WALLINGFORD, CT (CelebrityAccess) — After a three hour hearing by the Wallingford Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday night, the cease-and-desist order issued against the Toyota Oakdale Theatre remains in place.
The Zoning Board of Appeals was considering three motions – a motion to uphold the cease-and-desist order against the venue, a motion to reverse the cease-and-desist letter in regards to the noise issues at the venue, and a motion to reverse the cease-and-desist order against the venue over modifications to its parking lot. All three of the motions failed to pass, leaving the cease-and-desist orders in place, the Journal-Record said.
Live Nation was hit with the orders in December 2014 over noise complaints leveled against the venue by members of the community. The city's zoning board also took exception with Live Nation's use of the venue's domed lobby for concerts and for creating a VIP area in the venue's parking lot, both of which the town claims are violations of the special permit that allows the venue to operate.
According to the Journal-Record, 28 noise complaints were made against The Oakdale in 2014, with almost half coming from one residence. The company has taken steps to mitigate sound from the venue such as show curfews, decibel caps and installing padding to absorb bass frequencies and the promoter’s lawyer Joan Molloy noted at the hearing that the number of complaints has dropped to "one or two since the measures were adopted."
Live Nation had previously indicated that they might close the venue if the cease-and-desist orders remained in place and after the hearing, Molloy said that appealing the ZBA's decision to the state's Superior Court is a “viable possibility" according to the Journal-Record. – Staff Writers
