Residents of a San Antonio neighborhood are finally seeing the fruits of their decade-long labor as Bentley's Bar on Broadway has been hit with a cease and desist order, forcing it to close doors while it resolves numerous code violations, officials confirmed. The clash between the Oak Park Northwood Neighborhood Association and the popular watering hole has been characterized by incessant noise complaints and parking issues, as told in an interview reported by Laredo Morning Times.
For years, the bar has been at loggerheads with locals due to its high-decibel antics which have repeatedly disturbed the peace of the area. The bar reportedly decided, to erect a makeshift patio during the pandemic, equipped with an outdoor DJ and speakers - amplifying the noise problem.“For 10 years, when the sun goes down, the neighbors who live in this part of Oak Park Northwood are used to hearing boom, boom, boom, and bass,” Gina Eisenberg, the neighborhood association president told KENS5. The cease and desist from the city cited multiple code violations at both Bentley's locations and an inordinate number of calls for police service due to fights, aggravated assaults, disturbances, and noise complaints.
The city's action follows a significant increase in noise complaints this year, with the San Antonio Police Department receiving 68 noise disturbance calls tied to Bentley’s Bar between January and April, compared to just 18 during the same period last year, as per information confirmed to the Laredo Morning Times. The Broadway location remains closed after the city’s Dangerous Assessment Response Team (DART) inspections uncovered unsanctioned structures and sound issues. In contrast, the Alamo Street location was permitted to reopen after addressing similar concerns.
This standoff has also heightened tensions over parking, which neighbors say, became a significant headache. "They would block our driveways. I even had people asking to pay to park in my driveway. We worked with the city to get ‘No Parking’ signs installed, and that helped tremendously." Kyle Countryman, vice president of the Heights at Ridgecrest Neighborhood Association, explained in his interview with KENS5. A $7,500 city grant for soundproofing failed to quell the noise, leaving residents questioning its effectiveness. The management of Bentley's Bar has since issued an apology and voiced a commitment to resolving these issues, promising changes immediately to ensure tranquility in the neighborhood.
Eisenberg has been actively involved, engaging with the bar owner, local law enforcement, and city officials, and is now pushing for amendments in the city’s sound ordinance. “We didn’t give up and we continued to make complaints with police,” Eisenberg said in a statement obtained by KENS5.
