For nearly a year, a noise dispute between a Salina couple and a Clay bar has moved through the town's meeting rooms without resolution. Caitlin and Jarrett Winders, who live on Old Cove Road, have told the Clay Town Board that music from Sharkey's — a bar associated with the corporate entity Land of Nichols LD, LLC and zoning applicant James Nichols — regularly exceeds the town's noise code and runs on a schedule that spans most of the week. The business's related zoning matter, Case #2025-052, has been adjourned twice by the Planning Board, most recently to April 22, 2026. The public record reviewed for this account includes no statement from Sharkey's or its ownership beyond the zone-change application itself.

The First Complaint

The dispute entered the public record on August 18, 2025, when Caitlin Winders — then 38 weeks pregnant — and Jarrett Winders raised the noise issue with the Town Board. A sound reading cited at that meeting measured more than 95 dBA, against the town code's limits of 45 dBA during the day and 65 dBA otherwise. Code enforcement told the Board that Sharkey's had been running concerts without a permit "for years." The couple asked the Board to deny the business any permit [1]. That same record also referenced a separate court case brought by code enforcement against Sharkey's; the minutes do not tie that litigation to the Planning Board's later scheduling decisions, and this account does not draw that connection.

Two weeks later, at the September 3, 2025 meeting, the Supervisor told the Board he was working with the owner of Sharkey's to find a resolution [2].

A Schedule of Sound

By the October 6, 2025 Town Board meeting, the Winders — now adjusting to life with a one-month-old baby — told the Board the noise was louder than ever and that they had had to find other places to stay in order to get sleep. They described a weekly schedule of concerts: Thursdays from 5 to 10 p.m., Fridays from 4 to 10:30 p.m., Saturdays from 3 to 10:30 p.m., and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., with sound checks before each. The couple said they were aware of court proceedings involving the establishment, and they respectfully requested that the Town Board take their account into consideration when deciding on Sharkey's application [3].

Codes Department and a Zone-Change Hearing

At the October 20, 2025 meeting, Deputy Supervisor Bick asked whether the couple who had complained about the noise were present. He explained that the issues had been addressed by the Codes Department, and added that there would be a public hearing to change the zone to bring the business into compliance [4]. That zone-change hearing corresponds to Case #2025-052, listed in Planning Board records as a Zone Change Referral for James Nichols/Land of Nichols LD, LLC.

A Petition and a First Adjournment

The Winders returned to the Town Board on November 17, 2025, reading a letter about their "dilemma" and submitting a petition to the Town Clerk requesting denial of the business's forthcoming petition. Deputy Supervisor Bick thanked them for it [5].

Two days later, at the November 19, 2025 Planning Board meeting, Ms. Guinup moved to adjourn Case #2025-052 to February 11, 2026 [6]. It was the case's first adjournment.

Where the Case Stands

The February 11, 2026 date has since passed. According to the Planning Board's minutes from that meeting, Case #2025-052 was adjourned again, to April 22, 2026, with the note that "this case has been tabled by the town board" [7]. The record attributes this second adjournment to town board action, not to the court proceedings referenced elsewhere in the file.

What to watch: Case #2025-052 — the Zone Change Referral tied to Sharkey's — was scheduled to return to the Planning Board on April 22, 2026. The minutes released since then record no further action on the case; we are watching each new set of Planning Board and Town Board minutes for its reappearance.

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Sources

[1] Town of Clay Meeting Minutes, August 18, 2025. Caitlin Winders, 38 weeks pregnant at the time, and Jarrett Winders raised the noise issue at Sharkey's; a sound reading was cited above 95 dBA against the town code's 45 dBA (daytime) and 65 dBA limits; code enforcement stated Sharkey's had operated concerts without a permit "for years"; the couple requested the Board deny any permit. The same record references a separate court case brought by code enforcement against Sharkey's.

[2] Town of Clay Meeting Minutes, September 3, 2025. The Supervisor explained that he was working with the owner of Sharkey's to find a resolution.

[3] Town of Clay Meeting Minutes, October 6, 2025. "Caitlin and Jarrett Winders of Old Cove Road in Salina gave an update on the noise situation from Sharkeys... Caitlin began by saying the noise is louder than ever, they now have a 1-month-old baby and have had to find other places to stay to get sleep... concerts are Thursdays from 5-10 PM, Fridays from 4-10:30, Saturdays from 3-10:30 and Sunday from 8 AM to 11 PM, with sound checks before... respectfully requested that the Town Board takes this information into consideration when deciding on Sharkeys application."

[4] Town of Clay Meeting Minutes, October 20, 2025. Deputy Supervisor Bick asked if the couple that complained about the noise at Sharkey's were present. He explained that the issues were addressed by the Codes Department. He added that there will be a public hearing to change the zone to comply.

[5] Town of Clay Meeting Minutes, November 17, 2025. Caitlyn and Jarrett Winders spoke on the ongoing noise issues at Sharkey's, reading a letter about their dilemma, and submitted a petition to the Town Clerk requesting denial of the business's forthcoming petition. Deputy Supervisor Bick thanked them.

[6] Town of Clay Planning Board Minutes, November 19, 2025. Motion made by Ms. Guinup to adjourn Case #2025-052 James Nichols/Land of Nichols LD, LLC (Sharkey's), a Zone Change Referral, to February 11, 2026. First adjournment of the case.

[7] Town of Clay Planning Board Minutes, February 11, 2026. Case #2025-052 (James Nichols/Land of Nichols LD, LLC) adjourned to April 22, 2026. Note: "This case has been tabled by the town board."