People in Nockamixon Township in Bucks County say they're fed up with late nights and loud music at a local farm. The owners have been hosting concerts that officials say violate two local ordinances.
In 2011 Tower Farm in Ottsville hosted 'Jam at the Grove 5.' The weekend-long festival featured 39 bands and DJs.
Nockamixon Township Solicitor Jordan Yeager says this is exactly the type of thing officials want to shut down.
"This is a residential zoning district which means it's for residences, it's not used for concerts with thousands of people coming in."
Now the township is suing the Tower Road property owners Marc Gallo and Marita Bartish to stop the concerts. In a lawsuit filed this week it says the mother and son are violating local zoning and nuisance ordinances.
"It's simply to have them follow the rules that everyone else in the township has to follow," explained Yeager.
He says since 2011 two concerts have been held at the venue. Thousands of tickets are sold, alcohol is served and concert-goers are charged for parking and camping. Neighbors complain the bands gets rowdy.
"This is dozens and dozens that play through the night into the early morning hours," said Yeager.
Concerts are prohibited in Nockamixon's residential zoning, and the crowds and loud music violates nuisance laws.
"We told them that they're not allowed to do what they're doing but they continue to do it."
According to court documents, after 'Jam on the Grove 5' in 2011, the township notified Gallo and Bartish they were violating local ordinances.
The lawsuit states the pair did not appeal or apply for the permits they needed. But this May the 'Wetlands Reunion Jam' was held at the farm. The township ordered them to cease concert operations.
"Now we've been able to determine from some online research that they're planning on doing it again in August," said Yeager.
We stopped by the property Thursday but no one was home. Repeated attempts to get in touch with Gallo were unsuccessful.
In an interview with The Intelligencer, Gallo says he has always had the proper permits and he's received few complaints from neighbors. He also denies planning another Jam on the Grove.
"Right now all we see from them is that they want to ignore the township ordinances," said Yeager.
Yeager tells us the injunction could be before a judge in the next few weeks.

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