Wallingford PZC Postpones Decision on Oakdale Permit

The ongoing dispute between Wallingford and the owners of the Oakdale Theatre will go on for a while longer as the Planning and Zoning Commission postponed a decision on approving changes to Live Nation’s special permit until next month’s meeting.

While both sides continue discussions to resolve the items in the town’s cease-and-desist order, the issue at the center of it all — noise — was not discussed at Monday night’s meeting.

Joan Molloy, the attorney representing Live Nation, made a presentation that focused on modifying the permit to allow concerts in the “Dome” area and allow VIP parking but said the company was still working with the town on the noise issue and she didn’t intend to discuss it Monday night, according to the Hartford Courant.

As far as the items that were discussed, the PZC appeared favorable to Live Nation’s proposals to change the parking lot and to allow dome concerts, the Meriden Record-Journal reports.

But PZC chairman James Seichter said the “the elephant in the room tonight is the noise… I like a lot of what I’ve heard here tonight, but the noise is the key issue that needs to be resolved,” according to the New Haven Register.

The commission will continue the discussion at its next meeting on July 13.

Live Nation had requested an increase in the decibel level in the town’s noise ordinance or a limited exception for the Oakdale.

However, Corporation Counsel Janis Small notified the Town Council last week that it is not allowed to grant Live Nation the exemption because it would exceed the state law.

Live Nation has filed an appeal in Superior Court to the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals decision to uphold the cease-and-desist order in an effort to ”preserve the status quo” while continuing negotiations.

Ever since the town issued the cease-and-desist letter was issued, fans of the Oakdale have rallied and shown their support to the music venue and an online petition and a Facebook page, both called Save the Oakdale, were launched.