By Brandi Makuski

The Stevens Point Public Protection Committee on Monday gave unanimous approval for an outdoor concert at Belts’ Soft Serve on Sept. 4.

Owner Cole Racine said he plans to offer live music as a way to welcome UWSP students back to the city.

“Typically, for me, Labor Day is busy; we get a lot of business from the university,” he said, adding it made sense to throw some live music into the mix that day.

Belts’ is located on a triangular-shaped lot bordered by Church and Division streets. Racine said he wasn’t requesting any street closures and didn’t anticipate security problems, which he plans to handle himself. He did promise to “immediately” close down the festivities if that changed.

Councilwomen Mary McComb and Cathy Dugan both said they’d heard concerns from their constituents related to noise.

Dugan told Racine the committee was considering stricter noise ordinances later in the meeting, and advised he have the band “control amplification; ask them to tone it down a bit for people who are maybe trying to sleep at 10.”

“My intent is to push the noise down Division Street into the business district,” Racine replied. “This is not a regular thing; it’s a special event for Labor Day and to welcome back UWSP students.”

John Schlice, who lives just behind Belts’, said he was also concerned about potential noise problems, but his concerns were based on a previous concert held at the business several years ago. In that case, Schlice said the band’s speakers were facing his home.

“What raised my concern is we’ve got babies and young children on the west side [of Belts’] and they go to bed before 10 o’clock,” Schlice said. “But as long as the speakers and noise are directed towards the trains, I guess we can try it out and see how it works. He’s willing to work with the neighborhood, and if there’s [sic] problems, I know 346-1501 (the non-emergency police dept. number) will get me some action.”

Racine said the band will set-up on the northeast side of the building. He anticipates a 20 percent uptick in business thanks to the live music, but also said he didn’t expect customers to stay on the premises much longer than usual after purchasing treats.

“And quite frankly, my inclination is when my regular customers, or community members, see droves of college students, they’re probably going to choose to come to my business another night,” he added.

The band Soul Symmetry — whose sounds Racine described as “reggae-blues, a low-key band,” — plays from 7 to 10 PM on Sept. 4. There is no cover charge.

Belts’ Soft Serve is located at 2140 Division Street.