CARLSBAD — To settle noise disputes with neighbors, the Carlsbad Woman’s Club has agreed to restrict certain activities at its clubhouse.
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But members remain concerned about how the new rules may impact the club’s revenues that comes from renting the space, which it uses to fund for the club’s charitable activities.
The club was first established in 1927, and has had its clubhouse located on Monroe Street near Carlsbad High School for the past 50 years.
The club’s current 71 members focus on various charitable outreach activities, including providing snacks for low-income high school students, making pillows for women who have undergone breast mastectomies, and donating thousands of dollars in scholarships.
Last year, they gave away more than $15,000 in cash for scholarships and charitable causes, according to the group’s President Kae Gernandt.
Much of the club’s funds are raised through renting out its clubhouse for private events including birthday parties and baptisms.
But over the years, neighboring residents have complained about the noise generated by such events, particularly loud music at late hours.
Because of these complaints, city staff examined the special use permit that the clubhouse had operated under since its construction in the 1960s, realizing that the permit no longer followed city regulations.
To appease neighbors, the city developed new rules to obtain a new permit for the club. Some of the rules include limiting the hours of the events at the clubhouse, restricting the number of people on the property, and prohibiting amplified music after 8:30 p.m.
The new permit was approved by the city’s Planning Commission in early October and gained final approval from City Council on Nov. 19.
While Gernandt acknowledged that the new regulations are reasonable, she said she was worried that the restrictions will decrease the number of events the clubhouse is able to host.
Generally the Woman’s Club was able to collect well over $10,000 per year from renting the facility.
“We are anticipating that our revenue could and probably will go down, that we will have fewer events,” she said.
The Woman’s Club will be able to approach the city to modify the new permit in one year.
Gernandt said in the mean time the club would have to wait and see how its clubhouse rentals will be impacted and hope for the best.
