—Between the thumping bass of downtown nightlife, the roar of modified exhaust pipes, and the hum of massive new pool pumps, residents and business owners are clashing over the ultimate soundtrack of the city. To find harmony, the commission voted unanimously on March 23 to bring in the big guns—Gainesville-based Siebein Associates—for a comprehensive, citywide soundscape study.
—The Symphony of the Streets
—The meeting highlighted the growing pains of a city that has rapidly transformed. “We have a lot more residents living downtown than we used to, so now we are trying to find the new and right balance,” noted Vice Mayor Kathy Kelley Ohlrich.
But it’s not just the thumping bass from local bars keeping people awake. Residents and business owners alike pointed the finger at “deliberate noise” from vehicles. Jim Lampl, a downtown resident of 15 years, wanted to make it abundantly clear that he and his neighbors aren’t just complaining about normal city life.
“We expect garbage trucks at 7 or 7:30 in the morning. That’s city living,” Lampl said. He recounted a recent Saturday night featuring a “red Corvette pace car with a guy who kept circling downtown at least four times, deliberately revving and popping between Palm Avenue and Main Street”. “These are people who are not your customers,” he pointed out. “These are people who are just there to get noticed”.
Acoustic expert Gary Siebein sympathized, recalling his own gearhead youth with a stark realization of how times have changed. “When I was a kid, I did some work on automobiles with my friends,” Siebein mused. “You would do this in your driveway, but you never dream of driving downtown and making all this racket”.
—Throwing a Cast Net Over the Core
—Restaurateurs, meanwhile, defended their right to operate while acknowledging the shifting landscape. Paul Mattison, owner of Mattison’s City Grill, added a dose of reality for those moving into the bustling urban core: “Chose to live in an urban environment, you’re going to have sounds different from living on a golf course”. He noted that at a previous meeting, most complaints actually centered around engines revving, street racing, and “a trunk load full of speakers at South Lido park”.
Mike Quillin, owner of Gecko’s Hospitality Group, reminded everyone that Sarasota wasn’t always this lively: “We can remember back years and years ago when Main Street, we all know the cliche that you can roll a ball down Main street, close it up at 5:00”.
Ann Rollings captured the sheer difficulty of regulating such a diverse landscape. “It’s not as easy — I’ll use the metaphor of throwing a cast net over the whole urban core,” she said.
Even residential upgrades are adding to the din. John Harshman pointed out that as older homes are demolished and replaced, massive new air-conditioning units and multiple pool pumps are creating localized noise pollution for next-door neighbors.
—Sculpting the Soundscape with “Magic Ears”
—Enter Gary and Keely Siebein. The acoustic experts proposed a data-driven approach to “sculpt the soundscape of Sarasota”. Their methodology involves short-term and long-term measurements, focus group meetings, and “soundwalks” during quiet times, busy times, and “midnight acoustics” when the real problems occur.
Keely Siebein highlighted the unique challenge of “verticality” in Sarasota. Often, code enforcement measures sound at street level, finding no violations, while residents on the 10th floor of a high-rise face a direct line of sight to a blaring venue. She also noted the phenomenon of “hidden sound sources,” where residents might blame a visible restaurant with its doors closed, while the actual culprit is an unseen pop-up venue directly behind it. To combat this, the firm uses 3D computer models—likened to an MRI for city noise—to visualize how sound travels through the urban fabric.
Gary Siebein kept things grounded when Vice Mayor Ohlrich questioned him about the difference between perception and measurement. “We don’t have magic ears,” Siebein admitted. But he perfectly described the shock of high-rise acoustics: “When you go into whatever, Mrs. Jones living unit, 20 floors up above and it’s like, whoa, I had no idea this is what’s happening”.
—“Word Salads” and Wallet Shock
—Not everyone was thrilled about bringing in high-priced consultants. The proposal from Siebein comes with an estimated budget between $175,000 and $250,000.
Vice Mayor Ohlrich directly questioned if the process could be abbreviated to save the people’s money without jeopardizing the validity of the work. Gary Siebein acknowledged that there is some latitude to adjust the scope, depending on how many areas the city ultimately wants studied.
Local provocateur Martin Hyde was far more blunt. “Well, I’m still the same guy I was an hour ago,” Hyde began. “I like the sound of my own voice, but I don’t like noise”.
Hyde wasn’t sold on the fancy 3D acoustic models and data-driven promises. “Word salads are very expensive. No disrespect, but all of these reports are word salads,” he declared. He urged the commission to cap the spending: “Can we call this one a hundred grand and call it quits? I hope so”.
—The Law, The Limits, and Missing Cops
—Even with top-tier data, enforcement remains a thorny issue. Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch expressed concern over state preemptions, specifically Senate Bill 180, questioning if the city would even be legally allowed to implement Siebein’s recommendations.
City staff member Pat Robinson gave a candid, slightly exasperated defense of the Sarasota Police Department against accusations of lax enforcement. “I always tell you guys, we talk about signage, if people followed signs, I would be out of a job, right?” Robinson joked.
Robinson clarified that while some cities use sound cameras, “the state of Florida preempts that technology” for actual ticketing; it can only be used for monitoring. With only about 18 to 22 officers on duty 24/7, the likelihood of an officer being at the exact location the moment a car backfires is “very low”. He added a universal truth of policing to explain why the revving cars always seem to escape: “The cops are there when you don’t want them around and never there when you want them around is actually kind of a real thing”.
—The Final Vote
—Despite the skepticism and legal hurdles, the business community strongly backed the study. Restaurateur Mike Quillin expressed a desire for a long-term solution so businesses and residents can peacefully coexist: “I might not like the results. I have no idea. But I think we’re at least doing our best shot”.
Ultimately, Commissioner Liz Alpert moved to authorize the City Attorney to retain the acoustic consultant, which passed unanimously. A second motion to create an ad hoc noise control committee to guide the process also received consensus.
With the experts officially on board, Sarasota is hoping its noisy growing pains can soon be engineered into a manageable hum.
