A Plain City resident recently asked council to revisit a topic that was on a number of its agendas in 2021.
During the public comments portion of council’s meeting Monday, Stephanie Syfert, a resident of East First Avenue, urged the board to reconsider adopting a new noise ordinance.
“It goes to the heart of what it means to be a good neighbor,” Syfert said to council.
She told council members that she and her husband regularly call the Plain City Police Department to report complaints surrounding noise from concerts in the area. Previous noise discussions centered around The Grainery on West Main Street, though Syfert did not mention the restaurant by name.
Syfert said police officers are “always able to curb” the sound levels, “but unfortunately we have to keep calling.”
She said officers have told her that the ordinance which addresses noise levels in the village is “subjective,” which can make it difficult to enforce. Syfert said council should implement a more “sustaining” solution.
Syfert offered as examples noise ordinances that are in place in Union, Ohio and Norwalk, Connecticut.
The legislation in Union was approved after council members sought to control the sound levels that would result from new businesses in the area, according to Syfert. While Norwalk is in another state, she said she felt their ordinance was applicable because it aims to control noise due to nightlife in the community.
Several council members thanked Syfert for her presentation but Council President Michael Terry said the village’s noise ordinance is not currently being evaluated.
“I believe it came to a resolution” following discussions and an open house-style work session in 2021, Terry said.
Law Director Paul Lafayette explained that a noise ordinance generally falls into one of two categories: the “reasonable person standard” or specific decibel restrictions.
Plain City’s current ordinance – which was kept in place following discussions last year – includes language that abides by the reasonable person standard.
It prohibits noise that is “plainly audible and likely to cause inconvenience or annoyance to persons of ordinary sensibilities” after 9 p.m. on weekdays and after 11 p.m. on weekends.
However, Lafayette noted that council investigated a change to decibel levels.
The law director said PCPD officers used decibel meters over several weekends last summer to measure the sound level created by concerts at The Grainery, including louder rock acts like The Reaganomics.
Lafayette said decibel readings were registering in the “low 70s” when officers were within 50 to 100 feet of the stage itself. A block away from The Grainery, he said levels dropped to the 40s and 50s.
He added that municipalities with decibel-based noise ordinances in place, like Hilliard, capped sound levels at 70 decibels.
Still, Syfert argued that the current regulations do not do enough to protect community members.
“I am telling you the quality of life at my house every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday in the summer has gone down,” she said.
Council member Frank Reed said he feels council would be “well advised” to reconsider the issue.
“You might be just the tip of the iceberg,” he told Syfert.
He said he is not sure if it is possible to implement penalties for businesses or individuals who are regularly asked by police to lower noise levels.
“After so many complaints, it’s stopped – permanently,” Reed said.
Reed suggested adding the topic to a future agenda for further council discussion.