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Council debates noise ordinance: 'reasonable' standard vs. 70 dB cap
Summary
At a March 25 work session, the council discussed a draft noise ordinance that keeps a "reasonable person" enforcement standard for most complaints while proposing a 70‑decibel cap for large outdoor venues; residents and a police officer debated enforceability and measurement challenges.
The Nashville Town Council spent its March 25 work session debating how to define and enforce limits on outdoor music and other noise. Staff member S1 said the council was reviewing version 5 of a draft ordinance intended to balance residents' needs with businesses and event venues, noting a catch‑all "general prohibition" that would cover motorcycles, barking dogs and other nonmusic noise. "We did not separate the general noise... from music," S1 said, describing the draft as an attempt at an enforceable compromise.
Committee members pressed the council on whether the ordinance should rely on a subjective "reasonable person" standard or a decibel threshold. S4 argued a clearly audible or numerical standard is easier to enforce and less subject to an officer's or neighbor's varying tolerance. Police officer S5, speaking from enforcement experience, cautioned that a reasonableness standard requires proof and explained the adjudicative burden: "I, as a police officer... have to be able to prove this to a jury of 12 people from the community," S5 said, adding that the board would serve as an initial reasonableness check.
The draft includes an approximate 70 dB cap at a residential property line for large venues as a backstop; S1 said the 70 dB figure was intended as a ceiling rather than a lower standard. Multiple council members said ambient levels vary by location and time and questioned whether a single number would fairly address downtown, mixed‑use and quiet residential areas. "If it's above 70, it's a violation," S1 said of the draft language, but later acknowledged the council could remove the numeric cap and rely on reasonableness alone.
Why it matters: the council is weighing enforcement practicality against predictable rules for businesses and event venues. Staff indicated the draft can be revised before a public input session; there was no vote at the meeting. The council set a town hall to gather public comment (see separate article) and asked staff to prepare updated draft language that clarifies when numeric thresholds apply and how permits interact with the reasonableness standard.
