By Patrick Hedlund
DNAinfo News Editor
EAST VILLAGE — An attempt to tone down free concerts in Tompkins Square Park due to noise complaints has show organizers up in arms over what they see as a restriction of free speech in the formerly gritty park.
Punk and hardcore shows have been a regular occurrence on the park's south side for years, with crowds — and noise — ranging in volume depending on the performer.
But based on recent gripes from neighbors, Community Board 3 passed a resolution this week seeking to scale back the number of concerts held during weekends, requesting the scheduling of shows just one day per weekend, and even moving some to other parks in non-residential areas.
The resolution states that some concerts "are extremely loud and assault the senses, including inside peoples' homes," and that "people in this area suffer from abnormal levels of noise pollution every weekend."
The board's decision to address the issue hasn't sat well with some show organizers, who immediately took their disapproval online by blasting the board on local blogs.
"We hope that we can resolve things before they get to the point of lawsuits and demonstrations, but we will not allow the use of our Park to be restricted by a self-appointed sound-nazi who has no authority to change or create policy or impinge upon the free speech of others," Chris Flash, a longtime concert organizer and founder of the alternative local publication The Shadow, told EV Grieve.
"We want to respect our neighbors, but we don't want a f—ing police state to arbitrarily enforce sound limits on music that some may not find appealing."
Aside from the punk shows, the park also hosts performances by drumming groups and an annual jazz festival.
The board has received the most complaints from residents of East Seventh Street, which runs along the south side of Tompkins Square Park, said Community Board 3 District Manager Susan Stetzer.
In response, CB 3 held a meeting last month to discuss the plan and subsequently passed the resolution without protest on Tuesday.
Board chairman Dominic Pisciotta noted that those upset about the resolution neglected to attend Tuesday's meeting to speak out publicly against the plan.
"It was a missed opportunity for them to constructively express their position on this and express their concerns," he said.
Even so, local activists plan to protest the decision during a Halloween demonstration at Tompkins Square Park.
"This is the first of a series of community get-togethers," said longtime East Village activist John Penley, noting that the situation mirrors past battles over use of public space, including the 1988 Tompkins Square Park riot, when people railed against police for removing homeless people from the park.
"The riot was all about that," he said, referring to defending the park for public use.
Stetzer said the board's decision had nothing to do with musical taste or preventing certain concerts — but trying to better manage the shows and keep noise from disturbing peoples' daily lives.
"All people have to do is just be a little bit respectful and turn it down a notch, and nobody would care," she said, noting that the police and other officials used to better monitor the noise.
"The concert should be in the park," Stetzer added. "It should not be in peoples' homes blocks away."
The Parks Department, which issues concert permits at Tompkins Square only up to twice per month maximum, stated that it will work closer with the board and other city agencies to deal with the noise.
"We will be working with the community board and others to address concerns that any permitted concerts be kept to a reasonable volume," said Parks Department spokesman Phil Abramson in a statement.
"We will also continue working with the NYPD and DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) on this matter as they are the agencies that enforce the city's noise control code."
