Tim's Tavern (T.I.M., standing for Together in Music), a centerpiece of the northwest live music scene, is pushing forward with ambitious plans for an outdoor concert series next summer, despite inheriting a tangle of permitting challenges and facing continued concerns over noise from nearby residents.

Owner Mason Reed has confirmed that while the venue has been forced to schedule the demolition of its unpermitted outdoor structures this winter, he is moving ahead with plans to activate the parking lot next summer for a series of concerts aimed at supporting local charities, including local music education company, Mode Music.

"Unfortunately, we inherited a mess," Reed stated, noting that the previous patio structure, stage, and Airstream bar were all built unpermitted and not to code, necessitating their removal. Though the demolition is scheduled for winter, the venue will remain open and host shows inside on its new indoor stage.

Navigating the Permitting Maze

The path forward hinges on obtaining a Temporary Use Permit (TUP) from King County officials, a concept that has been "dangling in front of our faces for the last two years". Reed described a recent positive, cooperative meeting with the permitting department, confirming that a path forward exists, though it involves several "hoops" and will be a lengthy process.

The first step requires tearing down the non-compliant outdoor structures. An architect has drawn up new plans, including the installation of a wall and improvements such as a new emergency egress and stairway. Once these changes are made and the building is in compliance, Reed can formally apply for the TUP, which is essential for hosting the outdoor concerts. Reed must first submit the building compliance permit, which requires a substantial payment.

The planned concert series aims to bring nationally touring acts to White Center, paired with local artists, while raising funds for community causes. That is foundational to longer term and larger plans for larger scale performance, staged primarily during daylight hours perhaps at Steve Cox Park, though these plans are at this point purely aspirational.

New Technology to Silence Noise Concerns

Reed acknowledged that the main concern from detractors, especially those from the North Highland Unincorporated Area Council, is noise mitigation. To address this, Tim’s Tavern plans to incorporate cutting-edge audio technology as part of its proposal.

Reed is researching and hoping to install Directional Loudspeakers. This technology works in an entirely different way from conventional speakers, which are designed to spread sound over a wide area.

Directional speakers act like a "sound flashlight," able to "shine" sound energy into a precise spot. Unlike typical loudspeakers that use a moving cone to produce ordinary sound waves, directional speakers generate ultrasound (high-frequency sound) using an array of electrical devices called piezoelectric transducers.

Key features of this technology that address Tim's Tavern's challenge include:

• The high-frequency ultrasound waves have a shorter wavelength and spread out less, allowing them to stay focused in a tight beam.

• The sound travels out in a narrowly focused column, and only turns back into ordinary, audible sound when it hits an obstruction, like a listener.

Reed explained that this technology is designed for exact circumstances like theirs, where people standing in earshot of a speaker can hear very clearly, but if a person walks "20 or 50 feet away, you can’t hear anything at all". The goal is to ensure that decibel readings at the edge of the property are not "out of line," and that neighbors "wouldn’t hardly be able to hear much of anything if anything at all".

Operational Constraints and Community Support

To further mitigate sound impact, Reed plans to implement strict operational constraints on the outdoor performances. They are hoping to be allowed to hold maybe one or two shows a week during the summer season, not every night. Furthermore, shows will be timed to end around 9:00 PM or 9:30 PM at the latest, well before the 10:00 PM hard cut-off when mandated decibel requirements drop significantly.

Reed emphasized that community support will be crucial once the TUP application is filed. The process includes a 14-day window for public comment and scrutiny, during which the venue will call on supporters to express their backing for the nonprofit concert series. He urged those interested in supporting the effort to visit their website and sign up for the newsletter or to follow them on social media  Facebook: Timstavern Instagram: timstavernseattle

The fate of Tim's Tavern in its current form is riding on the ability to host these outdoor events next summer.

Understanding Directional Sound: Imagine using a powerful headlight on a car versus a traditional lightbulb in a room. The lightbulb spreads light everywhere (like a conventional speaker), while the headlight focuses all its energy in a narrow beam forward (like a directional loudspeaker), ensuring the sound energy reaches only the intended area while rapidly disappearing outside that focus.