The City of Trenton will give the owners of Bubbaque’s 30 days to update their outdoor dining area to meet the requirements of the special exception to play music outdoors.
The exception was given to the property in 2014 when it was Hobo’s allowing music to be played in the outdoor dining area until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and until 12:30 a.m. on New Year’s.
Cherry’s has a similar special exception, but Chief of Public Safety Matthew Rexroat said Cherry’s does not receive the number of complaints Bubbaque’s receives.
Joseph Wheaton bought the business in March based on the fact that he could have live entertainment in that outdoor dining area.
Wheaton said he wasn’t aware that the restaurant was not meeting the expectations of the exceptions.
One expectation is the outdoor dining area must be enclosed by six-foot walls on all four sides. The restaurant currently has walls on three sides and one side open.
Wheaton said when he first heard about the complaint, he went to the property lines on all four sides and measured the noise levels with a decibel meter.
Wheaton said the sound levels on each side never exceeded 65 decibels, which is roughly equal to a loud conversation.
He said the problem was likely the bass sounds, which carry farther and rattle windows.
Wheaton said he could enclose the open side, but it would not likely stop the bass sounds.
“I don’t want kids staying up at night because we’re too loud,” Wheaton said.
He added that he wants to support the community.
Commissioner Randy Rutter said to start with adding a fence or wall on the unenclosed side.
Trenton resident Diane Clifton offered the idea of moving the stage to the open side of the dining area, therefore pointing the sound toward enclosed side, which would also point the noise toward commercial properties, as opposed to residential properties.
The board voted, 5-0, to give the restaurant 30 days to meet the guidelines of the special exception.
The board received an update on fiber installation.
George Buckner of Central Florida Electric Cooperative said fewer than 500 of CFEC’s 9,600 fiber customers are still without fiber due to the recent storms. Most of those outage are in Dixie County.
CFEC is connecting the last two substations for full coverage in Gilchrist County for residents that are not in Duke areas.
CFEC is currently waiting for Duke to finish make-ready construction for fiber installation, Buckner said.
Buckner said the current obstacles in Trenton are how compact some areas are and older poles.