Model community noise ordinance—A new approach to community based policy

Abstract

This paper describes the progress of work ongoing to develop a model community noise ordinance as a U.S. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) national Standard. The Standard expected to result from the efforts of ANSI S12 (Noise) Working Group 41 will provide guidance to governmental officials, acoustical consultants, and other interested persons on how to develop a community noise ordinance which is appropriate for the existing local circumstances, including issues such as public and government priorities and values, available resources, etc. It will give local communities a technical basis for being able to manage their local sound environment and will be sufficiently flexible to be tailored to the needs of a variety of urban, suburban, and rural communities. The key to the usefulness and effectiveness of this new Standard is that it will provide a ‘‘menu’’ of options and will also provide brief discussions of the tradeoffs involved for decisions that must be made by government officials. It will also emphasize that enforcement of a community noise ordinance is crucial to its success and will provide a means to accomplish this important function.