Noisy neighbors: Council to consider changes in decibel limits for some new construction

At Thursday’s meeting, City Council will consider adjustments to the recent DB90 zoning classification that could result in a significant reduction in the noise levels allowed in residential areas.

A scheduled public hearing on the possible ordinance change could also result in adoption of one of two ordinances that take opposite positions on the noise limits. One version supported by the Planning Commission seeks a reduction to 45 decibels as measured at a neighbor’s property line or alleyway, while a staff-supported version leaves in place the current 70-decibel limit.

At issue is the noise created by cooling units and other heavy machinery needed for dense commercial or residential buildings, with the several-ton units that are placed on rooftops running at high volumes that bleed into neighboring properties if not properly screened and soundproofed.

The noise issue was among the many topics discussed during public comment during an April meeting of the Planning Commission regarding the city’s change to DB90 zoning.

Neighbors of a new commercial building on East Cesar Chavez Street near Comal Street have brought the noise question to the fore in recent months, with many complaints that the five cooling units placed atop the building with no parapet walls to dampen the sound have created ongoing disturbances.

“At the end of May, they turned on maybe three at the same time. And that was when the emails started flying in the neighborhood group about what is that noise that’s enveloping the neighborhood,” said Michael Waddell, an architect and land use chair for the East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Contact Team. “There’s two similar three-story office buildings in the neighborhood, and neither of them has any mechanical noise emanating from them. It’s really because they designed this building without any parapets or screen walls.”

For context, 70 decibels is equivalent to the noise created by a vacuum cleaner from a distance of 10 feet, and is the maximum allowed noise level for industrial use zoning in the city of Dallas. Research by city staff leading up to the compatibility changes found other peer cities such as Denver, Portland and Houston have lower daytime and evening noise limits than Austin, which allows up to 70 decibels at all times.

A staff report accompanying the resolution for Thursday’s meeting includes the rationale behind the recommendation to leave the 70-decibel limit in place: “At this time, staff recommends maintaining the current 70dBA (adjusted decibels) limit for mechanical equipment. After discussions with the Development Services Department, it is clear that the increased screening requirements would be the most proactive measure to mitigate noise rather than a reduced decibel limit. Lowering the decibel limit without time for a full review by staff could lead to unintended consequences. Additionally, since noise is not a zoning regulation, noise limits should be housed outside of the zoning code going forward. Until there is a more comprehensive approach to controlling excessive noise, staff recommends maintaining the existing protection from noise above 70dBA.”

During the April meeting of the Planning Commission, Commissioner Grayson Cox noted the health impacts of excessive noise in residential areas, and the need to reduce allowable noise levels at least during evening hours.

“There’s a bunch of stuff out there, done by really smart people at the World Health Organization and the EPA and the CDC, that says people do not get good sleep if they are subject to noise that is over 40 decibels outside the bedroom,” he said. “One thing that we fail to consider in quality of life a lot is noise, especially as the music capital of the country. We wanna support music and noise and all that fun stuff, but for people to get good quality sleep, they cannot be listening to HVACs running all day during the heat of the summer and all night during the heat of the summer at 70 decibels.”

Photo made available through a Creative Commons license.

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