Sound Ordinance in Sugar Land (West, Lexington: house, neighborhood, public school)

[lanewidick]

Does anyone know if there are any sound ordinances in Sugar Land? About every 45 minutes or so around our house, we hear a car with the deep throbbing bass thumps go by. Our house is sandwiched between Williams Trace, Lexington, and Highway 6. Its rather frustrating, and happens at all time of the day.

If there is a Sound Ordinance, who would I contact to get a handle on this?

[LostInHouston]

You would probably call the police... but I doubt they are going to send anyone because the offending car will most likely be long gone by then.

Here is the sugar land noise ordinance:

Sec. 3-101. Noise regulations. (a) Definitions. In this section:

Dwelling has the meaning as defined by the Development Code.

Outdoor playground means an area that is not entirely enclosed within a building that contains play equipment for younger children, such as slides, swings, climbing bars, chutes, tunnels, or similar recreational equipment.

Public facility means any park, playground, stadium, entertainment arena, athletic facility, Town Square Plaza, or other real property, other than a public street, highway or right-of-way, which is owned by a city, county, public school, or other governmental entity.

Public service utility means an entity that provides water, wastewater, electric, telephone, telecommunications, or natural gas service to customers from facilities located within a public right-of-way.

(b) It is unlawful for any person to intentionally or knowingly make or create any noise of such volume, intensity, or duration as to disturb or annoy a reasonable person of normal sensitivity in the usual and expected enjoyment or the use of a dwelling. In determining whether a violation of this paragraph occurs, the following may be considered:

(1) The level, frequency, or duration of the noise;

(2) The proximity of the noise to the dwelling;

(3) The nature and zoning of the area within which the noise occurs; and

(4) The time of the day or night the noise occurs.

(c) The operation of any radio, speaker, musical instrument, sound amplifier, or other device used for producing or reproducing sound for entertainment purposes so as to be plainly audible within a dwelling, other than the dwelling where the sound-producing device is located, is prima facie evidence of a violation of paragraph (a).

(d) Any radio, speaker, musical instrument, sound amplifier or other device used for producing or reproducing sound for entertainment purposes that is located within or upon a motor vehicle and is operated at a volume that is plainly audible at a distance of more than 50 feet from the vehicle is prima facie evidence of a violation of paragraph (b). It is presumed that the registered owner of the motor vehicle from which the sound is produced in violation of the paragraph is the person who committed the violation.

(e) It is unlawful for any person operating a business that operates an outdoor playground as an accessory use if the playground is located within 500 feet of a dwelling, to intentionally or knowingly allow any person to make use of the playground between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. of the following day.

(f) Exceptions to violations.

(1) It is a defense to prosecution under paragraph (b) of this section that the noise was caused by an employee, contractor, or agent of any city, county, public school, or other governmental entity or of a public service utility in the performance of his or her duties.

(2) It is a defense to prosecution under paragraph (b) or (c) of this section that the noise or sound was created by persons lawfully using a public facility.

(3) It is a defense to prosecutions under paragraph (b), (c) or (d) of this section that the noise was caused by persons participating in a parade conducted on a public street pursuant to a parade permit.

(Ord. No. 714, §§ 2--4, 8-7-90; Ord. No. 1236, § 1, 4-4-00; Ord. No. 1421, § 4, 12-2-03; Ord. No. 1577, § 19, 8-1-2006)

Secs. 3-102--3-110. Reserved.

[sickofsuburbannoise]

Is there a possibility that this sound ordinance might apply to lawn mowers, leaf blowers etc? The noise in my neighborhood started at 7:00 am with leaf blowers, then the wood chipper started at 7:15, mowers have been going all day since then. It is almost noon now and this continues all day, every day of the week. These machines are substantially louder than a stereo next door.

Any suggestions?

[tstone]

West Coast has those anti- leaf blower laws.

Soundproof double pane windows might be something worth considering.

[jimmyev]

Why can't they just use decibel levels like any real law?