When students look for living arrangements, location plays amajor factor. But sometimes conditions may not be as convenient asexpected.
Danielle Koshak, a finance junior who lives in Tiger Plaza, saidon some nights she can sing along with bands playing outside ofRotollo’s and at 2 a.m. she can clearly hear the conversations ofpeople returning from the bar.
Koshak said she did not consider the noise when she moved intoher apartment.
“I thought it was going to be convenient,” Koshak said. “I didnot really think about it at all actually, until the agent wastalking about the gate reducing bar foot traffic.”
Tiger Plaza added an entrance gate in fall 2003 after residentsurveys had reportedly asked for a gate to be added.
The gate helps to limit those entering the apartmentcomplex.
Koshak said living near Tigerland is more of a hassle now. Shesaid she is now resigned to the fact there is going to benoise.
Tiger Plaza leasing agent Will Mulina said most people find thelocation to be a convenience rather than an irritation.
“We have a study district — buildings 22 through 27,” Mulinasaid. “There are no parties allowed and quiet hours from 9 p.m. to9 a.m. for the more serious student.”
Buildings 22 through 27 are located farther away from theTigerland bars. Mulina said tenants in this area can receive leaseviolations for receiving noise complaints.
But it is not just those who live directly near bars who findthemselves disturbed by the sounds of late-night music.
Alexa Bollinger, a biological sciences senior, lives in theKappa Alpha Theta house on campus and said one night during finalsweek she awoke to what sounded like music from the Tigerlandarea.
“Inside it was a thudding noise,” Bollinger said. “The windowswere rattling and you could hear bass.”
Bollinger said the music was distinct when she steppedoutside.
“There were Pi Phis and stuff standing outside their house,”Bollinger said. “You could go out on the front lawn of the houseand, like, sing the words.”
Bollinger called the police who told her they had manycomplaints but could not determine the source of the noise.
She said a friend who was driving around that evening traced themusic to a bar in the Tigerland area.
Several bars in Tigerland feature live music on outdoor patios,posing a greater chance of disturbing residential neighbors.
Rotollo’s in Tigerland is located directly next to Tiger Plazaand hosts live music outdoors at least twice a week. But generalmanager Claire Sanderson said they have had few complaints.
“Drunk people will call and complain, but no one in their rightstate of mind,” Sanderson said.
Sanderson said the bar is licensed to have music outside but isunsure of any specific noise regulations.
Sanderson said she thinks the positives outweigh the negativesfor most students who live in the Tigerland area.
“If they are going to live directly behind four bars, you dealwith a few things,” Sanderson said.
Darin Adams, the owner of Reggie’s in Tigerland, designed hisbar to avoid noise complaints and said it has been successful.
“We have live bands on occasion, but we never have live musicoutside,” Adams said. “The stage inside faces directly away fromany of the doors.”
Cpl. Don Kelly said laws concerning noise violations have beenredrafted to simplify existing policies in recent years.
“It used to be decibel meters and so many feet and calibratedinstruments,” Kelly said. “Now if someone can hear it and does notwant to hear it, it’s a violation.”
According to the East Baton Rouge Parish Code of Ordinances, “Nomechanical loudspeaker or sound amplifier may be operated withinone hundred fifty (150) feet of the property line of the premisesof a residence, except between the hours of 8:00 a.m. andsunset.”
The ordinance is later clarified, if “the mechanical loudspeakeror sound amplifier was operated in a public place within anenclosed structure and was not audible beyond the property line ofthe premises on which it was located.”
Bars can still operate a speaker within the 150 feet if a lawenforcement officer operates it, to warn the public or for otheremergency situations.
Tiger Plaza property director Melissa Breland said she wasunsure if their property line was less than 150 feet from Rotollo’sback patio, but they have never had any major problems with thenoise.
“People choose to live in the front of the complex because it’sclose to the activity,” Breland said. “The front and the back ofthe complex are two totally different worlds.”
But Margaret Ganier, the secretary of the River Roads apartmentcomplex behind Tigerland said their complex does have noiseproblems.
And Ganier said the police are not always helpful when calledfor noise complaints.
“The manager has called several times to report excess noise,”Ganier said. “The police come out and say ‘Ah, sure is noisy’ andleave. ”
Repeated inquiries to the police department, ABC board andFred’s were not returned by press time.