Business & Tech

West Hartford Zoning Commission Approves Outdoor Patio Area at Bishops Corner

Neighbors argued that the plan would create too much noise but the zoning commission voted to approve it with stipulations.

Though neighbors complained that a plan for two Bishops Corner restaurants to open outdoor dining areas would create too much noise, the plan will go forward with some conditions, according to the Hartford Courant.

The ruling comes from the West Hartford Town Plan and Zoning Commission after a three-part public hearing Tuesday night.

Residents organized to speak out against the plan, which would allow Noodles and Company to add 35 outdoor seats and Blue Plate Kitchen, slated to open in the fall, to add 60.  The group complained that the outdoor dining area would create additional noise that would disturb the residents and exceed town regulations, the article said.

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The group hired sound engineer Bennett Brooks, of Brooks Acoustics Corp. in Vernon to study the situation by taking sound readings from a nearby backyard. Brooks presented his findings Tuesday evening, saying that though current noise levels from the Bishops Corner businesses is currently just under town ordinances – 47 weighted decibels at 7 p.m., dropping to 42 dBA by 11 p.m. 

However, Brooks said, 60 male voices in a bar setting would create about 60 dBA.

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The town ordinance allows for just 55 dBA between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., and 45 dBA between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. 

The plan was approved with the following conditions: no outdoor music would be allowed; the patio would close at 11 p.m.; and noise levels would be checked once the patio was open.


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