Neighbors Speak Out Against Noise At Ocean Edge, Charm

BREWSTER – A number of residents attended a public hearing Monday night to oppose the annual entertainment licenses for Ocean Edge Resort and Charm on Main, formerly known as the Old Sea Pines Inn. 

 Ocean Edge sent in an application to renew its entertainment license, which was set to be voted on by the select board at the June 2 meeting, but after a concerned neighbor attended the initial hearing, it was continued to June 16. 

The owners of the Ocean Edge property, located at 2907 Main St., purchased the Old Sea Pines Inn in early 2024 and have added new amenities like a pool, outdoor deck and private fire pit. Both properties are now under the umbrella of the Corcoran Jennison Hospitality group. While the former Sea Pines Inn was previously used for weddings, neighbors said they are concerned that with the additions, it will be open to the public. 

 Tyler Hensler, the attorney representing the property, said only guests will be served breakfast for the first year, so there won’t be any public access. It was undecided what change would be made after the year ends. 

 Charm on Main, a 21-room inn, submitted a new entertainment license application due to a fire early last year. The liquor license was transferred over after ownership changed hands in the beginning of 2024, but because of the fire, the entertainment license was never implemented. 

 During the hearing, a representative for Charm on Main said that the application includes dancing, karaoke, amplified music, live music, recorded music and DJs. He said that the amplified music will only be played indoors to mitigate noise. Any outdoor music will be played softly on speakers near the pool and patio areas or be acoustic live performances. 

 Many residents were concerned with what type of speakers will be used and how to submit complaints if these rules are not followed. Additionally, the entertainment window in the application was set at 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Most of the abutters were vehemently opposed to those hours. 

“While the mansion and the Charm are both in residential neighborhoods, the Ocean Mansion properties are on about 50 acres which buffers them fairly well from neighbors,” said Kathleen Belknap, a Charm abutter. “But, as we’ve heard tonight, there are still a lot of complaints in that regard. In contrast, the Charm is on a three-acre property that exists in very close proximity to its neighbors.” 

 Belknap said that the Old Sea Pines Inn property lived in harmony with the neighborhood under previous ownership. 

 Hensler said the team is happy to work with the community to find hours of operation that work best, proposing 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. He also directed neighbors to reach out to innkeeper Jan Barbarian with any issues. 

 Many neighbors also referenced the tree removal that has taken place at the Charm. Officials said that a landscape buffer would help to enclose the music on the property, but residents were quick to point out the lack of landscaping that would actually buffer anything. The Ocean Edge team said they are still in the process of planting trees and finishing the exterior updates. They said it would likely be complete by the end of this month or mid-July. 

 “How did this all evolve with swimming pools and speakers and loud music in a historic area when I’ve been complaining since 2011?” asked Carolyn Noering, a neighbor of the Mansion at Ocean Edge. “The corporation of Ocean Edge has been abusive to their neighbors. It started as a place to have business meetings and it has evolved now into a wedding factory.” 

 The attorney representing Ocean Edge said the application for the entertainment license was a renewal, adding that some of the practices have been going on since Ocean Edge’s inception in the 1980s. He went on to say that they need permits to be successful, but there are other restrictions. The entertainment license has a combination of regulatory specifications brought forth by the select board, the planning board and the zoning board, he said. 

 Additionally, the team said that some events are booked out a number of years, so consistency within the permit is crucial to their business model. 

 Three official complaints have been made since 2023 — one each year — regarding noise disturbances coming from Ocean Edge. Officials proposed hiring a police detail for larger events and notifying the police before a front-lawn event. They also said they would provide contact information for the manager on-site for direct communication if any noise complaints were received during the event. 

 Jan Moore, the resident who came forward at the June 2 meeting, was also in attendance Monday night to share more information about her grievances with the property. 

 Her initial complaint was a violation of last year’s entertainment license, which does not permit music events on the front lawn related to outdoor dining. Ocean Edge hosted an “Oktoberfest” event on the front lawn which had music and food. 

 Moore also questioned calling the police in the case of noise complaints saying the entertainment license supersedes the noise ordinances in the town bylaw. She went on to say that their music levels were in violation of the entertainment license they had last year, but they still haven’t received any consequences. 

 “Quite frankly, once they get an entertainment license, all I can derive is there is nothing we can do about it,” she said. “I don’t think that’s being a good neighbor.”

 Robert Newman, CEO of Corcoran Jennison Hospitality and general manager of Ocean Edge, said it is not in his best interest to elicit noise complaints from guests, who are closer to the music and activities. 

 “The rates that we charge at that property during Oktoberfest, we had rooms paying over $2,000 a night,” he said. “It is not in my best interest to have entertainment or noise that negatively impacts the guests who, in this particular case, are closer neighbors to that entertainment than any residents.” 

 The select board approved Ocean Edge’s permit for 120 days, stipulating no music on the front lawn except for events granted a special permit by the planning board. The rest of the permit was kept the same. 

 As for the entertainment license for Charm on Main, the select board approved a 120-day permit starting July 1 that regulates indoor entertainment between the hours of 4 and 10 p.m. with the doors and windows closed. Outdoor music will be limited to recorded music through speakers from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and cannot be heard off the property. The permit was approved with a vote of 4-1. Pete Dahl opposed the permit, saying the outdoor music will be heard by neighbors.