Allegheny to restrict volume at rallies

Township fielded complaints about Roundhouse events

The state Liquor Control Board recently granted Allegheny Township's petition to continue taking responsibility for noise enforcement at periodic music rallies held by Roundhouse Harley-Davidson, despite neighbors' opposition at a hearing in March.

The LCB imposed no conditions with its approval, but this year, the township supervisors plan to impose their own restrictions, based on a requirement in the LCB approval that the rallies need to be OK'd by the supervisors, based on their being special events, as defined in the township's noise ordinance.

Last year, such approval for the rallies was "tacit" and carried no volume restrictions, but this year, it will be explicit, and conditioned on Roundhouse meeting as-yet

undetermined decibel limits, according to township solicitor Patrick Fanelli.

The township has informed Roundhouse officials about the planned restrictions, which will include a requirement that the business provide a list of rally dates, and Roundhouse has been cooperative, having already provided a list of its early summer concerts, according to Fanelli.

There will need to be reasonable limits to the noise, although what those are and at what distance they'll be measured haven't been fully worked out, Fanelli said.

The intent is to allow rally-goers to have a good time, with loud music -- "but not loud enough to rattle the windows and make life unbearable" for residents, Fanelli said.

Last year, township police received several complaints from residents about the rally noise, but didn't investigate them, because the township noise ordinance under which the rallies were regulated as special events -- comparable to parades and festivals -- carried no volume limits.

At the hearing in March, one resident said that on rally nights, he can't go to bed at his normal early hour, while another said the music agitates her cat, and another said it would only be "common sense" to lower the volume.

There needs to be a way to balance the interests of the business with the interests of the neighbors, one resident said.

On the day of the March meeting, supervisors Chairman Dave Burchfield said the board might consider adding decibel restrictions, although he said it in answer to a question that presupposed an LCB denial of the petition.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.