Planning board moves model state noise-control ordinance to commissioners after unanimous recommendation

The Nutley Planning Board voted to adopt the state model noise-control ordinance as written and send it to the township commissioners for consideration to add to local zoning regulations. Members said adopting the model would give the town a clear, measurable standard to address noise complaints and protect neighborhoods from future noisy uses.

Board members debated the ordinance’s enforcement mechanics and technical limits, noting the model includes post-construction testing and numeric standards that experts can measure. One participant explained that the ordinance sets a benchmark against which developers’ experts are measured and that, if a completed facility fails those tests, the board and township retain the right to revisit approvals and require mitigation. Members cited 65 dB as a commonly discussed benchmark example during the review and said they want the ordinance to avoid ambiguous, subjective standards. The board’s motion passed and members present were recorded as voting in favor. The board directed staff to forward the ordinance package to the commissioners for their formal consideration.

Adopting the model ordinance does not itself change zoning; it sends the standard to the commissioners for potential incorporation. Next steps are for commissioners to review the model text and any local edits and then return to the planning board if further technical review is requested.