Williamsburg

Pennsylvania

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Ordinance #407 Noise Regulation

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Overview

The Borough of Williamsburg, Blair County, Pennsylvania, has enacted Ordinance No. 407 to regulate noise levels that disturb the peace. This ordinance provides for penalties and repeals conflicting sections of previous ordinances. It applies to all persons, property, equipment, and sound-emitting devices within the borough limits.

Key Regulations

The ordinance prohibits any noise disturbance, defined as sound that endangers safety/health, annoys a reasonable person, or jeopardizes property value. Specific prohibitions include:

  • Audio Devices: Operating radios, televisions, CD players, Bluetooth speakers, or musical instruments in a manner that causes a disturbance.
  • Quiet Hours (9:30 p.m. – 6:00 a.m.):
    • Audio devices must not be audible across property lines or 50 feet from a motor vehicle.
    • Loading/unloading operations in residential districts are prohibited if they create noise.
    • Power equipment (saws, drills, garden tools) is prohibited in residential districts.
  • Construction Noise: Commercial construction and demolition are restricted to specific hours:
    • Weekdays and Saturdays: 9:30 a. m. to 9:30 p. m.
    • Sundays: 8:00 a. m. to 9:30 p. m.
    • Tampering with sound control devices on equipment is prohibited.

Exemptions

The following sources are exempt from these prohibitions:

  • Safety signals, emergency alarms (police/fire/ambulance), and devices used during emergencies.
  • Maintenance of municipal facilities or public utilities.
  • Bells, chimes, and carillons used for religious purposes, national celebrations, or existing clock mechanisms.
  • Appliances and household power tools used during the day (implied by specific time restrictions on other items).

Penalties

Violations are considered public nuisances. Fines for offenses occurring within a 120-day period are:

  • First Offense: $100 – $600
  • Second Offense: $200 – $600
  • Third Offense: $200 – $600
  • Fourth and Subsequent Offenses: $300 – $600

Failure to pay fines may result in a jail sentence of up to 30 days per offense. Each day a violation continues is considered a separate offense.

Effective Date and Repealer

  • Effective Date: Immediately upon enactment.
  • Repealed: Section 5 of Ordinance Number 157 is repealed.
  • Unaffected: Ordinance Number 391 (Animal Ordinance) remains in effect.

Enactment Details

  • Adopted: June 6, 2022
  • Signed By: Donald W. Zimmerman (President) and Theodore R. Kyle (Mayor)
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