The City of Austin has issued six Outdoor Music Venue (OMV) permits within the Zilker neighborhood under the new city sound ordinance approved about a year ago. These permits allow the venues (usually a restaurant or bar) to provide amplified music outdoors within certain decibel and time limits, on designated days of the week. A permit is issued for one year. If the venue violates the terms of the permit, the permit may not be renewed. The Zilker venues are all north of Barton Springs Road, on or near Restaurant Row. All but one* operate as restaurants and are therefore limited to 70 decibels, measured at the property line.
These restaurants have OMV permits to use sound equipment outdoors. Besides the times noted here, they may also play till 2 AM during SXSW.
Four can play till 8:30 PM Sun-Thu and till 10 PM Fri-Sat:
- Austin Java, 1608 Barton Springs (expires Aug 12)
- Baby Acapulco, 1628 Barton Springs (Nov 6)
- Lift Cafe, 215 S. Lamar (Sept 24)
- Uncle Billy's, 1530 Barton Springs (Aug 12).
One is limited to 8:30 PM all week:
- Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, 221 S. Lamar (Jun 25).
One can play up to 85 db, till 10 PM every night:
- Shady Grove, 1624 Barton Springs (Oct 10).
No commercial venues within the boundaries of ZNA are permitted to play outdoors past 10 PM. This is the same time limit that the city code applies to residential uses: "A person may not use sound equipment that produces sound audible beyond the property line of a residence in a residential area between 10 PM and 10 AM." The ZNA executive committee hopes that this will make it easier for affected neighbors to report violations and for the police to enforce the permits. If you are disturbed by amplified sound after 10 PM, you can be certain that the event is not permitted and the police should be called to shut it down.
No OMV permits have been issued in our neighborhood south of Barton Springs Road, and that includes the length of South Lamar within ZNA, from Barton Springs Road to Barton Skyway. Most of the restaurants and bars along South Lamar are so close to residences that they are not eligible for sound permits (under one interpretation of city code). ZNA is working with a citywide coalition of neighborhoods to resolve some of the inconsistencies in the implementation of the new sound ordinance, especially the general restriction that says the city "may not issue a permit to operate sound equipment within 100 feet of property zoned residential."
Thanks to all the neighbors and business owners who made the effort to work together on the terms of these permits.
* Last summer, when Shady Grove was applying for a parking variance, which would allow it to operate as a cocktail lounge with louder music, the management said the changes were needed only to continue its concert series on Thursday nights, Unplugged at the Grove (see ZNews July 2009, page 5). After the variance was granted, however, the management insisted that Shady Grove needed a permit to play every night of the week. As a result, the Shady Grove OMV permit allows it to have amplified sound up to 85 decibels till 10 PM Sunday through Saturday.