Popular Midlands brewery faces lawsuit over ‘noise’ from live music performances
A popular brewery in West Columbia’s river district may have to limit the amount of live music it offers following a recent lawsuit. At least, that’s what a pair of neighboring residents would like to see.
Tim Smith and Diane Hare filed suit against Savage Craft Ale Works in May, alleging that the establishment has impaired their mental health by preventing them from enjoying their home due to the excessive music and noise from the brewery.
“We have both lost enjoyment of our property,” Hare and Smith said in the lawsuit. “We are unable to enjoy movies and become distracted and irritated because the music is audible over a movie we are watching at the front of our house.”
Savage Craft, located at 430 Center St. in West Columbia’s river district, opened in 2021 and is about 250 feet from Hare’s and Smith’s house, according to the complaint.
In addition to serving as a brewery, Savage Craft offers live music performances, which plaintiffs have taken issue with. Specifically, Hare and Smith say that the “loud music Savage Craft allows between 6:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., and sometimes later or all day” has resulted in them experiencing stress and anxiety.
The plaintiffs also said they complained to police and Savage Craft about the noise multiple times, but to no avail.
In response to the suit, local policymakers in West Columbia voted to amend the city’s noise ordinance, requiring businesses, such as Savage Craft, to secure a permit in order to host live music outdoors within the city’s entertainment district.
The permit would restrict establishments from playing live music more than 85 decibels between 10 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. and 11 p.m. on Thursday, and 10:30 a.m. and midnight Friday and Saturday and New Year’s Eve.
Before the added restrictions, businesses in the area were only prohibited from playing music, “particularly during the hours between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., as to unreasonably disturb any person in the vicinity,” without a limit to decibels.
“Prior to taking further legal actions, we’ve attempted to contact Savage Craft Ale LLC, numerous times by phone and social media messaging to resolve this issue, Hare and Smith said in the suit. “We have gotten little to no response.”
The lawsuit is pending in Lexington County court.
Efforts to reach a representative for Savage Craft for comment were unsuccessful.
This story was originally published July 11, 2023 at 11:54 AM.
