UPDATED STORY:
A major development on Monday in the ongoing saga between Harbourside and the Town of Jupiter.
The owners at Harbourside now say the city is forcing them to stop using the amphitheater's sound system.
A letter from the ownership group says they were "forcibly ordered" to stop the music.
“We're no longer permitted to have live music on to play music on stage, as well as longer permitted to play the background music through the amphitheater speaker system,” says Ryan Miller, a representative with the Harbourside ownership group.
Miller says taking away the sound is already having ripple effects - from charity events to concerts.
“We are losing money, our tenants are losing money, our guests are not happy.”
Neither is Christopher Accosta.
“It is weird to me, when I walk over there and it looks empty,” he says. “It's such a beautiful place.”
Acosta says on any given weekend, his Calaveras Cantina depended on the foot traffic of people heading out for a night of music.
He says that's the reason he moved in here just last year.
But he says the ongoing saga between Harbourside and Jupiter has changed that.
“We've seen a big difference in sales since they stopped having the live music,” Acosta says. “So it's definitely hurting us in a big way.”
He'd rather keep music in the mix.
“For us to not have that, it definitely hurts us, and we'll have to find a way to market and try to bring people to our business.”
EARLIER STORY:
The owners of Harbourside Place in Jupiter said Monday that the city has ordered them to stop playing music.
Music levels at the outdoor venue have been an issue of contention over the past few months and debated by the Jupiter town council.
Area residents have said the music was just too loud.
Harbourside Place had decreased the number of live concerts every week from five to three.
Owners of the venue said "live musical performances, and many charity events held at the amphitheater, provided by Harbourside Place to the community free of charge, will have to be cancelled for the time being."
Below is an official statement from Harbourside Place Owners and Staff regarding Amphitheater Activities:
"Without lawful authority, Harbourside Place has been forcibly ordered by the Town of Jupiter to suspend all use of the amphitheater’s sound system. Due to this unlawful order, we regret to inform our guests that the free, live musical performances, and many charity events held at the amphitheater, provided by Harbourside Place to the community free of charge, will have to be cancelled for the time being. We truly appreciate the public’s continued support of Harbourside Place as we work to resolve this issue."
Below is an official response from Jupiter Town Manager Andy Lukasik:
"To respond to requests or comments from the Town regarding recent statements made by the owner's of Harbourside Place, the Town, in short, has not denied Harbourside the ability to hold live musical performances at the amphitheater.
The Town has a difference of opinion regarding Harbourside's obligations per the terms of its approval which has led Harbourside and the Town to a regrettable conflict. While Harbourside has been approved and operating for more than a year, the fact of the matter is that Harbourside has not complied with the conditions of its approval regarding the use of the amphitheater. The failure of Harbourside to meet its obligations has left the Town with no choice but to enforce the conditions which govern its approval. An independent magistrate determined Harbourside was in violation and has levied fines for six separate violations.
On the day the Town Council was to consider taking action on a plan that would have allowed two live musical performances a week, Harbourside filed a lawsuit against the Town. This aggressive action led to Town Council postponing action. It is unfortunate that the lawsuit prevented the Town Council from considering actions that would have provided for 104 musical events to be held throughout 2016.
Harbourside has deliberately misrepresented the Town's actions. The Town is not prohibiting Harbourside from having music. Harbourside, like any other business that wants to host outdoor entertainment, has the ability to apply to the Town to conduct musical events.
Harbourside has inaccurately stated that the Town required the amphitheater be constructed only to place restrictions on its use. It is true that an events plaza was always a part of the Harbourside design, but the construction of the amphitheater was suggested by the developer as a public benefit only after it made mistakes in constructing the parking garage and offered an amphitheater to induce the Town to allow Harbourside to proceed with the garage even though it didn't meet the Town's standards.
Regardless of what has transpired, the Town stands ready to discuss with Harbourside events at the amphitheater in a manner that is consistent with its approvals. The ability to have this conversation, however, has been stifled by the lawsuit filed against the Town by Mr. Mastrionni."