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Buffett show to go on despite noise concerns
By Times Staff Writer
Published February 23, 2005
TAMPA - Margaritaville will open Saturday night after all.
A Jimmy Buffett concert at a sold-out Ford Amphitheatre appeared in jeopardy because Judge Gregory Holder was to rule Saturday whether to block all shows because of noise complaints from nearby residents. But Clear Channel Entertainment and the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission reached an agreement Tuesday that guaranteed the Buffett concert would not be canceled, regardless of the hearing's outcome.
"The show will go on," said Don Conwell, a Clear Channel lawyer. "Until now, we've had 20,000 people who were left hanging in the air."
Rick Tschantz, the commission's general counsel, confirmed the agreement, but said he couldn't comment.
"I better not get into the reasoning behind it," Tschantz said. "It was unexpected."
The commission filed a lawsuit last year seeking to halt all concerts after it received dozens of complaints about concert noise. A hearing to decide the case was scheduled for Jan. 29, but Clear Channel was granted a delay to allow a Hank Williams Jr. concert.
A second hearing was set for Feb. 2, then postponed to allow the Florida State Fair's headline entertainment at the amphitheater - Travis Tritt on Feb. 10 and the Neville Brothers on Feb. 14.
Last week, Clear Channel sued, claiming the county's noise rules are "unconstitutionally vague."
For residents who are bothered by the noise, Tuesday's news that Buffett will play wasn't welcome.
"They haven't turned the volume down yet, so why would we expect them to cancel a concert because people are suffering," said Sarah Carleton, who said that even though she lives 3 miles away, her windows vibrate when concerts get cranking.
"I wish people would boycott until Clear Channel agrees to turn the music down," she said. "If people want to enjoy the music, all they have to do is sit on my front lawn."
[Last modified February 23, 2005, 00:34:19]
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