LEWES, DE - The coastal town of Lewes is contemplating a potential shift as the city held a public hearing last night on a draft ordinance that would permit businesses to play ambient music outdoors.
Taking a walk downtown, you won't hear much of anything except perhaps some laughter, a good conversation, or the occasional dog bark. Folks like Rob Morgan prefer it that way. With an older community like Lewes, he believes that the quiet atmosphere is needed,
"My hearing's not great. I think I share that with a lot of my fellow citizens. When I go to a restaurant, I look to sit outside so it'll be quiet. It's nice, so you don't have the music in the restaurant; this would take that away." said Morgan.
So, this ordinance would change that and allow businesses and patios to play music outside, with a few limitations in place, according to the draft ordinance:
- The Outdoor recorded music does not create a Noise Disturbance.
- Speakers must be no larger than twenty (20) inches in width by twenty (20) inches in height.
- Speakers must face toward the subject Business Establishment.
- Outdoor prerecorded music is only permitted between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
The idea is that it would help draw customers in. Lynn Adams who works at Lewes Gifts says it would bring a bit of life to the area.
"I think it would be... fun! And it would draw interest into that store." said Adams.
She says her music helps create the atmosphere of the store,
"I like to play Rod Stewart, the great American songbook, and my customers love it. They get very relaxed. It brings back memories; that's what Lewes is all about," she added
Larry Franz, who lives near downtown, thinks it would be a great idea, given there are some limitations to maintain the quiet character.
"The type of music would have to fit the crowd that's innate to this area. It's important to have soft jazz and stuff like that, not heavy metal and those types of things," he said.
No vote has been made on the ordinance. The city is still allowing public comments to be made on the issue until March 22nd.
