Klein Creek Noise Variance

The residents of Klein Creek will appreciate this video clip.

It’s Winfield’s Community Development Coordinator, Peter Krumins telling the village board what the regulations are regarding noise (as in music) as it relates to Morgan’s Charhouse and their attempt to get an outdoor seating permit. The people of Klein Creek don’t have a problem with Morgan’s they would just like that same ordinance the village is sticking to Morgan’s applied to the Klein Creek Golf Course.

No music will be audible beyond 75 feet of the seating area.

So the question is, how is it possible that wedding parties can be heard several hundred yards away from the Klein Creek Clubhouse?

Hhhhmmmm…

Good Morning Klein Creek!

It appears that the natives of Klein Creek are restless. Literally……..as in they can’t sleep.

First the back story:

Klein Creek Golf Course was sold to a gentleman named John Weiss recently. John told me at the last village board meeting that Klein Creek was the third golf course he and his investor group purchased. Unfortunately for all involved it seems that Mr. Weiss has changed out some of the equipment they use to cut the grass and it is much louder. Aside from that, the previous owner had worked out ways to being kind to his neighbors in the sequence the golf course holes were maintained. So that the ones which were closest to residents were cut later in the morning when they were less likely to wake people up. It turns out that in the transition between the last owner and Mr. Weiss, none of these special “good neighbor” things were communicated. The result is some very unhappy residents that are annoyed by having lawn mowing equipment running at 5:00 in the morning in some instances. From my conversations with the neighbors in the area, they are mowing the fairways so early they need their headlights on in order to see what they are cutting.

This is a pretty interesting dilemma. I have to say that normally I have a lot of sympathy for the business owner. Golf courses, especially ones that are in your back yard and one of the reasons you moved to the area need to be maintained. However, in this case I am not so sure. I have been receiving emails from the residents of Klein Creek and one of them is an email proposal from Mr. Weiss. I have excerpted it here:

We want to be good neighbors. We want to avoid the legal action that out attorney  is recommending that we take immediately.  We hope that legal action is not our only other choice  as we believe we have given you a compromise that puts you in a better position then you were with the previous owner. The village does not want to spend money on legal fees, we don’t want to spend money on legal fees and each one of the people opposing the change in ordinance certainly does not want to individually hire attorneys to let a court determine  if they have violated their homeowners agreement by protesting the change.

So the deal that Mr. Weiss is proposing is “stop complaining or I will sue you”. In fact, stop complaining or I’ll sue everyone (The Village of Winfield Included!) What’s more than a little obnoxious is in the beginning of the email proposal he sends he asks the lady who is heading up the Klein Creek Citizen contingent to supply him with contact (email) information from the other residents she represents. So my read on this is “Tell me who’s causing me a problem so’s my lawyer can sue the crap outta dem.”

Nice! Very Cicero…..

The bottom line is once upon a time, last year, all was good and right with the world in our northern quadrant. Now, not so much. You would think there would be a compromise that all could live with because there was a working solution so recently. I have to believe there are new-fangled contraptions called “mufflers” that could be fitted to their equipment that could solve some of this too.

My greater concern is that of the village and how they are handling this situation. I believe that Klein Creek subdivision is the “red headed stepchild” of Winfield and routinely gets beaten like a rented mule. I also feel they would be much better served having a trustee that was districted to come from Klein Creek and was able to stick up for the residents in situations like these. I hope as the summer drags on and they have the opportunity to petition for the political districting of Winfield, they take this opportunity to secure for themselves a seat at the table of the Village Board of Winfield.

Winfield Village Board Draws Ire of Klein Creek Residents

Residents of the up-scale golf course community Klein Creek came out to protest the village board’s consideration of allowing a variance to the village’s noise ordinance. The village board is considering changing the noise ordinance for the Klein Creek Golf Course from a 7am start time to 5am start time.

The Klein Creek Golf Club was recently sold and the new owners have requested a total exemption from the village’s noise ordinance for grass cutting and maintenance operations. Residents complained the current noise ordinance has been routinely violated by the golf club and the village has failed to enforce its’ own ordinance.

Village Manager Curt Barrett counter resident concerns by explaining if the golf course went out of business the village would not be able to control the weeds and rodent infestation from the 200 acre parcel of land. But Jim Nadeau argued if the golf course success or failures hinges on what time they could start mowing the grass in the morning, the course has bigger financial problems.

Additionally, residents close to the clubhouse complained about the excessive noise coming from the temporary tent the golf club constructed for weddings and banquets. Band noise emanating from the tent is shaking nearby resident’s windows late into the night. “There has to be a two way street of respect between the golf course and the homeowners,” stated Ted Rudman. Residents also expressed displeasure with the village board for “not standing up for the residents” and allowing the tent to become a permanent structure.

Another major complaint was the lack of communication between the Village of Winfield and residents concerning this matter. Residents were told by the board it was their civic duty to stay informed and check the village’s website for agenda action. Long time Klein Creek resident Bob Lenz said the only way he was informed about the issues was by reading what was printed in the newspaper. He went on to state he checked the village’s website to read the agenda for Thursday night’s meeting but could not find the discussion of the noise ordinance anywhere on the agenda. Village President Birutis apologized for what she called an oversight.

In the end the board agreed to table the discussion for one month to see if all parties involved could work out a compromise.