HOUSTON - After another loud concert booming into their homes, people living near White Oak Music Hall are saying if the venue won’t turn it down, the city should shut it down.
People more than a half-mile away say their windows were rattled by the bass and their kids were woken up with explicit lyrics during a set by A$AP Mob Thursday night.
“I also have an autistic son, and it was very hard for him to go through that show last night,” said Theresa Cavin, who says she lives about 400 feet away from the venue. “Every other word was a profanity.”
Noise coming from the venue’s outdoor stage has been an ongoing issue with some residents since the outdoor shows began in April 2016, eventually leading to them to take legal action against the venue and the City of Houston.
Cris Feldman, who is representing some of those residents, says repeated pleas to turn the music down have gone nowhere, and the situation has only gotten worse.
Feldman said the Houston Police Department issued a citation during the concert Thursday night.
“But this is the pattern,” said Feldman. “HPD will issue a citation, it gets hung up in municipal court, and nothing ever happens. We have ineffective laws and ineffective leadership.”
Feldman, like some neighbors, also had strong words for the area’s City Council Member, Karla Cisneros, who he claimed “hasn’t done anything”.
However, Cisneros disagrees, telling KHOU 11 News she’s helped convene several meetings between neighbors and developers to reach a resolution.
“I’m not ignoring anything,” said Cisneros. “To say I’m unresponsive, that’s unfair.”
Cisneros also said now that the case is in the judicial system, the judge will make the key decisions, not the city.
The Council Member says the issue has been “very divisive in the neighborhood”, with some residents appreciating the economic boost.
Constituents like Sarah Lankau said Thursday’s concert woke up her young children inside of her home, nearly three-quarters of a mile away.
She said she welcomes development and loves having new businesses come in; she just asks that those new arrivals respect their neighbors.
“I wouldn’t do that to my neighbors, I wouldn’t expect them to do that to me,” said Lankau. “So just be courteous, follow the rules, work with us, and we’re happy to have you.”
A judge says White Oak Music Hall can hold four more shows on their outdoor stage before the December 11 trial, which was originally set for the current week but delayed by Harvey.
William Moye, the venue’s attorney, had no comment Friday due to the ongoing lawsuit.