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Decatur adopts updated noise ordinance, moves lawn‑equipment cutoff to 9 p.m.
Summary
After public comment and staff presentations, the City Commission adopted amendments to Decatur’s noise ordinance that add landscape equipment and generators to enumerated sources, set a universal daytime limit of 65 dB and a nighttime limit of 60 dB, and adjusted permitted hours for lawn/landscape equipment to 7 a.m.–9 p.m. weekdays (with pilot/education through July 1, 2025).
The City Commission voted to adopt a revised noise ordinance that changes how the city regulates landscape and generator noise and adjusts allowed hours for lawn equipment.
Langston Leake, operations analyst, walked commissioners through the proposed amendments, saying they reflect two years of staff work, public outreach and a Georgia State University report. Among the main changes, the draft: adds landscape maintenance equipment and generators as enumerated noise sources; sets a universal daytime cap of 65 decibels and a nighttime cap of 60 decibels; and limits landscape-equipment operation before 7 a.m. and after 10 p.m. on weekdays and earlier windows on weekends. Leake said staff is amenable to moving the evening cutoff for lawn equipment to 9 p.m. after hearing neighborhood feedback.
Residents pressed commissioners on enforcement details, decibel measurement points and exceptions. "All noise is measured from a stationary point at the property line of the offending noise," Leake said, clarifying that the ordinance uses a stationary measurement at the receiver property line. Several speakers warned that simple decibel thresholds may undercount low-frequency sounds such as some leaf blowers and generators.
Commissioners discussed exemptions for school and institutional activities, county or city emergency work, and events that hold administrative permits; they agreed to monitor outcomes for 12 months and return for work‑session adjustments if needed. The commission amended the proposal to set landscape equipment evening hours to 7 a.m.–9 p.m. (weekdays) and approved the ordinance in a roll-call vote.
The ordinance includes public-education steps and a July 1, 2025 effective date for some provisions to allow outreach. Staff said enforcement mechanisms and administrative permits will be detailed in implementation materials.
