Neighbors, musicians, and well-wishers came out in scores to urge San Luis Obispo’s zoning hearing officer to maintain the local Libertine Brewing Company’s existing minor use permit.
The Feb. 23 hearing took a second look at the bar’s permit after the SLO Police Department received eight calls for service related to noise issues between December 2024 and November 2025.
Worries that a revoked permit could result in the loss of live music at the venue drove many Libertine supporters to City Hall.
“I’d like to see a show of hands of who here has never come to a City [Hall] meeting before,” a Pismo Street resident asked during public comment, prompting most hands in the full room to go up. “I think that’s pretty representative of the culture and the community that Libertine provides for us.”
Until recently, Libertine faced a $350 citation from the Police Department and a notice of violation from the city’s Code Enforcement Division.
The city issued the notice of violation—a courtesy warning, not a fine—after an investigation found that Libertine flouted multiple conditions of its permit.
According to the city, when the code enforcement violation happened, the bar abided by a building permit related to new floor plans that had been issued but not yet finalized; didn’t close all doors and windows after 10 p.m. to contain the live music sounds one night; and didn’t have its updated security plan on record. The building permit has since been finalized.
The city told New Times that it dismissed the $350 police citation on Feb. 18 after the city attorney reviewed it. Assistant Planner Mallory Patino confirmed the paperwork error.
“The citation was for violation of the noise ordinance for the business,” she said. “But when the citation was issued, they didn’t write it to the business, they wrote it to the individual, to the employee that was on staff coordinating with the police at the time.”
Libertine’s permit allows live entertainment to run until 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and until 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.
The permit limits live entertainment up to three days a week that’s compliant with the “city’s definition of ambient entertainment.”
According to the city’s municipal code, “ambient noise level” is the combined noise from all sources near and far that make up the usual volume at a given location.
Libertine Event and Marketing Manager John Pranjic previously told New Times he believed all the noise complaints came from one household. Patino said she couldn’t confirm who the callers were because the police don’t track those records.
Two people who have complained—husbands Chris Baisa and Thomas Barnard—spoke at the permit review hearing. They’ve owned a home close to the Broad Street bar since 2024 and said the noise makes it hard for one of them to get up early for work.
“Run your business appropriately,” Baisa said. “Take care of your neighbors. Be responsible and insulate your building.”
The couple allegedly spent $70,000 to cushion their home from the noise. They added during public comment that Pranjic has harassed and tried to intimidate them, sometimes even confronting them near the house and asking them to sell and move away.
Baisa told New Times their lawyer advised the couple not to speak with the press. He added they don’t feel safe in SLO and fear reprisal.
Pranjic disagreed with allegations of harassment.
‘Run your business appropriately. Take care of your neighbors. Be responsible and insulate your building.’
—Chris Baisa, Libertine Brewing Company neighbor
“It is concerning that these inconsistent claims are being made,” he told New Times. “The logistics simply don’t align: They claim to be 50 feet away, yet simultaneously allege that our staff was close enough to interfere with them. In reality, these individuals frequently stand within arm’s length of our patio, our patron queue, and our front entrance and photograph our guests and staff.”
Libertine’s other neighbors told the hearing officer they had no issues with the sound.
“I’m a musician and I’ve played at Libertine for three years,” a Broad Street resident said. “It’s a really special place, and I’d love to be able to see it continue to provide for the next generation of bands.”
“In the eight years that my family has lived one block from Libertine, concert noise or other disruptions have never been a problem,” another neighbor said.
The city heeded calls to preserve Libertine’s permit, with Zoning Hearing Officer Brian Levielle approving to maintain the existing permit.
Pranjic told New Times that Libertine is committed to being a good neighbor. Over the years, the bar has changed the orientation of the stage and speakers to contain live music sounds, moved show times to start and end earlier, and most recently received an “acoustic treatment” through the installation of sound barriers.
He added that he’s open to discussing solutions with dissatisfied residents like Baisa and Barnard if they’re eager to communicate.
“We have repeatedly said that we are willing to talk with anybody that’s willing to sit at the table with us and come up with solutions for these things,” Pranjic said. “It’s really hard for us to fix a problem when we don’t know exactly what the problem is.” ∆
This article appears in Weddings 2026.