Council Poised to Crack Down on Noise

By Tom Shevlin

NEWPORT – City Council members are poised to take a hard stand against the issue of noise next week as they consider whether to reduce the city's allowable decibel levels in residential neighborhoods.

According to a resolution scheduled to appear on the Wednesday, Sept. 12 meeting, there has been a rise in the number of nuisance properties in the city's residential neighborhoods.

The noise, which has resulted in repeated calls for service to the Newport Police Department and the Zoning Office, stem from what the city defines as "disorderly houses."

According to Section 8.12.100, of the city's zoning code, "no person shall keep a disorderly house or place of public resort whereby the peace, comfort, or decency of a neighbor is habitually disturbed; or, being the owner of or in control of such premises to intentionally permit them to be so used."

The current maximum permissible sound levels permitted in Residential Zones and Noise Sensitive Areas is 65 dbs during the hours of 7 a.m. and 9:59 p.m., after which time it is reduced to 55 dbs until 6:59 a.m.

Councilors are proposing reducing the maximum decibel level to 55 dbs between the hours of 8:59 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

According to the resolution, which was sponsored by Mayor Henry F. Winthrop, and councilors Charles Y. Duncan, Kathryn E. Leonard, Naomi Neville, and Jeanne-Marie Napolitano, reducing the maximum allowable noise level would "greatly contribute to our residents' peaceful enjoyment of their homes.

If the resolution passes, the city administration is expected to be asked to draf the appropriate ordinance amendments and report back for consideration at the council's Sept.26 meeting.

Comments (4)

Comment Feed

Classic election season move...

This is a classic election season move by council.

1. Recognize or invent a problem that's popular.

2. Pass paperwork which, on the surface, appears to be a proactive the fix to the problem but isn't.

3. Plaster it all over your election material as one of your 'achievements' while in council.

After all, who would oppose raising the decible level?

As the other posters pointed out, it all comes down to enforcement. They could lower the level to 25 and if it's not enforced, it's meaningless - much like the council.

Resolutions are easy. Results are a bit more ellusive.
Follow the money.

Campaign Manager 255 days ago

I don't know how to measure my decibels.

1. To suggest that lowering the permissible decibel levels will successfully reduce the noise coming from "disorderly houses" is to suggest that they are actively measuring their own decibel levels. Does anyone actually know when they've hit 65 decibels? Will they know when they've hit 55? Does it make a difference if police are being bombarded with complaints anyway?

2. If "disorderly houses" are already violating the noise limit, why lower it even further? Why would that mean anything but more complaints and more calls for service? If the "disorderly houses" have already been flagged as culprits, then cite them accordingly.

As for me, all I request is that some audiophile would please bring a tuning fork up to the belltower at St. Joe's and 99% of my noise complaints will be solved. Sounds like the god damned apocalypse over there.

Magnus 255 days ago

DEAL WITH THE CAUSE!

I agree with Frustrated Resident: Newport should focus on the cause of the problem. But only blaming bars for over-serving patrons will not take care of the complaints. The Council needs to look at those people who are making complaints. Suppress the complainers and limit their ability to make phone calls after 9PM - then we could reduce the number of police leaving the station, saving on manpower, gasoline, and wear and tear on police vehicles!

FRED SULLIVAN 256 days ago

Dealing with the Effect Rather Than the Cause

I'm a resident of Newport and I am all for the enforcement of laws and ordinances that crack down on noise, disturbances, nuisances, etc. If the City Council is willing to crack down on "disorderly houses" and regulate the noise levels coming from residential properties, why, on the other hand, is the Council not willing to crack down on the cause of so much of the "disorderly" behavior. Namely, the many bars that over-serve patrons and then release them into our streets so that they can vomit, urinate, vandalize property and disturb residents and visitors? If the City Council wants to clamp down on disorderly behavior, they need to start at the source (and the City should start levying heavy fines for anyone caught doing any of the aforementioned activities as it will increase revenue and discourage such behavior). Focusing on the noise levels coming from residential properties while allowing the expansion of bars into parking lots and failing to crack down on drunken behavior that is visible throughout town is hypocritical and is missing the mark.

Frustrated Resident 259 days ago