Noise Complaints For Oakdale Theatre

Wallingford recently issued a cease and desist order to help dampen noise complaints from citizens who live near the venue that are grumbling over their homes vibrating during concerts and rehearsals for shows that seem to last well into the night.

In a letter to the Hartford Courant, Wallingford Town Planner Kacie Costello explained her office “has received complaints regarding noise/bass vibrations, traffic, and other disturbances generating from the Oakdale Theatre.”

She added that officials met with venue management last summer to discuss the matter, but “the violations have not been remedied, and no real progress appears to have been made toward that end.”

The town’s cease and desist states that if the venue’s zoning violations aren’t resolved, it could face “legal action including, but not limited to, seeking an injunction from the Connecticut courts compelling your compliance, fines up to $150 per day for each day the violation continues, and/or a one time penalty of $2,500,” the Courant said.

The Live Nation-owned Oakdale has appealed the cease and desist and a hearing has been scheduled with the Zoning Board of Appeals in coming weeks.

In a statement, LN Connecticut said that given the appeal, planned events would proceed as scheduled while the company continues “to work with the town to correct any perceived problems at the Oakdale.”

A vote of four out of five members of the zoning board would be needed to uphold or overturn the cease and desist, the paper reported, but Live Nation could still challenge the decision in superior court. The Oakdale was built in Wallingford in 1954 and over the years a dome that houses the venue’s lobby was built and capacity was expanded to 4,600 seats.