The East Providence City Council voted unanimously to renew the dancing and entertainment license for Myrtle, a popular bar and music venue located at 134 Waterman Ave., following an hour of testimony from musicians and patrons of the establishment, which faced scrutiny following complaints from some neighbors about noise and decreased quality of life as a result of the bar’s operations.

The meeting on Tuesday night followed last week’s continuance of the license renewal consideration, where Ward 2 City Councilwoman Anna Sousa read into the record an emailed statement from a resident who lives next to the establishment, and heard public comment from another neighboring resident who both claimed that excessive noise and unsavory activities were occurring as a result of the bar.

Supporters of Myrtle made sure on Tuesday night that the other side of the story was firmly placed on the record, as well.

“The Myrtle is the first place in Rhode Island that made me feel like Rhode Island was home,” said Ryan Lee Crosby, a musician who had a residency at Myrtle. “I lived in Boston for 24 years and Myrtle not only makes me proud to live in Rhode Island, but my wife and I were actually thinking about relocating to East Providence because we want to invest in a community that supports a place like Myrtle.”

“I am a 12-year sober musician and have tinnitus so I’m extremely sensitive to volume,” he continued. “I monitor decibel levels wherever I go, and Myrtle is the only place I feel at ease about going out and listening to music because I know the volume is carefully considered and well below what it is at other establishments. I have toured all over the U.S. and Europe and the Myrtle is one of the most conscientious, organized, kind establishments that I’ve played in.”

Testimony from around two dozen patrons and musicians added to that sentiment. People across a vast age range and from different towns and cities in Rhode Island and multiple out-of-staters all painted a picture of Myrtle being a clean, considerate venue that places a high importance on respecting the neighborhood and supporting local artists, and a place that drives economic value in the city.

“East Providence is in grave danger…of becoming an island of sorts. Further than it is right now because of the continuing debacle of the Washington Bridge situation” said journalist podcaster and musician, Bill Bartholomew. “I would implore in consideration of this renewal to consider that economic development is thriving because of Myrtle. Notwithstanding a constituent issue, which should be addressed, but the much bigger picture expands well beyond this beautiful venue.”

Others made the point that experiencing noise within the heart of a city should not be a surprise to those living within it.

“I accept the noise because I live in the City of East Providence. I don’t live in a little rural town, it’s called the City of East Providence,” said Glenn Wurz, a resident of neighboring 138 Ivy St. “Waterman (Avenue) itself is a very busy road, so all times of the day or night in my bedroom I hear 18-wheeler trucks and the big petroleum trucks coming up and down Waterman (Avenue), so it’s just a normal course of events to have a little bit of noise on Waterman.”

Anne O’Hara, who works as the bar manager at Myrtle, pushed back on the notion made by those making companies about the bar who said that drunk people often spill out into the surrounding streets when Myrtle closes, causing issues, and that the cops are called continuously for complaints.

“The cops are called often, but it’s just because someone wants them to show up and give us a hard time, it seems like,” she said. “Because they just kind of show up and say ‘We just have to check in. Everything’s fine. We’re going to take off and leave.’ That’s ultimately what it ends up being. So if the police are called a lot, nothing is really coming from it.”

A sit-down with neighbors and police is scheduled
Councilwoman Sousa made a point to those in attendance that the purpose of the meeting was never to discuss revoking Myrtle’s license, but rather to perform due diligence and take the concerns of neighboring residents seriously.

“At no point did this council or did anybody on this council say anything about revoking anybody’s license,” she said. “That was never a discussion, that was never words uttered in this public place, on social media, other than naysayers or people who were starting rumors…When there are issues that arise in the community with residents and businesses, my due justice is to work those out, to talk to all parties and to come to a resolution.”

Ultimately, that is what happened Tuesday night.

Natalie Vanlandingham, who co-owns Myrtle with Tommy Allen, thanked the Council and the supporters who showed up and confirmed there was a meeting being organized for the first week of December involving Sousa, Myrtle ownership, the concerned neighbors, and the police.

“We really do care about that and we really do want to fix it,” she said.