Briefing Room

Summary of Specific Prohibitions:

The following acts are declared to be unreasonably loud, disturbing, jarring, raucous, or excessive noise in violation of this chapter, but said action shall not be deemed to be exclusive:

1) Radios, stereos, audio or visual equipment, sound equipment, sound amplification devices, television sets, exterior loudspeakers and similar devices… in such a manner as to cause noise disturbances so as to disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of the neighborhood and vicinity thereof…

2) Animals...owning, keeping, possessing, or harboring any animal, bird or fowl which, by frequent or habitual howling, barking, meowing, squawking, or other noise-making, cause a noise disturbance…

3) Loading operations……………..loading, unloading, opening or otherwise handling boxes, crates, containers, garbage cans, or otherwise similar objects in such a manner as to cause excessive and unnecessarily loud noises…

4) Construction noise...operating or causing to be operated any equipment used in commercial construction, repair, alteration or demolition work...between the hours of 7:00 pm and 8:00 am the following day…

5) Vehicle repairs or testing...repairing, rebuilding, modifying or testing any motor vehicle, off-road vehicle, or motorboat in or near a residential district in such a manner as to cause noise disturbance…

6) Impulsive sources...the using of fireworks, explosives, or the firing of guns or other explosive devices without first obtaining a permit…

7) Motor vehicle racing events...operating or permitting the operation of any motor vehicle racing events at any place, except an authorized track…

8) Watercraft...Operating or causing the operation of any motorboat in any lake, river, stream, or other waterway in such a manner as to cause a noise disturbance.

9) Miscellaneous noise...causing a noise disturbance by any means, which exceeds the noise level for that district in any given period of ten minutes or more as established in section 17-11.

Maximum noise level in use districts:

Maximum limits. It shall be unlawful, within the use districts as indicated below, for sound or noise source to exceed the maximum noise levels as set forth as measured at any point on the boundary of the property from which the sound or noise is emanating

Selected Definitions:

Continuous noise...a steady, fluctuating, or impact noise which exists, essentially without interruption, for a period of ten (10) minutes or more

Noise...means any sound which annoys or disturbs or which causes or tends to cause an adverse psychological or physiological effect on human beings

Noise disturbance...means any sound which is unreasonably loud, raucous, jarring, or annoys, disturbs, perturbs or is a nuisance to reasonable persons within the area of audibility or any sound which injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, hearing, peace, or safety of other persons, or exceeds the noise levels for that district as defined in section 17-11.

Plainly audible noise...means any noise for which the information content of that noise is unambiguously communicated to the listener, such as, but not limited to, understandable spoken speech, comprehension of whether a voice is raised or normal, or comprehensible musical rhythms.

Property boundary...means an imaginary line exterior to any enclosed structure, at the ground surface, which separates the real property owned by one (1) person from that owned by another person, and its vertical extension

Stationary noise source...means any device, fixed or moveable, which is located or used on property

Steady noise...means a sound pressure level which remains essentially constant during the period of observation.

Briefing Room