HIALEAH, Fla. – Loud sounds, lost sleep, and now a lawsuit.
Residents of two different South Florida cities are wondering what can be done about their new, noisy neighbors.
The Miami Springs Police Department took more than 240 noise complaint calls, but officers’ hands were tied because the source was outside their jurisdiction.
An epoch of epic disbelief, in this tale of, now, two cities.
For five straight days in early December, thousands of people packed an open-air, electronic music festival in Hialeah.
Hialeah resident Jose Azze lives just blocks from the venue.
“Inside, you could hear it, the windows shake,” he said. “From 10 p.m. to four in the morning, it was nonstop.”
Instead of sleeping in their bed, the Grasso’s spent the nights recording in their backyard.
The City of Miami Springs sent letters about it, demanding the owners of Factory Town, the venue, “abate all noise entering the [city]”.
When the city got no response from its first, and second notices, the city filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction.
The lawsuit claims, “...It’s abundantly clear, that [Factory Town] does not intend to take any actions to mitigate the nuisances; instead, Factory Town will continue carrying on its loud, raucous events.” It points to the 24-hour concert the company is promoting on Instagram coinciding with Miami’s Ultra Music Festival next month.
The suit aims to shut things down until there’s a plan in place to keep the noise out of Miami Springs.
In a statement, Miami Spring’s Mayor Maria Mitchell said, in part:
“The success of Factory Town cannot be at the expense of [her residents] ...It is the City’s hope that this lawsuit will create a path of successful coexistence for everyone involved.”
Local 10 news went looking for someone with Factory Town and found Avra Jain, one of the partners.
“We are taking it seriously, really, not because of the threats, but because it’s the right thing to do,” Jain said. “We bought property with the intention of doing an entertainment district that is good for everyone.”
In a statement, Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo said, in part:
“We are looking into a solution that will satisfy both parties as we continue to push for Hialeah’s growth for the benefit of its residents.”
Jain claimed she was unaware of the lawsuit.
As For The Nuisance Abatement Notices, she said “I’m aware of the letter, but, I did not receive that. I understand, the noise was an issue, and it’s being worked on, and I think there will be a reasonable solution.”
Jain told Local 10 News show producers and sound engineers were at the Northwest 37th Avenue site just days ago, working to address any problems before the next beat drops, and before a judge’s decision comes down.
Last week, Factory Town’s lawyers responded to Miami Springs’ complaint.
They argue the City of Miami Springs lacks the standing, or the jurisdiction to file its claim, and the case should be dismissed.