Toning Down Tampa's Noise Ordinance Will Negatively Impact Nightlife, Say Bar Owners

TAMPA, FL — Tampa residents and business owners will have a chance to sound off on a proposal to tone down the city's existing noise ordinance when it comes to nightlife.

While urban developers are promoting walkable communities that blend residential and commercial uses, city officials are beginning to realize that the two lane uses don't always mix.

Residents of condominiums and apartments say the loud live music and raucous sports bar watch parties taking place late at night are disturbing their peace and quiet.

At an hours' long city council meeting Jan. 13, residents said the noise levels are out of control.

“We can actually hear the DJ over our television sets and the bass shakes our homes," said Jennifer Small who lives in a condo in the South Howard Avenue area, known as SoHo, a popular neighborhood that's attracted a number of new bars, restaurants and entertainment venues in recent years. "This is a nuisance at any time of the day."

In response to the residents' complaints, the council agreed to amend the city's existing noise ordinance, limiting amplified sound after midnight. The current ordinance was adopted on Aug. 25, 2016.

The amended ordinance would also give Tampa police officers more discretion when it comes to citing violators.

This caused an outcry from bar owners who say it's not reasonable to restrict music and other amplified sounds hours before their businesses close.

They say the restrictions are going to hurt businesses that are just now achieving a sense of normalcy after the coronavirus shutdowns.

Carole Post, administrator for development and economic opportunity for the city, agreed it's going to be difficult to strike a balance in urban areas that encourage mixed uses.

“We want our businesses to grow, to be vibrant and active," she said. "But residents also deserve to know when the music is going to stop and when they can have some peace and quiet.”

Richard Boom, who has owned and managed bars in Ybor City for years and serves as a director for the Ybor Merchants Association, said Ybor is known for its nightlife. He pointed out that the area was a popular entertainment venue long before developers began converting old cigar factories and warehouses into residential uses.

He added that one of the draws to living in Ybor City is the very nightlife that residents want to subdue.

Further complicating things for Ybor City business owners is the fact that many of the bars and entertainment venues in Ybor are located in historic buildings that can't be retrofitted with insulation to mute sound.

“You’re playing with people’s lives," said Tom DeGeorge, owner of the popular Ybor City music venue, Crowbar Ybor and also a member of the Ybor Merchants Association's board of directors. "We’ve suffered enough."

In Ybor City, the problem is compounded by the fact that the district was founded by Cuban and Italian immigrants in the late 1800s who designed the buildings with Italian-style courtyards specifically for outdoor entertainment.

One of the Crowbar's draws is its beer garden, said DeGeorge.

Since the ordinance doesn't go into effect for six months, the city council agreed to host the public information meetings to give both residents and business owners a chance to voice their concerns and, hopefully, reach a consensus.

City staff will then return to the council at a workshop April 28 with recommendations.

Those wishing to participate in the public information meetings must preregister by clicking here.