Columbus may soon be a much quieter place.
The sound of car stereos and loud neighbors will be silenced if Columbus City Council passes a revamped noise ordinance.
The council is scheduled to vote on the ordinance during tonight’s meeting at 5 in Columbus City Hall.
The existing ordinance has been criticized by Columbus residents because it’s not always enforced.
“All we hear is the incessant sound of the bass and the rattling of our windows,” said Bruce Warner, president of the Franklinton Homeowners Association.
Noise disturbance is determined using decibels, but the decibel levels are often difficult to gauge. Law enforcement officers are required to measure sound levels with a decibel meter, but the readings are often skewed by background noise.
In the instances where decibel levels cannot be determined, verbal warnings are issued.
“The ordinance is not uniformly enforced because it is too vague. The lack of clarity makes the ordinance unconstitutional,” said City Attorney Richard C. Pfeiffer Jr.
Under the new ordinance law enforcement officers would receive training to ensure even application, said Sgt. Richard Bash of the Columbus Division of Police.
If passed, noise disturbances will be determined using distances instead of decibels. The distance regulations will vary depending on where the source of the noise is located.
In apartment complexes, a disturbance would be classified as noise that can be heard 25 feet from the source. In housing developments, the distance is 50 feet from the source.
Restrictions on moving vehicles are also included in the new ordinance. If the source of noise is a motor vehicle, it must not be audible within 50 feet of a residential property line.
“I hope that the new ordinance will alleviate some of the confusion surrounding this issue. We may just have to rely on those $1.98 tape measures until we get used to what 25 or 50 feet is,” said Columbus City Council member, Charleta B. Tavares.
The new ordinance will provide police with the legal authority to issue citations to violators of the ordinance, said Robert Chilton, a legislative analyst to councilwoman Tavares.
If an offender is found guilty of violating the ordinance a second time within a 12-hour period, then the person is guilty of a fourth-degree misdemeanor, he said. A second violation would result in a $250 fine and up to 30 days in jail.
Noise required to maintain a property, such as cutting the lawn or fixing a roof, will still be acceptable provided that it is done between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
“Our goal is to send a strong message to the public that nuisance noise and behavior that supports unreasonable noise will not be tolerated. We believe this is just another step we can take to make Columbus a city filled with safe and healthy neighborhoods and to allow our residents to enjoy the peace and tranquility of their home,” said Tavares.
