Recently, residents of an encampment in San Rafael have been experiencing loud music coming from a nearby business. The noise has been causing disturbance and sleepless nights for those living there. Bruce Gaylord, a resident of the encampment, described the noise as being as loud as a rock concert, making it difficult for him to sleep. This encampment has become home to Gaylord after facing hardships and losing his truck in Barstow, California.
Gaylord’s attempts to seek help from the police went unanswered until homeless advocate Robbie Powelson got involved and took decibel readings of the noise. The measurements showed that the music exceeded the San Rafael noise ordinance, prompting Powelson to file for a restraining order against the business, East Bay Tire Co. The judge ruled in favor of the encampment, ordering the business to cease playing the music immediately.
East Bay Tire Co. claimed that the music was a byproduct of their security system along the fence facing the encampment but did not provide further comments when reached out for a response. Gaylord expressed frustration with the situation stating that the business had not been good neighbors to the encampment.
While this was a victory for the residents in resolving the noise issue, they still face challenges in their fight to remain in their current location. A hearing in federal court is scheduled for June 24 where San Rafael will try to evict them from their property despite ongoing challenges; they remain resilient in their fight for their right to stay in their campgrounds
