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St. Pete Beach workshop probes 'plainly audible' noise standard, enforcement options
Summary
City staff outlined a proposed change to local noise rules — a plainly audible standard for residential receivers 500 feet from a source between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. — and residents, business owners, musicians and an acoustics consultant urged the commission to refine measurement and enforcement methods.
City staff presented a draft change to St. Pete Beach’s noise rules that would add a “plainly audible” test for noise originating from commercial outdoor venues when the receiving property is residential and the noise occurs between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Brandon Barrett, planner with the city, explained that the city’s existing code currently uses decibel thresholds — 65 dB citywide and a 55 dB level overnight for residential, institutional and open-space properties — and that the proposed language would apply an audibility test for receivers 500 feet or more from the sound source while properties closer than 500 feet would continue to be governed by the existing decibel standards.
Why it matters: Residents, business owners and musicians said noise affects quality of life and commercial viability; speakers urged the city to choose…
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