Albuquerque Bar Agrees To Turn It Down

Some Corrales residents are presumably sleeping a little better after an Albuquerque restaurant and bar took measures to reduce noise emanating from the establishment.

Noise from Elliott’s, near the Bernalillo County and Sandoval County line on Corrales Road near Alameda Boulevard, was one of the topics of discussion during Tuesday night’s Village Council meeting in Corrales.

Councilor Pat Clauser told the council many of her constituents who live in the Entrada de Corrales subdivision had come to her expressing concern about loud music and other noise coming from Elliott’s, particularly on the weekends.

Owner Rick Elliott said he is doing whatever it takes to lessen the noise that stems from his establishment and floats into the Entrada de Corrales subdivision that is about 100 to 150 feet away.

“We have been here 16 years,” Elliott said of his restaurant and bar. “I have a lot of sympathy for the neighborhood. I care about the neighborhood and want to be a good neighbor.”

Elliott entered into a nuisance abatement agreement with the city of Albuquerque on April 27 to resolve the situation. He also is in the process of putting up a Plexiglas wall that surrounds his establishment’s outdoor patio to block sound coming from talking patrons.

He also is considering keeping patio umbrellas open and installing awnings to create additional buffers.

Elliott said the main problem appeared to be a door that led in and out of a room where bands play at his business. The door is now only used as a fire exit and the volumes on bands and DJs have been turned down.

Tom Mann, who serves as the spokesman for Entrada de Corrales residents and lives in the subdivision, said the changes have made a difference.

“For the last week, (Elliott’s) has been very good in managing their noise,” Mann said. “I have spoken with several other residents who said it has been the quietest it has been in several years.”

Problems to control the noise arose because the complaints came from Corrales and the establishment is located in Albuquerque, according to Mann and Elliott. It was initially unclear which jurisdiction could enforce the noise ordinance.

Elliott said Corrales residents were contacting Albuquerque police about the problem and not contacting him about it.

Albuquerque’s Safe City Strike Force Enforcement Manager Joe Martinez said he and one of the city’s noise control officers, Hal Senke, have visited Elliott’s to measure decibel levels and did notice noise levels were a little high. Martinez said the noise levels were typical of any bar and recognized that Elliott immediately began taking measures to reduce noise at his establishment. Noise levels cannot exceed 50 decibels after 10 p.m., according to the city’s ordinance.