HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019 Apr 24 - Letter from Stone & Reid STONE & REID
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
A PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION*
SOUTH YARMOUTH PROFESSIONAL BUILDING
1292 ROUTE 28 SOUTH YARMOUTH, MA 02664-4452
TEL (508) 394-5648 FAX (508) 398-1699
DAVID S. REID, ESQ. MICHAEL F. STONE, ESQ.
DSReid@verizon.net MFStoneEsq@comcast.net
April 24, 2019
St.David's Episcopal Church -
205 Old Main Street `mo vas
South Yarmouth MA 02664 APR 2 6 2019
Re:Nelson Hall HEALTH DEQ
Dear Reverend Taylor,
I am contacting you today on behalf of your neighbor,Erick Cooper.Mr. Cooper
advises me that you have been renting the Parish Hall for outside events, and that they
have been increasingly disturbing to the neighborhood. Last Saturday evening, for
example,the amplified music was far too loud, and lasted well beyond 11:00 PM. In the
past,patrons of these events have also been loitering around the parking lot during and
after events, causing Mr. Cooper to install a fence along his back lot line.
I note that in 2002 you were issued a special permit in connection with the
construction of the Hall.At that time it was represented that the Parish Hall was to be
used for church events,not as a commercial event facility. Over the past year or more,
there have been numerous events held there, including wedding receptions and night-
club-style gatherings,that appear to have had no connection to the church's functions. I
see that your own website contains a link to a professional event planner, Epic Events,
for those wishing to rent the Hall. Your Facebook listing advertising the
availability of the Hall to the public as a "Large meeting facility with full kitchen",
for "up to 130 people" for "wedding receptions, parties and business meetings"
appears to be a commercial venture, well beyond church functions.
In my opinion, such advertising and rentals of the hall, for events unrelated to
church functions, is a commercial operation,not a permitted use of this property,which
is, as you know, located in the middle of a highly restricted ( RS40) residential
neighborhood.
Mr. Cooper has no desire to be unneighborly nor to interfere with legitimate
church related functions. However,recent events have gone well beyond that. I
understand that he has spoken with church officials about his concerns on more than
one occasion over the past two summers. When the event of last weekend occurred,
foretelling another summer of noisy parties and commercial functions,he felt compelled
to take action. Therefore, on behalf of Mr. Cooper,we request that you cease all such
rentals and immediately remove from your web site and Facebook page the link to the
commercial event planner. We further request that when any legitimate events are
planned for the Hall in the future,you make sure to seek and secure all necessary
licenses for the service of alcohol and/or the provision of entertainment in advance
of the event so that Town bylaws are complied with and so that the neighbors are
aware, forewarned, and have the opportunity to address any concerns before such
licensing authorities.
Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter.
Very r.ly yours,
ID avid S. Reid
CC: Yarmouth Building Department
Yarmouth Board of Health
*Each attorney in this office is an independent practitioner who is not responsible for the practice or liabilities of the other.