SPRINGDALE — Springdale will have a decibel limit for noise, if the City Council approves an ordinance forwarded by a committee.
The council ordinance committee recommended on Monday passing revisions to the city code that included noise limits. The city’s noise ordinance does not contain limits now.
“This will give us a starting point,” said Alderman Mike Overton. “We’ve been working on this for five weeks. We need to get it to a vote.”
The maximum noise levels, between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., would be 65 decibels for residential zones, 75 for commercial and 85 for industrial. Between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., the limit would go down 5 decibels in each zone.
Decibel meters would be used to check the noise levels.
City Attorney Jeff Harper questioned the limits, saying the committee didn’t know how loud those levels were.
Lt. Derek Hudson, of the city police department, checked the noise level in the committee meeting. It was running 65 to 70 decibels, he said.
“I guess we’ll break the ordinance at all our meetings,” Overton said.
Exceptions would include emergency assistance and response vehicles, Rodeo of the Ozarks parade and events at Parsons Stadium, school and city activities, fire and burglar alarms, fireworks displays and religious worship services in the appropriate zoning. Those exceptions would be the same, apart from churches.
All churches now are exempt. The new ordinance would apply to churches not in institutional zoning, such as those in commercial zones as a conditional use.
Churches with a conditional use should be good neighbors and conform to the noise ordinance, said Alderman Rick Evans. Any noise complaints about churches are coming from those that have a conditional use, said Patsy Christie, city director of planning.
The committee also deleted a permitting process that would have allowed special events to go over the limits by 10 decibels. Everyone should have to conform to the limits, said Alderwoman Kathy Jaycox.
The noise ordinance is the first to be examined by the council ordinance committee. The committee plans to examine the entire city’s code book, looking for ordinances to eliminate or simplify, said Overton, the chairman of the committee.
The committee also discussed changes for automobile sale lots. Many lots are too crowded, said Alderman Brad Bruns.
“You should be able to move every car without moving another,” Bruns said.
The committee plans to continue discussions in its next meeting. The committee meets on the first and third Monday of each month. The full council would have to approve the final revision of any ordinance.