Atlas Twp.- The large cement truck grumbles down Hegel Road at about 50 mph. Approximately 15 feet away, with no wind or foliage to act as a noise buffer, an OmniDAQ sound meter measures the noise of the passing vehicle to be about 85 decibels’the legal limit for the township, according to a recently passed noise ordinance.
But it wasn’t the occasional passing cement truck that prompted Township Supervisor Paul Amman and the rest of the township board to pass the ordinance and buy two sound meters with tripods for a cost of $500. Instead, says Amman, it was the sounds of quads and motors racing, about which he’s been fielding an increasing number of complaints from frustrated residents.
‘There’s two problems; there’s all of the dust they create and all of the noise,? says Amman. Because finding dust from such activities was difficult and expensive to measure, Amman and the board looked to sound meters to measure noise.
Dust and noise are two issues with which resident Linda Hautamaki says she is all too familiar.
In October of 2005, Hautamaki and her husband, Ron, spoke with The Citizen about issues posed by a dirt bike track built near their property by neighbors.
‘Noise and the dust? you couldn’t keep your windows open, you couldn’t eat outside, you couldn’t have people over outside,? says Hautamaki.
At the time, the township had no noise ordinance. Hautamaki is grateful things have changed.
‘All we have to do now is call up and wait for the cops to come,? says Hautamaki.
But to enforce the law, Amman says solid data collecting methods were necessary, hence the purchase of the sound meters.
‘If we’re going to do anything, we have to be able to quantify it,? says Amman of any action that might be taken against a person in violation of the ordinance.
According to the ordinance, noise levels are not to exceed 85 decibels from 7 a.m.- 10 p.m., or 80 decibels from 10 p.m.- 7 a.m. in residential areas of the township.
If a resident feels someone is in violation of the ordinance, the first step is filing an official complaint with the township. At that point, says Amman, a representative of the township will take the sound meter out to the complainants? property, and collect data on the noise created.
‘We’re going to have to catch them in the act,? says Amman.
Amman says fines for such a disturbance can be as much as $500. However, says Amman, for a ticket to be issued the situation must have escalated to such a point that a resident would file a complaint and must be persistent enough for the township to be able to record the violation, so the occasional burst of sound probably wouldn’t result in any such action.
‘People don’t complain about someone mowing their lawn and things like that’they complain about nuisances… We’re not going to do anything unless somebody complains,? says Amman. In the two weeks he’s had the meter, Amman says he has yet to receive a single complaint.
There are several factors that can affect noise level, says Amman, including wind, distance and whether or not a buffer is present to dampen the sound. For that reason, says Amman, it is pointless to bring noisy machines to the township hall to have their decibel level tested, since the only reading that matters is the one taken from the complainant’s property.
To reduce any possible nuisance, Amman recommends moving any racing tracks away from property lines, planting bushes or creating a berm to buffer sound, and even speaking with neighbors to determine if there are inappropriate times to do such activities.
Amman gave the examples of not running a noisy riding lawn mower before noon on the weekends, and not revving motorcycles after dark on weeknights.
Hautamaki agrees that a little courtesy goes a long way.
‘Be courteous to your neighbors. I wouldn’t ever (make a lot of noise); My husband gets upset if we yell out the door at the kids because we might disrupt the neighbors,? says Hautamaki. ‘It’s rude.?
Amman says he hopes the ordinance just reinforces what common courtesy dictates.
‘The main thing I would like to see people learn from this is, no one is out to get anyone, it just boils down to being a good neighbor,? says Amman. ‘Be considerate and they won’t complain… Just be a good neighbor, that’s the bottom line of the whole thing.?