To the editor,
Let me begin by acknowledging that the Dry Dock is one of the best things to happen to Main Street in the last decade. The food is good, the atmosphere is warm, and the fact that it occupies the old Thorne & Sons boat shed — a building my grandfather worked in — gives it a connection to this town’s history that no chain restaurant could replicate.
I say this so the reader understands that I am not writing as someone who dislikes the Dry Dock. I am writing as someone who lives three doors down from it.
Since the restaurant opened its outdoor patio last month, my bedroom has been treated to amplified music until 10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. I am not opposed to amplified music in principle, but I am opposed to being unable to hear my own television at 9:15 on a Saturday evening. The patio faces Elm Street, and the sound carries straight up the block.
I spoke with the manager, who was polite but explained that the town’s noise ordinance does not take effect until 11 PM, so they are within their rights. He is correct about the ordinance. But being within your rights and being a good neighbour are not the same thing.
I am asking the Dry Dock’s owners to consider turning the volume down a notch, or angling the speakers differently, or closing the patio doors at a reasonable hour on weeknights. I would like to keep patronizing the establishment. I would also like to sleep.
Respectfully,
Mr. Thomas Ouellette 35 Elm Street Willow Creek