Council’s Planning and Development Committee voted 8-4 to approve Councillor Sam Grosso’s hotly contested application for a live music venue in a converted stable on his Rednersville Road property in Carrying Place.

Sam’s Place has been operating without a permit in the middle of a neighbourhood of 80 residences zoned Rural Residential, where extra uses normally only extend to such things as a bed and breakfast or home daycare. Nearby homes are just 60 or 120 metres away.

37 registered deputations to Council’s Planning Committee took the meeting into the wee hours of the morning earlier this month. Some came from musicians — Miss Emily Fennell spoke in strong support — and local business owners, such as Tony Auciello of TerraCello Winery. Most deputants, however, were opposed, near neighbours who cited a fragile water table, wells running dry, and fire, safety and traffic concerns.

The number one worry was about amplified music. A close second was “site creep” once zoning is in place.

“Occasional music during the summer months for the mature crowd has become 90 events plus a wedding every week. In the middle of a high-density residential neighbourhood,” said near neighbour Heather Waldon.

Lawyer Spencer Putnam, speaking on behalf of neighbour Robert Williams, said flatly, “the key issue is noise.”

He noted the noise studies submitted for the applicants “showcase the problem with this kind of proposal in the heart of a residential neighbourhood.”

“The noise impact assessment played loud, amplified pink noise from the middle of the barn and measured what the noise was like at 22 receptors, some of which were placed at the homes surrounding the subject property. 18 of those 22 receptors recorded levels of noise in excess of the MECP guidelines to protect people from the adverse effects of noise.”

Those guidelines are set at 40 to 45 decibels depending on the time of day.  The Grossos propose limiting the decibels to 85 at any given time, but it was not clear how. The average decibel level in a Toronto nightclub is 96.

“A wedding, live music, both can be loud, as loud as your average nightclub. In other words, the proposed noise mitigation solution is not a solution,” said Mr. Putnam. “It is not practical. it is wishful thinking.”

“The study fails to provide any tangible mitigation measures, no sound proofing, buffering or screening — perhaps because they know it won’t do anything at such close range,” he said.

Don Carr noted that the property’s current RU zoning, which allows the use of a property for commercial operation, is inappropriate, an accident of its severance from what was once a much larger property. The Grosso parcel is just 2.8 hectares. The minimum size for RU, the rural commercial zoning category the property retained, is 10 hectares.

A key issue is “site use creep,” he said, noting “quaint afternoon concerts above a horse stable could mutate into a speakeasy nightclub.”

Lia-Marie Grosso addressed the Committee to stress that as the live music and wedding venue was catering to “an older crowd” and would close at 10:30pm, near neighbours should not be concerned.

“We are not planning a reprise of the Cadillac Lounge,” she said, referring to one of several nightclubs operated by Sam Grosso in Toronto.

But Councillor Grosso, who recused himself from the discussion, suggested exactly that when he put the Cadillac Lounge on the market in Toronto’s West Queen West neighbourhood in 2017.

As NOW Magazine reported at the time, “He’s toying with the idea of opening a version in Prince Edward County, where the Drake (Drake Devonshire) and Dakota Tavern (Hayloft Dancehall) have set up outposts. ‘I could call it the Cadillac Ranch and just hang a big Cadillac on the side of my barn’, he jokes.”

Of those neighbours who did not want a nightclub next door, “it’s just nimbyism,” said Ms. Grosso.

Neighbour after neighbour who spoke, however, noted the Grossos’ track record of defiance of municipal bylaws and lack of engagement with their concerns.

Councillor Grosso and his wife have continued to operate the venue in defiance of a shut down order from the Fire Marshall in 2023. Cited safety hazards included the lack of a second exit from the music hall, which is on the second floor of the barn.

At the time, the furious Councillor wrote on his Sam’s Place Facebook Page “When the powers that be shut you down, the show must go on, and that’s what I will do. You can shut my venue down, but I will find a way to bring music to the people, and I don’t give a rat’s ass how much it costs me.”

Near neighbour Bob Waldon noted that when it comes to neighbourhood conflicts, “process is everything.”

“This process has demonstrated a serious power imbalance, to the community’s disadvantage. In reality this is a neighbour-to-neighbour issue, not a planner/developer issue. The process we are in is not a fair one.

“Conflict can really kill a community and I don’t want to see that happen to ours,” he said.

Picton Councillor Kate MacNaughton, along with others, noted the difficulty of weighing an application by a fellow councillor fairly.

However, “my con side is higher than my pros,” she said, “and there are lots of pros. A repurposed barn, a local watering hole — that is a real pleasure, it brings people, neighbours together, and supports musicians and live music.”

Yet, she noted, both Base31 and The Cape were in her ward. Residents hundreds of metres from the Base were disturbed by live music at night.

“The Cape also creates a lot of noise and disruption within an entirely residential neighbourhood. Enforcement of noise bylaws is very difficult, especially late at night — we’ve seen this many times.”

Mayor Steve Ferguson voted to approve, noting, “there are serious conditions built into the bylaw, and this facility could be an important addition in the comparatively neglected north end of the county.”

Of the Grossos, however, he noted, “they could pay attention to the community more, pay attention to their comments, and respect their neighbours.”

Planner Matt Coffey, who recommended approval, noted: “we can all acknowledge that quite a bit of work still needs to be done here.” He assured councillors, “that will be done and overseen through site control application.” 

The New Zoning ByLaw

The proposed by-law will amend the Grosso property’s zoning from Rural I (RU1) to a  site-specific Rural 1 (RU1-284) Zone. 

One event venue in the existing converted stable is allowed. It can for host cultural and entertainment events, musical performances, theatrical productions, seasonal festivals, corporate gatherings, art and craft and antique shows, and weddings. 

There must be an active residential use of the property.

The venue is limited to 90 live music events a year and a no more than one wedding per week between April and October. 

The maximum guest count is 100. 

Music and theatrical events requiring amplification are limited to the second storey of the venue. 

A minimum of 42 parking spaces must be provided.