Danvers Connors Farm October Entertainment Plans On Hold For Review

DANVERS, MA — Seasonal plans for nightly music and haunted entertainment at Connors Farm in Danvers are on hold until at least September amid concerned voiced at Tuesday night’s Select Board meeting around the hours of operations and noise.

The Select Board asked farm representatives to resubmit their plans for music and the amplified spooky sounds of the season until up to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights after a succession of residents said the growing schedule of events has become disruptive in recent years.

Select board members also wanted assurances about the staging of any musical acts and a plan to keep access roads free of parked cars.

The Select Board delayed their vote to approve the entertainment permit until at least their next meeting on Sept. 5.

“I am not comfortable voting approval or disapproval of the program tonight,” Select Board member David Mills said. “I would like it to come back here promptly with hopefully reports of a meeting with neighbors with reports of what measurement of sound can be made and with consideration of not having anything going until 10 or 11 o’clock when people are sleeping.

“And more definition of exactly what time there is going to be there noise, music, whatever you want to call it, and when it’s going to stop. The presentation so far has been very good but I don’t believe it’s complete enough for me to vote for it. And I also don’t want to vote against it based upon what we’ve heard tonight.”

Chair Daniel Bennett suggested farm security develop a plan to record decibel levels throughout the events — however, in response to one resident asking what the definition of “loud” would be, said Danvers does not have a specific noise bylaw.

Some residents complained they could hear the loud rock music up to a half-mile away during last year’s fall events.

Most who spoke during the public hearing said they were not against the farm having events to help ensure a successful season but that they wanted restrictions to ensure it did not turn into a season of dread for neighbors, while others said the events were part of having a vibrant event space in town and should be accepted for the short period of the year that they occur.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)