Town News

Promenade Update: Art, Events, and Answers About Music on the Promenade

The Frisco Pedestrian Promenade has been open for almost two weeks now so we thought this would be a good opportunity to check in and provide updates on upcoming events and art installations, as well as some clarity regarding whether music is allowed on the Promenade; spoiler alert- the answer is yes.

Frisco Happenings

  • On the evening of Wednesday, June 30, local artists, Andy Moran and Erica Rae Dove, began the process of painting a beautiful abstract landscape mural at the intersection of Main Street and 3rd Avenue. Depending on weather, they may be painting through Saturday, July 3. We invite folks to come check it out. They plan to be painting from 8:00am to 6:00pm Thursday and Friday with Saturday as a backup day.
  • July 4th celebrations will look a bit different this year. Frisco will be hosting a human and dog powered parade, affectionately named “Bikes and Barks”; chalk artists; free balloon art; free caricature art; and even a professional adult marching band. The full schedule may be found at Frisco4th.com.
  • The Frisco Concert in the Park Series kicked off on June 17 at the Frisco Historic Park, has been well attended, and still benefits local non-profits. The concerts are every Thursday from 5:30-7:30pm and will run through September 2 with more concerts than in past years.

Amplified and Acoustic Music on the Promenade

During the summer of 2020, the Town of Frisco received a lot of feedback regarding “sound battles” or “sound clashes” on the Promenade. Music is imperative to the vitality and character of this community, and it became clear that people were having a hard time enjoying that music with multiple amplified performances on Main Street at one time. Based on that feedback from the community, the following was added to the license agreement (a lot like a lease, but free) which allowed businesses to use public property on the Promenade:

Outdoor musical performances: The use or operation of exterior speakers and amplifiers within the Town right of way (ROW), including sidewalks, parklets, and the Promenade, is prohibited. Amplified outdoor music shall only be permitted within private business spaces, and shall be in accordance with the limitations in the Town Code and Noise Ordinance.”

What does this all mean?

We’ve heard about a lot of misinformation and misunderstandings about this portion of the license agreement to use public property so let’s break it down. First, let’s tackle some definitions.

  • Acoustic music is when you use instruments and/or voices to make music without the aid of electronic equipment.
  • Amplified music is when you use electronic equipment to make music louder.

Is outdoor music allowed on public and private property on the Promenade?

  • YES! And there are some things that are required in order to preserve the community’s enjoyment of that music and a business’ ability to provide that music, so please read on.
  • Acoustic music is allowed outdoors on private property AND on public property which is licensed to that business for their use on the Promenade.
  • Amplified music is allowed outdoors on private property such as a business’ deck or patio, but is NOT allowed on public property which is licensed to that business for their use on the Promenade.
  • To summarize, businesses may still have amplified outdoor music, but musicians and any equipment must be set up on the business’ private property (like a patio or deck) and not on the public property that the business licensed to use in their agreement with the Town. This means that amplified music is inherently more likely to reach the intended audience in front of the business, rather than sound traveling down the street to “duke it out” with other music.
  • Also, music is subject to the Town’s noise ordinance passed in 2018, whether indoors or outdoors, on public or private property. Frisco Police officers will respond to any complaint of noise within the town limits and may measure noise levels. It is unlikely that an officer would ever measure sound levels without a complaint. Noise complaints may be called in 24 hours a day at the non-emergency dispatch number at 970-668-8600.
    • From 7:00am-11:00pm, the noise limit in the commercial noise zone is 70 decibels, and from 7:00am-10:00pm, the noise limit in the residential noise zone it is 55 decibels.
    • From 11:00pm-7:00am, the noise limit in the commercial noise zone is 65 decibels, and from 10:00pm-7:00am, the noise limit in the residential noise zone it is 50 decibels.

We hope this clears things up. This decision was made in order to respect the community’s feedback and the ability of businesses to provide music without being subject to “sound battles and clashes”, which would interfere with the enjoyment of that music.

How’s it going?

We hope you are enjoying the Promenade and the improvements made this summer based on your feedback, such as more lighting and planters, more aesthetically pleasing fencing, and public art (soon to come). Please let us know if you have any other ideas about how the Promenade could be improved by emailing Vanessa Agee or by calling 970-668-9120.

Happy summer!