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Council adopts noise ordinance changes that create separate downtown limits and allow event exemptions
Summary
Woodstock amended its noise code to add a separate downtown entertainment district designation with higher nighttime limits and to require outdoor speakers be directed toward buildings; council approved changes unanimously and staff said a second reading is scheduled for Oct. 13.
Woodstock, Ga. — The City Council voted unanimously Sept. 15 to modify the municipal noise ordinance, adding a separate category for the downtown entertainment district, clarifying measurement points and allowing noise exemptions to be considered as part of special-event permits.
Community Development staff presented the proposed changes, which move measurement of certain outdoor sound levels to the right-of-way and add an additional downtown entertainment‑district standard that raises allowable nighttime levels and extends permitted event hours later than in residential areas. The city attorney’s office recommended two clarifying sections — purpose and severability — which staff included.
Staff said the downtown entertainment district contains a mixture of uses and hosts more outdoor events than other neighborhoods, and the ordinance language recognizes that mix while preserving measurement and enforcement methods. The code now contains a specific requirement that outdoor speakers be directed toward the building rather than toward adjacent sidewalks or neighboring properties.
Council members discussed numeric thresholds and measurement methods. “The pendulum swings,” one councilmember said during debate, noting the need to strike a balance between protecting residents and supporting downtown nightlife. Staff said Police and Community Development had performed baseline sound measurements on Main Street and found typical levels in the mid‑60s decibel range at right-of-way measurement points; the new downtown standard uses a slightly higher numeric allowance.
The ordinance passed 6–0; staff said the item requires a second reading and that the Oct. 13 council meeting is tentatively set for final adoption. The council also discussed the parking-deck area — part of the downtown entertainment district — and noted a separate upcoming item intended to address noise concerns originating there.
The approved changes: codify a downtown entertainment district noise standard with later allowable hours (7 a.m. to midnight for that district instead of a 10 p.m. cutoff elsewhere), require outdoor speakers be oriented toward buildings, and permit consideration of noise exemptions as part of special-event permits. The ordinance also clarifies the code’s purpose and severability language per legal review.
Staffers said the ordinance is intended to be adjustable: if enforcement or outcomes show the thresholds are unrealistic, council can revisit numeric limits and measurement rules at future meetings.
Sources: Community Development presentation and council debate, Sept. 15 Woodstock City Council meeting.
