Council passes bylaw to control noise
Arran-Elderslie has passed a new noise control bylaw. The bylaw will prohibit and regulate excessive noise and associated vibration, said chief administrative officer/clerk A. P. Crawford.
There is no enforceable noise control bylaw in the municipality, she said. Three pre-amalgamation bylaws for Chesley, Tara and Paisley, now more than 10 years old “are all out of date and contain invalid references due to amendments to provincial legislation,” she said.
The new bylaw covers everything from barking dogs and noisy vehicles to loud parties.
Paisley ward Coun. Jack Riley called much of the new bylaw “nonsense” saying “common sense should prevail.”
Crawford noted “not always does common sense prevail with some people.”
She said municipal staff have received “many complaints over the spring and summer months with respect to excessive noise and has had no standards against which to evaluate and determine if the noise is actually excessive and therefore had no legal means to deal with infractions.”
The new bylaw differentiates between quiet zones, residential zones and all other zones within the municipality and provides for differing standards within each type of zone, based on needs. It also recognizes the requirements for farm machinery in agricultural areas.
One portion deals with noise and vibration which both Crawford and Elderslie ward Coun. Mark Davis said could be used in council’s fight to stop the construction of large industrial wind turbines in the municipality.
Staff will now apply for set fines under the Provincial Offences Act to simplify enforcement of the bylaw through the issue of infraction notices, Crawford said.
By MARY GOLEM, SUN TIMES CORRESPONDENT
The Sun Times
19 November 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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