Booming car stereos at the edge of downtown’s clubbing district drowned out a press conference and proved its point: The city can get loud. Cops rolled out new tools to help keep the peace.
The tools: 10 new decibel meters, one per police district, costing $1,500 a piece, to be ready at the hands of community problem-solvers when temperatures soar and noise complaints roll in.
The rules: According to a new noise ordinance passed last summer, noise must not exceed 55 decibels, roughly the sound of a clothes dryer or microwave, between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. through 9 p.m. on Sundays. Nighttime noise, from 10 p.m. until 7am, must be kept below 45 decibels.
Click on the play arrow at the top of this story to watch cops and the mayor demonstrate an appropriate boombox level using the new meters at the event Thursday afternoon.
While the ordinance has been on the books since last summer, the concerted effort to publicize and enforce the law hasn’t come until now.
The downtown corner cops chose for the demo was incidentally just the area from which noise complaints poured last summer. Sgt. Marty Tchakirides knows the territory well — as district manager, he’s personally negotiated volume disputes between clubs and their neighbors, trying to make downtown livable for the influx of residents attracted by its newfound vibrancy.
Tchakirides expects to have the same friction emerge this year as temperatures heat up. He’s already planning to sit down with club owners soon. Beforehand, with no legal noise ordinance specifying decibel levels, he’d play the negotiations by ear. This year, when the motorcycles start skidding down the street outside the Salty Dog Saloon, or club music booms from open cars or clubs, he’ll be able to whip out a decibel meter. “It’s another tool that I can use to bring them into compliance,” he said.
Violating the noise ordinance comes with a $100 fine. But, in the words of Mayor DeStefano (pictured at left), “the goal isn’t to give out tickets, the goal is to change behavior.” Cops will be hitting the streets within the week encouraging “a culture of compliance.”
Robb Bartolomeo, the owner of Gotham Citi Cafe, came outside to the press conference to say he, like the mayor, just wanted everyone to get along. He sees the bars and residents as symbiotic parts of a thriving downtown.
“Residents have moved to New Haven ‘cause it’s a vibrant place to live,” said Bartolomeo. “We create not only entertainment, but a sense of security… people bring people — it’s a matter of both different groups working together.”
The law, years in the making, started when East Rock’s Alex Marathas and Cynthia Horan wanted to do something to quiet trash and street noise. Former East Rock Alderwoman Elizabeth Addonizio and Fair Haven Alderwoman Maria Reyes-Rivera helped fit a variety of complaints — motor bikes, construction noise, trash cans bashing — into two separate ordinances, one restricting trash hauling hours and another for general noise level. Horan Thursday said she was happy to see an effort made to enforce the law. “Let’s hope that people respect others,” said Reyes-Rivera.
Some exceptions apply to the ordinance such as, according to the mayor’s office: “aircraft flight operations, sirens from emergency vehicles, lawful recreational activities for which the city has granted a permit, city permitted parades and outdoor concerts. The ordinance also limits construction, demolition work, blasting and the use of domestic power equipment to the hours of 7a.m. until 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Sundays.”
Suspected violations should be reported to the non-emergency phone number of the New Haven Police Department at 946‑6316.
This makes me very happy. Thank you!!
I have three houses surrounding my property that love there music. The old neighbor use to take turns blasting there music in the yard, Me inclued. So we would each get an hour or two of time on the weekends. but the new ones no nothing about compromise. I have stopped playing mine all together, Ipod time. But the others well I call it the battle of the radios. What really gets my goat is they have the speakers out the window but they are not even out side???? So i have a combo of rap and latin music playing at the same time and it is just noise now!
I hope the news story alone will get it under control.