Changes coming to Panther Island festivals following late-night noise complaints
A combination of bad weather and lax rules allowed sound from April’s Ubbi Dubbi festival to carry from Panther Island Pavillion to as far away as Lake Worth, Tarrant Regional Water District operations chief Darrell Beason told the board Tuesday.
The techno music festival ran until midnight on April 22 and April 23, causing residents to complain the pulsing bass sounds were rattling windows and keeping children awake.
A cold front and a change and a change in the wind allowed the low frequency bass sounds to travel farther than originally intended, Beason said. The district received about 40 complaints starting at 10 p.m. on Sunday.
While the festival was in compliance with all city noise rules, Beason said the district would make changes in the future to prevent further disruptions.
Events held at the Panther Island Pavilion will be allowed only between 7 a.m and 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 7 a.m. to midnight Thursday though Saturday, he said.
The district will also work with the festival’s organizers to install more sound deadening equipment at Panther Island Pavillion and establish a phone line for noise complaints, so the district and the organizers can act quickly to adjust their set up to reduce disruptions, Beason said.
Board president Leah King thanked Beason and district staff for their quick action to address resident concerns.
She noted that she and other board members got a lot of complaints about the noise, and said this is an issue the board takes seriously.
“People should be able to be in their homes without that kind of interruption,” King said.
The event space is set to host the Tacos & Tequila Festival on May 20 and the Water Lantern Festival on June 24.
.jpg)