08/30/2005: "Rosario Resort Noise Prompts Concerns"

ig_Cumming-Gaylord-1 (34k image) Sheriff Bill Cumming & Prosecuting Attorney Randy Gaylord before the BOCC

Rosario Resort on Orcas island can accommodate wedding parties of up to 400 people, and while Rosario promises those who come to the resort for a wedding ceremony that they will "enjoy a stress-free group gathering at Rosario Resort & Spa", amplified noise has been driving some of the residents that own homes above the resort to call the sheriff's office, and ask that the noise be kept to the property lines of the resort, as required by county regulations.

Sheriff Bill Cumming and Prosecuting Attorney Randy Gaylord were asked by the BOCC to come before them, and respond to concerns that the enforcement of the county wide noise ordnance was having a negative impact on Rosario Resort's ability to provide accommodations and entertainment for weddings that are held outdoors at the resort. Commissioner Lichter said that the average income Rosario receives per wedding is $16,000.00, and both he and Commissioner Ranker expressed concern that given the number of wedding parties that occur each year at Rosario, there is a significant amount of money and jobs that result for the island community. Lichter told Cumming that "we don't want to interrupt the revenue benefit to our community" that comes from Rosario.

Sheriff Cumming explained to the Commissioners that his department had received complaints about noise, had gone to Rosario, and found that while the resort had applied for a permit for the outside activities, they had failed to complete and submit it, and were told by his department that they would need to follow the regulations.

Cumming twice told the Board that "I cannot, and will not, be selective in enforcement of our ordinance", and that after his department had responded to the complaints, he had received a phone call from one of the Rosario area residents thanking him for a quiet weekend". Cumming told the Board that he had been informed by Rosario that the resort would be purchasing a sound meter in an attempt to monitor the level of sound generated from the resort. Gaylord pointed out that while the use of the meter may assist the resort, the ordinance does not use decibel levels to define how much noise is, or is not allowed, to travel across property lines.