Committee discusses noise rules, leaf-blower restrictions and data-center noise testing

Committee members debated whether the Smart Growth Committee should take the lead on restricting gas-powered leaf blowers, citing noise and air-pollution concerns. Chair and staff agreed noise issues could be enforced through building, housing and code enforcement rather than criminal code in most residential contexts.

Aaron Fluke said experts who reviewed the data-center ordinance recommended modest revisions to the borough’s noise rules to make citations enforceable without bringing in outside specialists. “It wouldn't take very much to make our noise ordinance better … so that we're going to win the citations and keep them to a level that we can easily and quickly train our individuals to actually test for it,” Fluke said.

Members discussed objective thresholds and measurement methods for different noise types — sustained low-frequency vibration versus short, high-volume impulses. Committee members reported few formal blower complaints (Fluke said he had received two since starting his position) but noted repeated neighborhood experiences between about 9 a.m. and noon from commercial lawn crews.

Experts (identified in discussion as those recommended by the engineering firm Penoni) told members staff and police officers can be trained to use portable monitoring equipment and obtain court-admissible measurements with relatively inexpensive gear. A staff member described the equipment cost as about $500 and said two hours of training would allow officers or code inspectors to present evidence in court.

The committee asked staff to re-engage the data-center noise experts and to return with specific proposals for (1) measurable thresholds and testing protocols, and (2) an enforcement pathway that balances neighborhood nuisance response with clarity for businesses and contractors.