From:
To: [email protected]; info; Sean McDonagh Subject: Re: NO Porchfest in Residential Neighborhood
Date: Monday, July 14, 2025 9:39:20 AM
On 2025-07-10 17:33, laforce wrote:
Good Afternoon City of Sebastopol,
As a resident and property owner in the Porchfest neighborhood for over three decades;I am NOT in support of Sebastopol Porchest!
Please don't let people who don't live here shut down my neighborhood so they can raise money to invite thousands of people to come listen to amplified music, drink alcohol, smoke pot, vape, litter, and pee in our driveways!
The combined amplified music from 30+ bands is way beyond the allowed noise levels.
From page 2 of permit application - This is Incorrect "This event would be similar to the Apple Blossom Festival where SebArts is a center for activities. "
Porchfest center of activities is NOT the SebArts Center, it is the blocked residential streets where the musicians are playing amplified music outside ALL DAY and all the attendees are located.
It has doubled in size since its first year and the event sells alcohol to be consumed in residential neighborhoods that is advertised to the general public on social media. On their permit application page 11 they wrote that they will be selling beer and wine. This is NOT a simple block party.
One block, block parties do not advertise the event to the public or sell alcohol.
This event does not support the health and well being of the residents and property owners that are trapped and forced all day to listen to music and have 1000s of people walking smoking, vaping, smoking pot, drinking/urinating, sitting on our parked cars, walking down our driveways and all over on our front lawns.
This behavior from the 1000s of attendees requires our family to monitor our property and manage people who urinate, litter, vandalize and walk on our private property all day, this is NOT what we should have to do.
We are trapped from driving in and out of our property because there are 1000s of people walking all over the closed streets and the volunteers can't manage the crowds, the drinking, the unruly behavior.
It's not safe or enjoyable for our family. We live in a residential zone, why can't this event take place in a commercially zoned music hall?
Napa's Porchfest has grown into 15,000 attendees, 30 +streets blocked and 100+ porches/houses. Napa yard,home and property.
Sebastopol Porchfest wants a large music to grow exponentially every year. This is NOT s Blockparty! My family purchased our home in a residential neighborhood, not a commercially zoned area.
Thank you,
Mr. LaForce