Board votes to rescind April noise ordinance after packed public comments

The Middlesex County Board of Supervisors voted May 5 to rescind the noise ordinance the board adopted on April 7, 2026, after a large crowd urged changes and several supervisors said the measure did not fit the county’s rural character. The motion to direct the county attorney to draft an ordinance to rescind the April 7 action passed on a roll call vote; the rescission will be advertised and a formal public hearing scheduled for June 2 at 7 p.m.

Residents repeatedly described persistent animal and neighborhood noise during the public-comment period. Michael Shreeves of Saluda said his family could not enjoy their yard because of constant bird noise and that efforts to resolve the issue through zoning and law enforcement had been unsuccessful. "It's caused me chest pains. It's caused my wife headaches," he said. Several other speakers, including Wanda Thornton and Carla Rothman, urged the board to preserve rural sounds while addressing genuine nuisance situations.

Supervisors debated whether to amend the ordinance or start over. County Attorney (speaker 3) told the board that a rescission must itself be adopted by ordinance and legally requires public advertisement and a follow-up hearing, so any repeal would take effect only after the June hearing. The board directed staff to advertise the rescission and invited the public to return on June 2. Board members also signaled interest in convening stakeholder meetings to refine enforcement provisions, animal-noise language, and construction-hour exceptions before final action.