Ssshh!

Noise ordinance considered

    Clear Lake Police Chief Greg Peterson presented the Clear Lake City Council with a draft of a noise ordinance Monday night.  The proposed ordinance addresses commercial, residential and industrial zones within the city and establishes acceptable decibel levels for specific times of the day.
    In residential zones, permissible sound levels would be 60 decibels from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 50 decibels from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
    Commercial zones would have a limit of 65 decibels at all times. The limit would be 75 decibels at all times in industrial zones.

    The proposed ordinance defines a variety of noise disturbances and prohibits them during specified hours.  For example, the intentional sounding of any privately owned alarm (fire alarm, burglar alarm, siren, etc.) is prohibited between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m.  Motor vehicle sound/entertainment equipment is considered a noise disturbance if it is audible at a distance of 50-feet or greater at all times.  Screeching tires are prohibited at all times, as well as the sound of racing and engine brake noise.
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