Commissioners direct staff to explore updates to noise ordinance and enforcement options
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Summary
Commissioners asked staff to examine county noise rules, enforcement mechanisms and possible changes to the noise ordinance and to involve the planning board and other departments in public hearings and recommendations.
Rowan County commissioners on March 3 instructed staff to begin work on updating the county’s noise ordinance and to involve the planning board, sheriff’s office and other departments in the review.
A commissioner said the county is seeing more noise complaints as development increases and asked that the matter be sent to the planning board for public hearings and recommendations. Complaints cited included late-night use of Tannerite-style targets, loud fireworks outside recognized holidays, and other disruptive noise tied to new suburban development.
County staff and the county attorney said they would convene relevant departments to discuss enforcement limitations, possible fine structures, and whether the noise rules should be adopted under general police power or via land-development code amendments. Staff noted enforcement resources and the sheriff’s office’s capacity are considerations and that any ordinance changes could be pursued on a faster track than a full land-development-code rewrite if the board wished.
Commissioner Pierce offered to serve as a liaison to the planning board to help streamline citizen input. The board did not adopt a new ordinance at the meeting; the action was a directive to staff to begin developing proposals and public-engagement plans for the board’s consideration.
