By DONNA KENNY KIRWAN

PAWTUCKET—During almost two hours of testimony on the city’s new noise ordinance for feasts and festivals, what came through the loudest was a plea for compromise.

Over 50 people packed the Blackstone Valley Visitors Center Monday night to address the City Council Ordinance Committee on a new 10 p.m. limit on outdoor music played at feasts and festivals.
While the noise ordinance itself isn’t new, the City Council in January passed an amendment designed to address complaints from residents who live in neighborhoods where the events take place. The amendment states that on Fridays, Saturdays and the day before legal holidays, outdoor amplified music may only occur between the hours of 10 a.m. and 10 p.m.
However, the 10 p.m. cut-off has been widely criticized by members of several religious and cultural organizations who run the annual feasts and festivals. Event sponsors have argued that the 10 p.m. is too early to shut down the music, and several have lobbied city officials to reconsider an 11 p.m. ending time instead.
After listening to arguments from both sides, the Ordinance Committee took no formal action to change the ordinance, but pledged to meet again to discuss a possible compromise. “I can assure you, this dialogue will continue,” said Councilor Thomas Hodge, who chairs the Ordinance Committee. “There is no solution for tonight, but we’ve heard the passion and emotion.”
Among those urging a compromise was David Andrade, president of the Portuguese American Citizens Committee who said he was speaking at the behest of the Portuguese Social Club, Grupo Amigos da Terceira, Clube Uniao Beneficiente, and St. Anthony’s Church.
Andrade noted how important the revenue is from the annual feasts and blamed the new ordinance for what he said was a sharp drop in attendance at the recent St. Anthony’s Church feast. He also pointed to the recent outdoor concert at McCoy Stadium, which went past 10 p.m., and said there are those who feel the ordinance is “discriminatory” to the Portuguese community and “arbitrary” in the 10 p.m. noise limit.
Fr. Jose Rocha, administrator of St. Anthony’s Church, reiterated that this year’s feast drew substantially less people than in years past. He told the committee that “unless we have some music outside, we’re not going to attract people to our festivals.”
Jose Azevedo, of the Portuguese Social Club on School Street, said that his organization has been holding its annual festival for 90 years, and tries hard to be a good neighbor. “But, there’s got to be a little give and take here,” he said, noting that the event only occurs one weekend out of the year.
Victor Santos, director of Grupo Amigos da Terceira, presented the committee with petitions that he said show
that “Ninety-seven percent” of the neighbors from the Memorial Drive area are not opposed to its annual three-day festival. He pointed out the many charitable works that are accomplished with revenue raised by the event and said he feels that 11 p.m. would be a good compromise.”
However, while largely outnumbered, several city residents spoke in favor of keeping the 10 p.m. limit, saying the loud music can be irritating.
Louise Plante said she knows some parents of young children who take them out of the neighborhood during festival nights so they can get to sleep, while another resident of Memorial Drive complained of noise from loud music and buses idling, as well as parking and traffic problems for residents.
Several other speakers said they aren’t against the events themselves, but would like to see the music turned down to a lower level. “It gets to me after three nights,” said one Sharon Avenue man, of the Grupo Amigos da Terceira’s event. “Have your festival, but don’t make it so loud.”
Albert Vitali Jr., a candidate for city council-at-large, suggested that a compromise could be reached by having bands, whether at the neighborhood festivals or McCoy Stadium, lower the decibel level of the music in exchange for an hour later ending time.
Councilor Henry Kinch Jr., defended the crafting of the 10 p.m. time limits, saying it was not done arbitrarily, but in response to numerous discussions with disgruntled neighbors. “It never was ‘us versus them,’” he said.
However, by the end of the meeting, Kinch, Council President Mary Bray, and the members of the Ordinance Committee said they would be willing to remain open to more discussion on the matter in the spirit of finding a compromise solution.
Hodge said the committee would schedule an additional meeting with the key parties involved in the weeks ahead to consider the upcoming events that are planned.