Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Noise Ordinance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council adopts pilot amendment raising Level 3 sound-exceedance events from 30 to 50 with sunset date
Summary
On second reading Council adopted an amendment to section 10-88 of the noise ordinance to increase the number of Level 3 sound-exceedance permit events from 30 to 50 for a pilot program through Dec. 31, 2026; council debated whether 35 events would be preferable and noted the change applies to Level 3 performance centers in the downtown CBD.
The Asheville City Council adopted, on second reading, an ordinance amending section 10-88 of the city's noise regulations to increase the maximum number of Level 3 sound-exceedance events from 30 to 50 for a pilot period that sunsets on Dec. 31, 2026.
Mark McDade, development services director, clarified the amendment applies specifically to Level 3 performance centers. "Level 3 is the only one that talks about these numbers," McDade said, noting the current standard is 30 events and the proposed pilot floor on the table was 50.
Councilmember (Speaker 4) reminded the body this was the second vote and said she had previously proposed an amendment to raise the limit only to 35 events and that she "still won't be able to support it tonight." Other council members questioned whether the venue owner had been consulted and whether a fully operational Level 3 performance schedule could be set up within the pilot year; staff said the process to permit a performance center and coordinate bookings makes it challenging for another venue to reach Level 3 status within a year.
On the floor the council voted (floor count recorded as 4-3 in the meeting) to adopt the pilot change. No additional conditions or modifications to the pilot were recorded during the second-reading vote.
The ordinance amends the code to allow the pilot increase for Level 3 performance centers, limited in geographic scope to the central business district and commercial districts where a Level 3 performance center is established.
