Source: https://ecode360.com/11378333
Timestamp: 2020-05-31 01:38:29
Document Index: 144656682

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 142', '§ 142', '§ 142', '§ 142', '§ 142', '§ 142', '§ 142', '§ 142', '§ 142', '§ 142', '§ 142', '§ 142', '§ 142']

Township of Stafford, NJ Noise
§ 142-1 Findings; policy.
§ 142-4 Noise control officers.
§ 142-5 Maximum permissible sound levels.
§ 142-6 Restricted uses and activities.
§ 142-7 Enforcement.
§ 142-8 Severability; repealer.
Chapter 142 Noise
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council of the Township of Stafford 6-18-1985 by Ord. No. 85-51; amended in its entirety 1-20-1998 by Ord. No. 98-07. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
Parks — See Ch. 151.
Unlicensed vehicles — See Ch. 203.
Table II Maximum Permissible Octave Band Sound-Pressure Levels in Decibels
Whereas, excessive noise is a serious hazard to the public health and welfare and the quality of life; and a substantial body of science and technology exists by which excessive noise may be substantially abated; and the people have a right to and should be ensured an environment free from noise that may jeopardize their health or welfare or degrade the quality of life; and the necessity in the public interest for the provisions and prohibitions hereinafter contained and enacted is declared as a matter of legislative determination and public policy; and the provisions and prohibitions hereinafter contained and enacted are in pursuance of and for the purpose of securing and promoting the public health, comfort, convenience, safety, welfare and the peace and quiet of the inhabitants of the Township of Stafford.
Now, therefore, it is the policy of the Township of Stafford to prevent excessive sound that may jeopardize the health, welfare or safety of the citizens or degrade the quality of life. This chapter shall apply to the control of sound originating from sources within the Township of Stafford.
Any work or action necessary to deliver essential public services, including, but not limited to repairing water, gas, electricity, telephone, sewer facilities or public transportation facilities, removing fallen trees on public rights-of-way, dredging navigational waterways or abating life-threatening conditions.
A commercial, residential, industrial or public service property having boilers, incinerators, elevators, automatic garage doors, air conditioners, laundry rooms, utility provisions or health and recreational facilities or other similar devices or areas, either in the interior or on the exterior of the building, which may be a source of elevated sound levels at another category on the same distinct parcel of land; or
An employee of a local, county or regional health agency which is certified pursuant to the County Environmental Health Act (N.J.S.A. 26:3A2-21 et seq.) to perform noise enforcement activities; or a Stafford Township police officer and/or code enforcement officer who has received noise enforcement training and is currently certified in noise enforcement. The officer must be acting within his or her designated jurisdiction and must be authorized to issue a summons in order to be considered a noise control officer.
Any sound that can be detected by a person using his or her unaided hearing faculties. As an example, if the sound source under investigation is a portable or personal vehicular sound amplification or reproduction device, the detection of the rhythmic bass component of the music is sufficient to verify plainly audible sound. The noise control officer need not determine the title, specific words or the artist performing the song.
On a multi-use property, the distance between the two portions of the property on which different categories of activity are being performed (e.g., if the multi-use property is a building which is residential upstairs and commercial downstairs, then the real property line would be the interface between the residential area and the commercial area).
It shall be the duty and the responsibility of a properly certified Stafford Township police officer or code enforcement officer to enforce the provisions of this chapter. A person shall be qualified to be a noise control officer if the person meets the criteria set forth in the definition above and completes, at a frequency specified by the Department in N.J.A.C. 7:29-2.11, a noise certification and recertification course which are offered by the Department of Environmental Sciences of Cook College, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey or any other noise certification or recertification course which is offered by an accredited university and approved by the Department.
Sound measurements made by a noise control officer shall conform to the procedures set forth at N.J.A.C. 7:29-2, except that interior sound level measurements shall also conform to the procedures set forth in § 142-5C and D of this chapter and with the definition of "real property line" as contained herein.
Coordinate the noise control activities of all departments in the Township of Stafford and cooperate with all other public bodies and agencies to the extent practicable.
Review the actions of the Township of Stafford and advise of the effect, if any, of such actions on noise control.
Investigate and pursue possible violations of this chapter for sound levels which equal or exceed the sound levels set forth in Tables I and II,[1] when measured at a receiving property located within the designated jurisdiction of the noise control officer, in accordance with § 142-7 below.
Editor's Note: Tables I and II are included in § 142-5D.
No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit the operation of any source of sound on any source property listed in § 142-3A above in such a manner as to create a sound level that equals or exceeds the sound level limits set forth in Tables I and II[1] when measured at or within the real property line of any of the receiving properties listed in Tables I and II, except as specified in Subsection B below.
Indoor measurements shall only be taken if the sound source is on or within the same property as the receiving property, as in the case of a multi-use property (e.g., sound generated within a commercial unit of a multi-use property building and received within a residential unit of the same building) or multidwelling building. In addition, indoor measurements shall be taken if the property line between the receiving property and the source property is a common wall, such as in a multi-dwelling-unit building. The allowable sound level standards for indoors are as shown in Tables I and II.
Impulsive sound. Between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., impulsive sound shall not equal or exceed 80 decibels. Between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., impulsive sound which occurs less than four times in any hour shall not equal or exceed 80 decibels. Impulsive sound which repeats four or more times in any hour shall be measured as impulsive sound and shall meet the requirements as shown in Table I.
Table I, Maximum Permissible A-Weighted Sound Levels.
No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit the operation of any source of sound on any source property listed in § 142-3A above in such a manner as to create a sound level that equals or exceeds the sound levels listed below:
Residential Property or Residential Portion of a Multi-Use Property
Commercial Facility, Public Service Facility, Nonresidential Portion of a Multi-Use Property or Community Service Facility
Commercial Facility*, or Nonresidential Portion of a Multi-use Facililty
* NOTE: In those instances when a commercial facility shares a common wall/ceiling/floor with another facility that is producing the sound.
Table II.[2]
Editor's Note: Table II, Maximum Permissible Octave Band Sound-Pressure Levels in Decibels, can be found at the end of this chapter.
Construction and demolition activity, excluding emergency work, shall not be performed between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays, or between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. on weekends and federal holidays, unless such activities can meet the limits set forth in Tables I and II. All motorized equipment used in construction and demolition activity shall be operated with a muffler. At all other times, the limits set forth in Tables I and II do not apply to construction and demolition activities.
Motorized snowblowers, snow throwers and lawn equipment with attached snowplows shall be operated at all times with a muffler. At all times, the limits set forth in Tables I and II do not apply.
An exterior burglar alarm of a building or motor vehicle must be activated in such a manner that the burglar alarm terminates its operation within five minutes for continuous airborne sound and 15 minutes for impulsive sound after it has been activated. At all times, the limits set forth in Tables I and II do not apply.
Sound levels exceeding the limits set forth in Table I and Table II shall be prohibited between residential units within the same multi-dwelling-unit building. Measurements shall be taken indoors as per § 142-5B and C.
Editor's Note: Table I and II are included in § 142-5D.
Violation of any provision of this chapter shall be cause for an enforcement document to be issued to the violator by the noise control officer according to procedures set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.6. The recipient of an enforcement document shall be entitled to a hearing in a Municipal Court having jurisdiction to contest such action.
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be subject to a civil penalty for each offense of not more than $1,000. If the violation is of a continuing nature, each day during which it occurs shall constitute an additional, separate and distinct offense.