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Residents question Lake George Park Commission’s noise standard enforcement; staff cite New York State testing protocol
Summary
A resident asked why the commission appears to enforce a 90-decibel New York State standard when the commission website states an 86-decibel limit. Commission staff said they use the state test protocol (90 dB) with certified meters and trained operators to ensure defensible enforcement.
During public comment, Richard Watkins (speaker 15) asked the commission to clarify whether it is enforcing an 86-decibel limit listed on the Lake George Park Commission website or the New York State testing protocol that staff said yields a 90-decibel standard.
Watkins noted the Society of Automotive Engineers test protocol referenced by both the state and commission guidance does not itself prescribe a numeric pass/fail threshold in the same way a speed radar produces a limit; he recommended the commission clarify which number is being enforced. In response, a long-serving commission official (speaker 16) said the commission has enforced the New York State standard (90 dB) since 1991, citing meter certification and operator training that make the test defensible in court: "Since I've been with the park commission, which is 25 years, we've enforced the New York State noise standards, which is 90 decibels," the speaker said.
The exchange highlighted confusion between the commission's posted 86 dB rule and the state's testing protocol; commissioners agreed to review the test method, the website wording, and enforcement procedures and to follow up with clarifying guidance.
