D365Prod311 created Other, 10/11/2023 7:30:32 AM

Hi - if I may offer some advice, I've gone through similar issues with Social Beer Garden for many years. I really understand the distress this can cause.

By playing music at an excessive level at night, the club is breaking the noise ordinance, so you need to call (713)884-3131 - the police non-emergency line. 311 will not be able to help you with this problem.

When you call the police non-emergency line, press 1 to go on hold. When the operator answers you'll need to provide the following: what you are reporting (a noise complaint), the address of Ratio, the cross street, the number of people at the scene (an estimate is fine), your name and phone number, and if you wish to speak to the officer when they arrive. This is up to you, but I recommend speaking to the officer the first few times, so that you can impress upon them how severe the problem is.

It may take awhile for the police to arrive. This can be frustrating, and it may take several tries before they arrive while the noise is still happening, but eventually they will be able to help you, and the police in Midtown have become increasingly aware of the seriousness of this problem. By calling them consistently you will also build a record of complaints against the club.

Unfortunately, I have to add that this website has not been helpful in addressing real problems faced by residents in Midtown, whether that be problem clubs like Ratio, water leaks that have lasted for years (Main and Elgin), broken sidewalks, etc.

Thanks for the advice. I actually have that number saved in my phone and have tried it many times. Nothing is working. I am at the point where I cannot live like this anymore. Our building says they can’t do anything. The cops don’t care. I see them out there chatting it up with the bouncers for an hour at a time so I think the owner must have friends in the police dept. and they can do whatever they want. It honestly feels as though I cannot have a moment of peace in my own home and it is quickly driving me to insanity.

I understand. I can only say that it took time for us, but consistently calling the police produced results for us, as frustrating as the process can be.

The primary challenge in dealing with excessive noise from bars/clubs in Midtown is that what they are doing is legal. This is usually why you see police talking to the bouncers--they're asking the bars to turn the music down since they can't require them to turn the music down.

The allowable decibel level in Houston is very high. Please call on the mayor and city council to:

• Reduce the allowable noise level for bars/clubs within 300 feet of a residence. Currently, permitted bars/clubs may make 75 decibels of noise as measured within a residential property from 8am to 10pm/11pm. That is the same amount of noise produced by a vacuum cleaner.

• Institute a general prohibition for nighttime noise (after 10pm/11pm) that is “plainly audible to a person of normal hearing when measured inside a receiving dwelling unit.”

The only way to fix this is to change the city ordinance.

Thank you for submitting this request (#2301062327).

Status: Further Actions

Resolution:

Thank you for contacting us. Please call Non-Emergency Police Dispatch for assistance at 713-884-3131. For more information, please call 311. (If outside Houston, dial 713-837-0311.) Thank you again for contacting the City of Houston 311 Help & Information center.