Club Royal owner: Loud bass could be from another banquet hall

Club Royal B&V owner Jaime Benitez is willing to try anything to make his neighbors happy, he told the East Dundee village board Monday.

The banquet hall, at 940 Dundee Ave., has been the subject of recent complaints from residents who say they can feel the bass in their homes. In response to those complaints - and the three citations he has received since he opened Club Royal in March - Benitez said he's purchased equipment and lowered bass levels to stifle the sound.

But his establishment may not be the only one responsible, Benitez said, suggesting that The Milk Pail, a restaurant and banquet hall located just down the street at 14N630 Route 25, could also be a cause of heavy bass levels felt at neighboring homes.

"It could be coming from someone else, but I'm the one getting the complaints and the tickets," he said. "I don't think that's fair."

Village President Lael Miller told Benitez he made an interesting point and said village officials would look into it.

"We can only go forward; we can't go back," Miller said. "We're more than willing to work with you on this, but we have to protect the neighbors that have a valid concern about the noise."

The village board has handled various noise complaints before. The problem this time is the village's current noise ordinance sets a limit on the decibel of the sound but does not account for bass levels, said Deputy Village Administrator Heather Maieritsch, who has been working with a sound technician.

Sound vibrations can travel far distances underground, she said, and residents can likely hear and feel the bass more when they are in their homes than when they are outdoors because of the way the bass vibrates off the walls.

"It's a whole different animal altogether," Maieritsch said. "It's very hard to monitor and be able to regulate as a village."

With no easy way of measuring bass levels, trustees questioned the best way to hold club, bar and banquet hall owners responsible. Miller suggested adding one of two options to the ordinance: mandating business owners use specialized equipment or fining them.

Trustee Robert Gorman suggested they include both.

To fix the sound issues at Club Royal, Benitez said he has purchased noise absorbing pads and soundproofing insulation to put around the whole building. He has made an effort to turn the bass down to a low level, he said, and is willing to purchase any additional necessary equipment.

Benitez's citations will also be heard at a June 24 administrative meeting, where he could be fined up to $750.

"We've been working hard on the building," he told the board. "We need time to do everything. We have to go step by step."

Trustee Kirstin Wood said that while this might solve the problem at hand, updating the current ordinance is the best way to negate future problems.

"I think it's something we owe to our residents," she said.