Seat Pleasant holds first reading on revised noise ordinance with new decibel limits and waiver process

Seat Pleasant City Council held the first reading Monday of Ordinance O25-11, a rewrite of Chapter 1.12 (Noise) that adds definitions, sets maximum decibel levels by zoning and time of day, creates a measurement standard, and establishes a temporary-waiver process overseen by the city manager.

The rewrite would, among other things, define daytime as 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and nighttime as 9 p.m. to 8 a.m.; cap maximum continuous daytime levels at 75 dBA (industrial), 67 dBA (commercial) and 65 dBA (residential); lower nighttime caps (for example, 55 dBA in residential zones); and treat “plainly audible” detection at 50 feet as evidence. The measure remains at first reading and will return for additional review and amendment.

Council members and police officials spent much of the discussion on enforcement and unintended consequences in attached housing and high-density wards. Councilwoman McCarthy asked whether the waiver process would effectively exempt entire rows of attached houses, saying, “Are we gonna provide the whole ward for waivers?” Chief Haywood said the department tested the draft in an actual residential neighborhood and stressed that officers use discretion: “If we deem it to be a violation, we make notifications. If we deem it not to be a violation, that's where we try to use the mediation processes to try and alleviate some of these things.”

Mayor Kelvin Porter said the ordinance’s numeric standards give officers “a benchmark of what level of noise is not acceptable,” and explained that an officer’s meter reading is only one form of evidence: the draft says “evidence based on the audible impression formed by an enforcement officer is equally sufficient” to a meter reading. The proposed measurement section also references Maryland Department of the Environment guidance and national standards (ANSI, ASTM, SAE, EPA) and allows the city to rely on commercially available sound meters.

The ordinance would let the city manager grant limited, temporary waivers for events if the public benefits outweigh the noise impacts. The manager must post notice on the city website, in the city newsletter and at the event site; the draft requires a minimum public notice period before approval. The enforcement section retains a verbal-or-written warning requirement before issuing an initial citation except where the source is a vehicle or where a warning was already issued within 90 days.

Council members raised concerns about particular provisions. McCarthy warned that, in attached housing, typical neighbor conversation can be heard through shared walls and asked how the metrics would avoid harassment complaints; Chief Haywood said simple speech is unlikely to reach the decibel thresholds in the draft and that the department prefers mediation over “heavy handed” enforcement. Councilwoman Scott noted that sound meters and related equipment can be costly and asked whether councilmembers would be provided meters; the mayor and the chief said enforcement would be done by officers, not the council, and that residents can use off‑the‑shelf apps or meters for their own information.

Council members also questioned the time window (8 a.m. to 9 p.m.), noting older residents who keep earlier schedules and the summer need for early yard work; staff said the times were chosen to align with neighboring jurisdictions, including Prince George’s County, but that the council could revisit the hours in committee. Several members urged clearer public communication and field-testing in multiple neighborhoods before final passage.

Because this was the ordinance’s first reading, the council did not adopt the measure. Councilmembers asked the public safety committee and staff to return with clarifications on waiver notice timing, the effect on attached housing, and the draft’s enforcement steps before the second reading.