Speakers are now playing opera music 24 hours a day and 7 days a week at Lake Worth’s cultural plaza.
The city says the music is to enhance the atmosphere downtown, but some people think there’s another reason for the music.
Craig Dolch said he woke up at 2 o’clock in the morning Saturday to opera music blaring outside his window.
“We have hurricane-proof windows and doors there and I could hear it like someone was in the room next door,” he said.
Dolce lives in the condo building just west of Lake Worth’s cultural plaza. The plaza is located between Lake and Lucerne Avenues, east of M Street.
The city started pumping classical music through the speakers Friday. It lowered the volume on Monday.
Three people with the city told NewsChannel 5 the reason for the new speakers was to add a cultural and artistic flair to the downtown vibe.
But Dolch said a deputy told him the city had other reasons.
“His quote was, ’It’s to dissuade the undesirables from sleeping here,’” Dolch recalled
Homeless people have been known to sleep at this plaza. The city set up a curfew there earlier this year.
“I do believe they’re making that effort [to keep the homeless away], they’ve been trying several things,” explained Anna, a homeless woman.
She said she’s spent the night at the cultural plaza in the past. But she said she likes classical music, so the speakers won’t keep her away.
Whatever the real reason for the music, Dolch is happy the volume is lower.
Besides Dolch’s noise complaint, the city has not received any other formal concerns about the music.