Amendments to West University noise ordinance go into effect May 3

It has been several months since it was first approved, but West University Place residents and contractors will soon need to abide by new additions to the city’s noise ordinance.

Starting May 3, residential quiet hours will expand to before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, before 8 a.m. and after 5 p.m. Saturday, and before noon and after 5 p.m. Sundays, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, Independence Day and any city holiday on which there is no curbside trash collection.

The amendments also implement tighter restrictions on noise-generating equipment, including a 70-decibel max restriction on any leaf blower at a distance of 50 feet. To avoid a fine, leaf blowers must be labeled with an American National Standards Institute B175.2 sticker.

In addition, noise level limits on residential properties must remain below 58 decibels during residential quiet hours, 65 decibels during other times, and 68 decibels for nonresidential properties.

The amendments come as a result of multiple discussions amongst residents, the city's zoning and planning commission, and the city council since late 2018, according to public works director Gerardo Barrera.

"After multiple meetings, the key revisions decided on included changes to the residential quiet hours and establishing a noise limit for leaf blowers," Barrera wrote in an email. "There were several workshops with Council until a final vote was made by the ZPC and presented to Council that amended the ordinance to include the changes to quiet hours and noise limit of leaf blowers. After two readings of the ordinance, the changes were passed."

The city council voted to amend the city’s noise ordinance on July 27, 2020. Before that approval, the noise ordinance came before the city’s zoning and planning commission 16 times since 2018 with requests for changes from residents.