Great American Tavern Keeps Extended Patio Hours

The selectmen voted to permanently extend the hours of the patio at the Great American Tavern at their meeting on Monday night. The board originally granted a temporary extension of their patio hours last June.

The management at Great American Tavern has been dealing with complaints since last year from neighbors in the area. The noise created by live bands seems to be the biggest issue remaining.

Management from the eatery was present at the meeting and stated that $8,000 was spent on soundproofing and a screen wall was constructed to keep some of the noise from affecting neighbors. One neighbor behind the restaurant that previously complained about the noise was happy with the addition, Selectman Joe Foti said.

According to Selectmen Chairman Sean Delaney, police recently spent more time patrolling the restaurant as Chief Michael Murphy put out a selective enforcement order after the board elected to do the temporary extension of patio hours in June. The department's reports stated that it had been relatively quiet in the area.

A Brooks Road resident had a different experience with the noise levels. The resident said at the meeting that despite her living three streets away, she was still able to hear the live music late at night.

Selectman Steve O'Leary said he would like to see the management come up with a solution to the noise issue, or else he would consider entertaining a restriction on entertainment hours.

The board did not believe that the noise issue had anything to do with the extended patio hours, so the patio will remain open until 9 p.m. The extension was approved unanimously.