It was standing room only at Monday’s Gulf Shores council work session as Mayor Robert Craft and council members got an ear full from residents encouraging council members to leave The Hangout and other establishments that provide late night live music alone.

During the council meeting a week ago, some West Beach residents approached the council, requesting they do something about music being played outside at The Hangout until the early morning hours. Recently, calls have been made to the police department complaining about the volume of the music as late as 2 a.m.

Shaul Zislin, owner of The Hangout, and many others from the community, addressed the council on Monday, saying they want to be able to continue business as usual in order to keep business up and visitors coming.

“We feel that The Hangout provides an amazing quality level of entertainment,” said Zislin. “Gulf Shores is a family-friendly, quality place to come vacation and everything we do is customized toward that, including our late night entertainment.”

Some comments from those against what they described as “noise” coming from The Hangout, suggested that the business move the music indoors, but Zislin said that the outdoor atmosphere provides something special.

“People can go to venues all over the country where they can be inside, in a dark space, where it is smoky or not, loud music or soft music, but there is nothing special about that. But when they come to the beach, and we play host to them, outside under the stars, we think that we send them home with a memory that is absolutely enhanced their trip down here.”

Zislin insisted The Hangout has a non-compromising attitude to provide a safe environment for everyone, and where no under-age drinking is ever allowed.

“If we have a bartender that serves someone under-age, they are dismissed immediately. No second chance, automatically, on the spot, done deal.”

According to Mayor Robert Craft, police chief Edward Delmore has suggested a zone of no further than two blocks east, two blocks west and two blocks north for the music to be heard after 11 p.m.

Zislin requested that be expanded to four blocks due to a low density of full-time residents within that area.

A cab driver from the area suggested if the late night music was silenced, many of the customers will no longer come to Gulf Shores, but will visit establishments in Orange Beach, which would hurt the local economy.

Cary Laine, a musician who performs regularly at The Hangout, said that the new rules would force her and other local musicians to travel to other places to perform, putting a financial strain on her and her family.

“I work nights, and I have friends and family who have taken on second jobs at night, and we don’t complain when our neighbors are cutting their yard at 6:30 and 7 in the morning, it’s just one of those things, and that is definitely more intrusive that music several blocks away.”

Mayor Craft said that the council is listening to both sides of the argument and hopes that they can come to a decision that will satisfy those on both sides of the issue.

Zislin said only recently has someone complained.

“We went all of last year and had no complaints at all and I didn’t even know there was a problem until I was here at the council meeting a couple of weeks ago when someone addressed the council.”