Come on feel the noise
Anyone with a business, especially construction and landscaping, or anyone that tends to make a bit of noise may be interested in the city's proposed noise ordinance (read it here). For the first time, there will be a set decibel standard for noise.
The most stringent standard, the nighttime residential limit, only allows a business or person to cause a sound that registers 45 dBA at the nearest residential property line. It's 55dBA during the day, and there are higher limits for residences in commercial and industrial areas, such as downtown.
Click here to see a list of normal activities and their decibel levels. Keep in mind that those levels are measured at the point of creation, while the noise ordinance measures the sound at the point of the nearest property. But according to the noise examples, it would be illegal to stand in your backyard at night and, lets say, use an electric toothbrush (50-60 dBA) or use a leaf blower (110 dBA) anytime near another house.
The council plans to return to the noise ordinance in the next few weeks after they get a chance to review it.
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