Cambridge council to review event permits after slew of noise complaints

After being inundated with noise complaints stemming from a cultural event in Riverside Park, Cambridge city council will be looking at its noise by-law and event permitting process.

The issue arose over the Labour Day long weekend.

Riverside was hosting a Garba, a Hindu festival involving dancing and music that Saturday night. By-law began receiving complaints about the loud music in the evening. At the same time, Cambridge ward 3 councillor Corey Kimpson said she too began receiving complaints.

Riverside Park closes each night at 11 p.m. and city event permits also have an end time of 11. Council though does have the ability to grant exemptions, however that’s not what happened here.

Kimpson told The Mike Farwell Show she was able to hear the music from her home several blocks away but chose to wait until 11 p.m. before contacting by-law herself.

“When 11 o’clock came and went, I contacted our by-law department and asked them to look into things.” She said.

When the music continued, Kimpson went down to Riverside to find out what was going on.

“I met with our mobile security team (by-law) and there was some confusion because the event organizer had a permit that had been issued by the City of Cambridge, allowing the event to go to 12 midnight. Even though the park closes at 11, the permit allows them to stay until midnight.”

Kimpson wanted to make it clear that the organizer did nothing wrong and had all the required paperwork in order.

So that meant there was something wrong with the permitting process at city hall.

Kimpson said she brought up the matter with fellow councillors and it was determined that a pending noise by-law review may have led to exemption applications not being presented to council.

Kimpson has since called for a broader review of by-law and event permits in the city.

“It’s my understanding that the report for the noise by-law review is coming, I’ve been told, in October. So we’re going to have an opportunity then as a council to review what is being proposed and make changes. Now, we’ll have our experience from these events to guide us.”