and he's been very proactive in making sure that the sound is contained once i complained. so i am a little worried about raising the decibel to 95. but i am definitely willing to experiment and work with them personally. and come up with something that works for both sides. >> great, thank you. any other public comment on this item? seeing none. [gavel]
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public comment is closed. i am willing to entertain a motion. i think it appears that our applicants have met some of what we requested. just to provide proof of the sound proofing and a phone number and it's great that we have the public comment that says that relations are improving. where do you want to take this, commissioners? >> i want to ask a question before we go there. through the chair, what is their db now, 80? 85? >> the current conditions are 80 db and 11:30 and 12:30 for weekdays and week nights. and there is a request to go 12:30 and 1, weekday and week nights. and as far as db's, inspector
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edwards report indicates up to 10 db increase is what he was able to sustain based on the reading and the neighbors he was accessing. so that might be a middle ground for you to consider. >> great. i would like to move to raise the db 10 points. is that how you say it? >> to 90. and also i would like to extend the hours to 12:30 and 1 for the entertainment permit. >> 12:30. >> weekdays, and 1 o'clock on weekends. >> is sunday considered a weekend? no? >> pardon me? >> all right, so there is a motion on the table. >> i will second that. >> and there is a second. any discussion? from commissioners?
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>> i want to say i am glad this is resolved and after going there and meeting the staff. i was very disappointed i had to be in any way responsible for a drop if their pay. but you cannot have people living with sound problems. and i am glad that this is being resolved. >> great. >> i would like to say something. thank you for your continued effort, both of you. >> great, can we take a vote. >> on the motion. perez. >> aye. >> hyde. >> aye. >> lee. >> aye. >> tan. >> aye. >> congratulations, thank you for your hard work. all right, move on to the next agenda item which is 6, review
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and possible action to review and change the conditions on a limited live performance permit for jones, at 620 jones street. >> i am going to take this one. so commissioners this is 620 jones, which was before you for a limited live performance permit on february 19, as you might recall. and at that time there were some discussion around previous noise complaints. and some amplified sound that went on without permits some time ago. and at the time that the applicant, asked you for a more limited live performance permit. and at that time point you agreed to go ahead and issue the lop with conditions related to
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an 8 p.m. shut-off time as opposed to 10 that is normally on lop, and friday, saturday and sunday holiday conditions well. and asked the permit holder to come back after six months and ask you for more, if in fact there were no further complaints regarding the llp. and at this time that's what we are doing here, and mr. glitch are you here? you want to come up here? and we asked commissioner edwards to sound test from a residence nearby, and when we get to that point, we have that information for you. >> hello. >> good evening, commissioners, thank you, we are back, it's been a while.
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we have had a regular slate of events, initially when we opened up. we went and did one-day permits for our events. we don't do events in the sense of the word that you are used to. these are for the most part, nine out of 10 these are corporate, private events. where we close to the public and do an event for a company. and they bring in some entertainment. so we have been reasonable busy, we have had a bunch of these. since we were here last, we had two complaints that i am aware of regarding sound.
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we neighbors take issue with a crowd noise, that doesn't have anything to do with entertainment or event that we are having -- sorry about that. this is an odd one. but like i said in the last six months we have had two incidents of neighbors taking issue with noise levels at our venue, and one of those took place on gay pride on sunday afternoon. so that's a tough one, because obviously the city goes a little bonkers that day. that's what i got. and we would love to be able to just have the permit extend as a regular permit at this point. >> so you want to get the conditions that we applied to
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you, the apn on weekends only to be removed so you can use at any time? >> that's correct. >> questions, commissioners? hyde. >> yeah, so i know the last time you were here, we talked about where the stage was and the big glass windows. right, is that right? >> yes. >> so big glass doors. i am onwondering did you make adjustments to where the stage was? did you do something to mitigate the sound or not getting the complaints because of the neighborhood? >> the windows happen to be our most secure point of entry. they are four-layer windows with a vacuum seal in between. and they are very heavy doors and thick. generally --
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>> if you were open. >> yeah, we have taken better care that those windows/doors are shut when we do have entertainment. >> okay, but you didn't move the stage? >> we don't actually have a stage. >> did you direct the sound a different way or anything like that? >> no. >> do you think you attribute the better sound retention to keeping the doors and not allowing the noise to escape? >> correct. >> commissioner joseph. >> so you don't have a stage. >> nope. >> you don't put up a stage. so -- are these live music show a and :-- shows and you do them without a stage? >> yeah, basically. the way that the place is laid out. we don't generally have a stage or big act. i think you have been there. it's not a music venue, it's a
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restaurant. so our ceilings are 8-feet tall at best. if we put a stage in, you would have to have people sitting down. >> so when someone sends us an e-mail and complains that you are breaking down the stage and loading heavy equipment into vans. and the noise of loading out, that is incorrect? they are exaggerating? >> there is equipment that gets loaded in and out for sure. i think what they are talking about is towards gerry street, there is a raised area on our patio. and a lot of times when we have speakers that's where they are placed. when we have the big fashion event for pride, that's where the run-way is. >> so your event for pride was anita moore? >> correct. >> it was well attended, very popular event. >> it was fabulous.
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>> can you tell me what time it ended? >> it was over by 10 o'clock. you stole that event from the phoenix. [laughter] >> that's correct. >> that's okay. all right. okay. thank you very much. >> commissioner hyde, you have something else? >> yeah, i wanted to ask a point of reference, like i know there is a time when street noise is like they do drilling on the street and everything. and i think it's until 8 o'clock that noise on the street, and then construction and stuff like that? >> i think 7-10. >> 7-10. >> yeah. >> so the noise of loading and unloading is within city guidelines of noise on the street and stuff like that. i wanted to see what the guidelines for that were. other comments from commissioners? >> yes, i have a