[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee of the Township of Rochelle
Park 5-18-1970 by Ord. No. 312; amended
in its entirety 3-19-2003 by Ord. No. 879-03.
Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, shall have
the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Terms
not defined in this chapter have the same meaning as those defined in N.J.A.C.
7:29.
Any site preparation, assembly, erection, repair, alteration or similar
action, including demolition of buildings or structures.
Any dismantling, destruction or removal of buildings, structures,
or roadways.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Any work or action necessary to deliver essential public services
including, but not limited to, repairing water, gas, electricity, telephone,
sewer facilities, or public transportation facilities, removing fallen frees
on public rights-of-way, dredging navigational waterways, or abating life-threatening
conditions.
Either a single pressure peak or a single burst (multiple pressure
peaks) that has a duration of less than one second.
A properly functioning sound-dissipative device or system for abating
the sound of escaping gasses on equipment where such a device is part of the
normal configuration of the equipment.
Any building comprising two or more dwelling units, including, but
not limited to, apartments, condominiums, co-ops, multiple-family houses,
townhouses, and attached residences.
Any distinct parcel of land that is used for more than one category
of activity. Examples include, but are not limited to:
A commercial, residential, industrial or public service property having
boilers, incinerators, elevators, automatic garage doors, air conditioners,
laundry rooms, utility provisions, or health and recreational facilities,
or other similar devices or areas, either in the interior or on the exterior
of the building, which may be a source of elevated sound levels at another
category on the same distinct parcel or land; or
A building which is both commercial (usually on the ground floor) and
residential property located above, behind, below or adjacent.
An employee of a local, county or regional health agency which is
certified pursuant to the County Environmental Health Act (N.J.S.A. 26:3A2-21
et seq.) to perform noise enforcement activities; or a municipality with a
department-approved noise control ordinance and the employee has received
noise enforcement training and is currently certified in noise enforcement.
The employee must be acting within his or her designated jurisdiction and
must be authorized to issue a summons in order to be considered a noise control
officer.
Any sound that can be detected by a person using his or her unaided
hearing faculties. As an example, if the sound source under investigation
is a portable or personal vehicular sound amplification or reproduction device,
the detection of the rhythmic bass component of the music is sufficient to
verify plainly audible sound. The Noise Control Officer need not determine
the title, specific words, or the artist performing the song.
Any street, avenue, boulevard, road, highway, alley or easement that
is owned, leased, or controlled by a nongovernmental entity.
Any street, avenue, boulevard, road, highway, alley or easement that
is owned, leased, or controlled by a governmental entity.
Any real property or structures thereon that are owned, leased, or
controlled by a governmental entity.
Either:
The imaginary line including its vertical extension that separates one
parcel of real property from another;
The vertical and horizontal boundaries of a dwelling unit that is part
of a multidwelling unit building; or
On a multiuse property, the interface between the two portions of the
property on which different categories of activity are being performed (e.g.,
if the multiuse property is a building which is residential upstairs and commercial
downstairs, then the real property line would be the interface between the
residential area and the commercial area).
Any day that is not a federal holiday, and beginning on Monday at
7:00 a.m. and ending on the following Friday at 6:00 p.m.
Beginning on Friday at 6:00 p.m. and ending on the following Monday
at 7:00 a.m.
A.
C.
Sound from stationary emergency signaling devices shall
be regulated in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.3, except that the testing
of the electromechanical functioning of a stationary emergency signaling device
shall not meet or exceed 10 seconds.
A.
The provisions of this chapter shall be enforced by noise
control officers. A person shall be qualified to be a noise control officer
if the person meets the criteria set forth in the definition above and completes,
at a frequency specified by the Department in N.J.A.C. 7:29-2.11, a noise
certification and recertification course which are offered by the Department
of Environmental Sciences of Cook College, Rutgers, the State University of
New Jersey or any other noise certification or recertification course which
is offered by an accredited university and approved by the department.
B.
Sound measurements made by a noise control officer shall conform to the procedures set forth at N.J.A.C. 7:29-2, except that interior sound level measurements shall also conform with the procedures set forth in § 135-5B and C of this regulation and with the definition of “real property line” as contained herein.
C.
Noise control officers shall have the power to:
(1)
Coordinate the noise control activities of all departments
in the Township of Rochelle Park and cooperate with all other public bodies
and agencies to the extent practicable;
(2)
Review the actions of the Township of Rochelle Park and
advise of the effect, if any, of such actions on noise control;
(3)
Review public and private projects, subject to mandatory
review or approval by other departments or boards, for compliance with this
chapter;
(4)
Investigate and pursue possible violations of this chapter
for sound levels which equal or exceed the sound levels set forth in Tables
I and II, when measured at a receiving property located within the designated
jurisdiction of the Noise Control Officer, in accordance with § 135-7
below; and
A.
