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A Right to Peace

The Madison Beach Hotel and the Town of Madison lost the case concerning the Madison Beach Hotel concerts and noise because it isn’t a question of how many people love the concerts, but about rules and regulations that have been put into place to secure the rights of the neighbors. In the recent ruling, the judge said as much. The rights of people should not be terminated because a particular group or even a majority of people wants to overrule it, however much good there might be in holding concerts.

Additionally, the comments on the ruling made by our first selectman, Tom Banisch, was spin doctoring. Of course, the town lost and trying to spin it as a non-loss is not true: It was a $100,000 waste of money. The town would not have been party to the lawsuit if it had enforced the regulations and agreements in the first place.

I admit to bias in my opinion, though I know none of the participants in the Madison Beach Hotel case. I suffer from a neighbor who assaults the quiet every summer, July though August. Loud rock music is played with the speakers aimed at my property. The music and loud P.A. announcements play for three- to six hours nearly daily from Camp Laurelwood. Visitors and construction workers remodeling our home have used the word “obnoxious” to describe the music.

Our complaints and attempts at dialog are met with silence though we have been frostily informed that there is no noise ordinance in Madison. (A pity.) Thus, I understand and support the neighbors in the hotel case. They have a right to peace and to enjoy their homes.

Karen Kumor

Madison