Some neighbors worried about potential noise.
Sep 03, 2026
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Viridian Law.
BAR HARBOR—After hearing worries from a neighborhood association, the Bar Harbor Town Council approved a special amusement permit for the Bear Creek Tavern located at 336 State Highway 3 at the site of the former Log Cabin Restaurant.
If all goes well for the owner, Russel Bernard, the restaurant should receive its certificate of occupancy today and open on Friday, September 4. It had hoped to open the weekend of August 28.
The special amusement permit allows for indoor amplified music at the restaurant.
That’s what concerned Jordanna Brodsky, an Ireson Hill neighborhood association representative.
The five residences are about 350 feet away from the tavern.
“We are very excited to have a new restaurant in the neighborhood,” she said, but wanted to be sure that they had tested the sound levels for any upcoming music and taken any remediation steps.
“We’re a little bit concerned,” she said. “We don’t want to have to keep our windows closed and not be outside and everything all summer long because of the music.”
They asked the council briefly delay the permit and conduct a noise test at the property lines to make sure the noise levels are not surpassed. If not, she asked for conditional approval so that they could have a few months to experience the noise and see if there were concerns.
The building has massive, thick walls, said a Town Hill resident who works at the tavern. He was nervous about the council imposing a prior restraint due to a possibility.
“I think that’s a very dangerous precedent,” he said.
That prior restraint has occurred in the past, prior to the town’s changes in the special amusement permitting policy. Both Siam Orchid on Rodick Street and The Links Pub (at Kebo Golf Club on Eagle Lake Road) were denied permits due to worries about the impact on nearby residents.
“I’m very sensitive to the concerns of the community obviously about what’s going on there,” Councilor Steven Boucher said, but since they haven’t had an event yet, he’s in favor. “I’m open to accepting this permit and allowing them the use and what happens from there happens from there.”
He’s never heard of the town testing preemptively.
“Testing preemptively would be a good thing to do, but it’s almost impossible for all the amusement permits we get,” Councilor Randell Sprague said.
“We do have things in place” to protect nearby residents, Sprague said. The police department can be called and notified if there are problems.
There’s a three-strikes and you’re out mechanism, Sprague said, where permits can be lost. That’s meant to protect residents from obtrusive noise.
Bernard said it was doubtful that they’d have 10 musicians at a time.
”I’d love to be able to have something every day. That doesn’t mean it’s music,” Bernard said. It could be a comedian, game night, open mic night.
The expectation is that there wouldn’t be a large amount of musicians playing at one time.
They’d love to be able to have an act often, he said, but he wasn’t sure.
“I really don’t see any possible issue,” he said, “and I understand what the rules are.”
He also emphasized that they are on a five acre lot with a large parking area and woods and a quarry nearby as well. One neighbor is the Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf.
The council unanimously approved the request.
According to the tavern’s website, “Nestled in the heart of Acadia National Park, we serve up hearty tavern fare, local seafood, and craft drinks in a relaxed, rustic setting. Whether you’re here for a casual dinner, a night out with friends, or to catch some live tunes, Bear Creek Tavern brings together the best of Bar Harbor’s food, music, and community spirit.”
Since 2014 Bernard and his business partner have owned Beal’s Lobster Pier in Southwest Harbor purchasing it from the Beals family. He’s also owned the Maison Suisse Inn in Northeast Harbor and told the Bangor Daily News’ Bill Trotter in 2014 that he’s been a camp counselor on Mount Desert Island since his youth.
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