White Oak Music Hall lawsuit headed to court
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- From concerts to the courtroom.
A lawsuit is being filed against White Oak Music Hall off of North Main Street because neighbors say it's just too loud.
White Oak Music Hall drew more than 60 noise complaints in five months while it had a temporary outdoor stage set up.
Now, the city is allowing the venue to put in a permanent outdoor stage and residents are not happy about it.
They plan to file a state district court lawsuit against the music hall.
Neighbors recorded a video four blocks away and you could hear the music from the venue.
Back in September, the owners of the White Oak Music Hall told ABC13 they were working with the city to make sure the lawn venue complies with permitting requirements and that includes all city oversight related to the stage.
RELATED: Neighbors complain about loud music at new venue near downtown
There's a news conference scheduled for Wednesday by the people filing a lawsuit right outside the concert hall.
The White Oak Music Hall released the following statement to ABC13:
White Oak Music Hall is aware of a petition from certain neighbors seeking to receive monetary compensation from prior outdoor events and to prevent us from having said outdoor events in the future. The charges of undue sound nuisance are unfounded as WOMH operates within the COH sound ordinance and will continue to do so when operating its fully permitted lawn stage.
WOMH has proactively worked with its neighbors since unveiling the project in 2013 including signing a memorandum of understanding for dispute resolution. In addition WOMH has offered its facilities to local schools, held neighborhood job fairs, extensively hired local contractors and labor, and supported and showcased many local artists.
In response to recent neighborhood concerns stemming from the COH issuance of a permit for the permanent stage for the lawn venue, WOMH has made repeated efforts to reach out to these neighbors to schedule a meeting to hear their concerns, including an email to the Community Coordinating Team (CCT) on Nov. 2nd which was ignored. WOMH continues to operate with the highest level of commitment to neighborhood safety and consideration of quality of life for the community. These efforts include hiring HPD officers for our shows to manage traffic and oversee patron safety, conducting sound studies to explore noise mitigation techniques and best practices, and investing in infrastructure beyond permit requirements including extensive parking lot lighting and expanded width pedestrian sidewalks.
We look forward to continuing to work with our numerous neighborhood supporters, as well as those concerned, to continue to improve the White Oak Music experience for not only our patrons, but those who live around us.
