Star file photo

San Marcos City Council voted 7-0 on Tuesday to modify the conditional use permit (CUP) application for Tantra, a local coffee shop and live music venue located in downtown San Marcos, reinstating the original decibel limits of Tantra’s previous permit.

On Sept. 24, the San Marcos Planning and Zoning Commission voted 9-0 to approve Tantra’s CUP three-year permit renewal, including a condition that would limit all outdoor live music to no more than 60 decibels.

However, Tantra’s previous permit allowed live music at 85 decibels prior to 10 p.m. and 75 decibels after 10 p.m.

60 decibels is the typical noise level of normal conversations or a running dishwasher, whereas 70 to 80 decibels compare to noise levels of traffic or a busy restaurant.

Because of this change, owner Jeffery Colasurd said the 60-decibel limit would end live music at Tantra and likely force it to close.

Colasurd, who reopened Tantra in 2023 after it closed during the pandemic, said he was largely confused by the planning and zoning decision because there were no official citations or warnings issued to Tantra for noise complaints.

“I’m aware of the noise issues of previous ownership, and I’ve made sure that since we reopened, we have not gone over that decimal limit…and stopped our shows by 10:30 p.m.,” Colasurd said. “The updated CUP… was incredibly upsetting for me. I went into that meeting not thinking there was an issue, as every noise complaint again, by the same person, was unfounded as confirmed by those police reports.”

The issue arose after complaints from nearby neighbors, including local resident Lisa Marie Coppoletta, who claimed the venue was too loud and used vulgar language audible to residents in nearby homes and to H-E-B on West Hopkins Street.

The night that Coppoletta raised concerns about featured a performance of Rage Against the Machine songs, prompting numerous complaints to city council, according to Councilmember Mark Gleason.

“No one is complaining about Bluegrass on Wednesday night,” Gleason said. “The complaints we got were ‘Rage Against the Machine’ and stuff, and I’m not telling you that I want you to pick and choose which bands you have to play, but we have to be very aware of it.”

According to city staff, the San Marcos Police Department (SMPD) was called out to Tantra six times over the course of five months for reported noise complaints, and no reports resulted in any citations or warnings.

“[Tantra] should’ve received a ticket, but they didn’t because SMPD is cool,” Coppoletta said. “Additionally, this deceitful claim that they had no warnings falls squarely on [the] planning department…there were indeed multiple warnings after all. The business is near a daycare, a church, a grocery store and its surrounding homeowners.”

According to city staff, city council received over 200 emails by 4 p.m. on Monday from residents asking council to reinstate the original CUP and to remove the 60-decibel limit condition.

Councilmember Amanda Rodriguez said she read through all the emails before the city council meeting to determine the extent of the issue.

“It has been clear in the emails, [and] it has been clear in today’s comments that Tantra has done something that many of us almost try to imagine how to do, and they’ve done it so successfully for people of all ages,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t want to take that away from y’all. There’s been some sentiments about…preserving community and preserving quality of life, and it’s clear to me today that Tantra has done that.”

Additionally, more than 60 people filled the chamber and rotunda to speak in support of Tantra at Tuesday’s meeting.

Emma Long, local resident, said when she moved to San Marcos in 2009, there was a variety of live music venues in San Marcos, including businesses such as Triple Crown and Coffee Pot, that began to disappear over the years as the city grew.

“When Tantra closed during the pandemic, I was broken,” Long said. “This is where I met my husband, my maid of honor, my husband’s best man, my community. I know entire families that are products of the community that is fostered at Tantra… This is more than a business.”

Local resident Benny Rice said Tantra played a large role in his childhood in San Marcos, and it was the first place he experienced community outside his church growing up.

“[Tantra] has been with me my whole life,” Rice said. “These people have come out tonight because they care and because this matters to them. This is a place that shapes people like me and many people here that grow up in this community…and places like [Tantra] are why we stay living here.”