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Woodstock staff propose noise-ordinance changes for downtown entertainment district
Summary
Staff proposed amendments to Chapter 30, Article 2 of the city code to add downtown-specific noise limits (7am–midnight with higher thresholds), permit-based exemptions for events, and options to measure at the right of way or property line; council favored right-of-way measurement and a trial-warning period before citations.
City planning staff presented potential amendments to Woodstock—ity—ode Chapter 30, Article 2 on Aug. 18, proposing changes staff says respond to downtown activity and recurring noise complaints. The draft would add a special category for the downtown entertainment district with a higher daytime/evening decibel threshold (staff proposed a 7 a.m.–midnight window for downtown rather than the current 7 a.m.–10 p.m. standard that applies elsewhere) and would allow a noise-exemption to be considered as part of a special-event permit.
Ms. Menard (Community Development) told council staff also proposes measurement options (from the property line or from the public right of way) and a requirement that outdoor speakers be located interior to business premises. Staff said a redlined draft was included in council packets and that no substantive changes to the Code were made during the 2024 reorganization of the ordinances.
Council discussion focused on enforcement practicality and measurement points. Several members favored measuring from the right of way rather than inside a complainant's home to avoid confrontations and ambiguity for officers, and recommended a trial period after adoption (30–90 days) during which staff would issue warnings rather than citations and gather measurement data to calibrate thresholds. Council also asked staff to remove any requirement that a complaint originate from a private complainant and directed staff to return with an ordinance for adoption within the next few weeks.
The item was directional; council did not adopt the ordinance on Aug. 18 but asked staff to bring a final ordinance back after a period of review and with proposed enforcement language and measurement guidance.
