San Antonio – The City of San Antonio is looking at two different ordinances that deal with the noise made by construction companies and music venues or residential noise complaints.
For about two years, San Antonio city staff have been gathering information on a consideration request to evaluate construction hours in what’s known as “Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site.”
Councilman John Courage, one of the leaders behind the proposal, says it was a way to look at how to bring peace and quiet to families dealing with construction into the late hours of the night.
A review of the ordinance change request is expected to be heard by the council on Thursday. The construction hours would be limited, with exceptions at the request of companies that obtain a permit and give neighbors advance notice of the off-hour construction.
Another noise issue drumming up a lot of attention is a noise ordinance pilot program that started in October and will wrap up in April.
Mike Shannon, director of the Development Services Department, says Code Enforcement officers armed with noise meters have been answering noise complaints from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. They have investigated about 2,000, and more than 6,000 calls were made to the SAPD non-emergency line.
Code Enforcement officers confirmed about 250 violations and notified SAPD to issue citations. Officers were only able to hand out about 130 citations.
“Some of the challenges are there’s a lot of calls that come out about loud noise, more than what we can get to in those shifts,” Shannon said.
A noise task committee will look at the data the city gathers and determine some recommendations for an ordinance.
Don Pitts, a former City of Austin sound and noise expert, says the committee needs to get outside of the office and listen to what the noise complaints are like firsthand. He says it’s incumbent for the city, businesses, and homeowners to figure out how to develop a fair solution for everyone.
Pitts is especially concerned about music venues.
“Every place is different. Sound is very complicated. I agree it’s complicated, but I think that really is the opportunity to create some simple policy that addresses a complex situation,” he said.
Pitts said something that really worked for the Austin community was using technology and sound walls or soundproof tarps as possible solutions that were not so costly for business owners. He said giving citations out will not solve the problem in the long run, but education and working together will.