Some neighbors of a new music venue in Ballard are complaining that the loud music won't let them rest at night.

KIRO TV recently reported that the neighbors of the Ballard Substation at 645 NW 45th St. have filed complaints for loud music occurring after hours.

One neighbor who resides a block and a half away complained of a dull bass noise rousing her from rest around midnight. She described the noise as “painful,” and said that the noise can be heard through earplugs.

The 150-capacity venue opened earlier in the month, but they reported in their opening announcement that they have been hosting music events since April.

“We are bringing an underground warehouse feel to the city,” a promoter of the club wrote. “This isn’t your Belltown dance club. Substation is an old school warehouse party with a full service bar.”

The club is described as a “mecca for all things underground.”

“As the city continues to lose small, independently owned and operated live music venues, a sense of community is what Substation’s owners, employees and talent buyer want to bring to the club.”

KIRO TV reported that one of the owners of the club spoke with officers and that during the visit the sound outside was checked and found to be at an acceptable decibel level.

The Ballard Station released a statement about the noise issue last Friday.

“Because we want to be good neighbors, we've taken great steps to ensure that our noise levels fall within regulations based on the industrial zoning for our neighborhood,” wrote the owners of Ballard Substation.

The owners said that they have made an “extensive investment” to sound proof the their space “beyond typical measures for any venue.”

Ballard Station.

“ We have worked cooperatively with the Seattle police department. They have checked our facility inside and out during events and have always given us their approval. We have never received a citation or warning regarding our noise levels since we opened for operation.”

Officer Patrick Michaud of the Seattle Police Department told the Ballard News-Tribune that there have been two complaints this month.

So what is unreasonable noise?

The Seattle Noise Ordinance states that unreasonable noise pertaining to music is “Loud or raucous and frequent, repetitive, or continuous sounds created by use of a musical instrument, or other device capable of producing sound when struck by an object, a whistle, or a sound amplifier or other device capable of producing, amplifying, or reproducing sound.”

The ordinance states that the maximum permissible sound levels are 55 dBA in residential zones, 57 dBA in commercial zones and 60 dBA in industrial zones. Noise at this level is not permitted between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

To get a handle on just how loud that is, the City reports that sounds at 60 dBA is the equivalent of hearing a lawn mower less than 10 meters away. The sound is described as “intrusive.” A decibel level “physically painful” to humans is 140 dBA, which is the sound level of a sonic boom.

“If the sound causes and annoyance or is really loud, and you can hear it clearly in your home that’s a problem,” said Michaud.

Michaud said that in most cases speaking to the individual making the noise usually resolves the situation. He also said that all police can do is continue to document complaints if they persist.

“Typically that’s all it takes. It doesn’t really take much to solve this problem.”

The club plans to host music seven nights a week.