Night club disturbs neighbors

I assume J. Roberts is a young male with no wife to protect or children to care for, and is unhappy living in the Oak Harbor area. I, on the other hand, am just the opposite: elderly, female, retired, widowed and I like Oak Harbor. What J. Roberts calls stagnant is what attracted me to Oak Harbor. A quiet, calm, peaceful, safe town.

Unfortunately for me, I purchased a condominium a year ago which is now located across the street from the new Element Night Club. During the six weeks the club has been operating, the condominium residents have been subjected to a great deal of noise in the wee hours of the night — loud music, loud vehicles, yelling, screaming, rowdy, raucous behavior, fights, illegal parking in our private lot, sex performed in the parking lot on the car (yes, on, not in), and finally a shooting. I respect J. Roberts’ opinions and lifestyle choices. However, I don’t like having that lifestyle in my front yard.

I suppose J. Roberts and some young people find the club atmosphere lively and exciting; the occasional shooting or fist fight an interesting event — just a mishap, as stated.

I wonder what kind of city image the citizens and administration of Oak Harbor want to have? One that appeals to families and retirees; seen by them as quiet, safe, peaceful — and the others as stagnant; or one that appeals to the young and excitement-craving individual, but thought of by me, at least, as loud, disturbing, violent and dangerous.

I don’t blame the club or the club patrons, but I am most irritated that the previous City Council approved a cabaret license directly across the street from a residential area.

The two groups could coexist if the City Council gave each enough space, but the two diametrically-opposite lifestyles should not have been jammed together to the detriment of both groups’ needs and preferences.

Can’t something be done by the new city government to rectify this situation? If not, I feel sure things are only going to get worse.

Billie Cook

Oak Harbor

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