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El Paso council tightens amplified-sound rules, adds low-frequency standard after months of meetings
Summary
After more than 40 meetings and study by an outside consultant, the City Council adopted changes to the city's amplified-sound permit rules and noise ordinance, expanding notice and appeal radii, adding a C-weight standard for low-frequency (bass) vibrations and raising potential civil penalties for repeated violations.
El Paso City Council on Dec. 17 adopted revisions to the city's amplified-sound permit rules and noise ordinance that expand who must be notified of outdoor sound permits, add a measurement standard for low-frequency (bass) vibration and create a civil penalty path of up to $1,000 per day for violations.
The change was the culmination of a multi-year review that included more than 40 public meetings and an outside assessment produced by the Responsible Hospitality Institute. Council members said the amendments aim to preserve a vibrant nightlife while reducing persistent quality-of-life problems for nearby residents.
The ordinance changes increase the written-notice radius for outdoor amplified-sound permit applications from 300 feet to 500 feet and expand the pool of residential property owners who may contest a permit (the contest radius was increased from 150 feet to 300 feet). The city added a C-weight (dBC) measurement to the existing A-weight (dBA) limit in order to better capture low-frequency sound and vibration, which residents and…
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