No person shall cause, suffer, allow, or permit the operation of any source of sound on any source of property listed in § 135-2A above in such a manner as to create a sound level that equals or exceeds the sound level limits set forth in Tables I and II when measured at or within the real property line of any of the receiving properties listed in Tables I and II, except as specified in Subsection B below.
B.
When measuring total sound or residual sound within a
multiuse property, or within a residential unit when the property line between
it and the source property is a common wall, all exterior doors and windows
shall be closed and the measurements shall be taken in the center of the room
most affected by the noise. Measurements shall not be taken in areas which
receive only casual use such as hallways, closets and bathrooms. When measuring
the total sound or residual sound, all sound sources within the dwelling must
be shut off (e.g., television, stereo).
[Amended 6-18-2003 by Ord. No. 886-03]
C.
Indoor measurements shall only be taken if the sound
source is on or within the same property as the receiving property, as in
the case of a multiuse property (e.g., sound generated within a commercial
unit of a multiuse property building and received within a residential unit
of the same building) or multidwelling unit building. In addition, indoor
measurements shall be taken if the property line between the receiving property
and the source property is a common wall, such as in a multidwelling unit
building. The allowable sound level standards for indoors are as shown in
Tables I and II.
D.
Impulsive sound. Between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., impulsive
sound shall not equal 80 decibels. Between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., impulsive
sound which occurs less than four times in any hour shall not equal or exceed
80 decibels. Impulsive sound which repeats four or more times in an hour shall
be measured as impulsive sound and shall meet the requirements as shown in
Table I.
|
TABLE I
Maximum Permissible A-Weighted Sound Levels
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1.
|
No person shall cause, suffer, allow, or permit the operation of any source of sound on any source property listed in § 135-2A above in such a manner as to create a sound level that equals or exceeds the sound levels listed below:
| |||
|
A.
|
Outdoors
| |||
|
Receiving Property Category
|
Residential property, or residential portion of a multiuse property
|
Commercial facility, public service facility nonresidential portion
of a multiuse property, or community service facility
| |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Time
|
7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
|
10:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m.
|
24 hours
|
|
Maximum
| |||
|
A-weighted sound level standard (dB)
|
65
|
50
|
65
|
|
B.
|
Indoors
|
|
Receiving Property Category
|
Residential property, or residential portion of a multiuse property
|
Commercial facility*, or nonresidential portion of a multiuse
property
| |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Time
|
7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
|
10:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m.
|
24 hours
|
|
Maximum
| |||
|
A-weighted sound level standard (dB)
|
55
|
40
|
55
|
|
*In those instances when a commercial facility shares a common wall/ceiling/floor
with another commercial facility that is producing the sound.
| |||
|
TABLE II
Maximum Permissible Octave Band Sound Pressure Levels In Decibels
| ||
|---|---|---|
|
1.
|
No person shall cause, suffer, allow, or permit the operation of any source of sound on any source property listed in § 135-2A above in such a manner as to create a sound pressure level that equals or exceeds the sound levels listed below in one or more octave band.
[Amended 6-18-2003 by Ord. No. 886-03] | |
|
2.
|
When octave measurements are made, the sound from the source must be
constant in level and character. If octave band sound pressure level variations
exceed plus or minus 2dB in the bands containing the principal source frequencies,
discontinue the measurement.
| |
|
Receiving Property Category
|
Residential property, or residential portion of a multiuse
property
|
Residential property, or residential portion of a multiuse
property
|
Commercial facility, public service facility, nonresidential
portion of a multiuse property,
|
Commercial facility* or nonresidential portion of a multiuse
property
| ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Outdoors
|
Indoors
|
Outdoors
|
Indoors
| |||
|
Octave Band Center Frequency
(Hz)
|
Octave Band Sound Pressure Level
(dB)
|
Octave Band Sound Pressure Level
(dB)
|
Octave Band Sound Pressure Level
(dB)
|
Octave Band Sound Pressure Level
(dB)
| ||
|
Time
|
7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
|
10:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m.
|
7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
|
10:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m.
|
24 hours
|
24 hours
|
|
31.5
|
96
|
86
|
86
|
76
|
96
|
86
|
|
63
|
82
|
71
|
72
|
61
|
82
|
72
|
|
125
|
74
|
61
|
64
|
51
|
74
|
64
|
|
250
|
67
|
53
|
57
|
43
|
67
|
57
|
|
500
|
63
|
48
|
53
|
38
|
63
|
53
|
|
1,000
|
60
|
45
|
50
|
35
|
60
|
50
|
|
2,000
|
57
|
42
|
47
|
32
|
57
|
47
|
|
4,000
|
55
|
40
|
45
|
30
|
55
|
45
|
|
8,000
|
53
|
38
|
43
|
28
|
53
|
43
|
|
*In those instances when a commercial facility shares a common wall/ceiling/floor
with another commercial facility that is producing the sound.
|
A.
Exceptions.
B.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Tables I and II, the
following standards shall apply to the activities or sources of sound set
forth below:
(1)
Noncommercial or nonindustrial power tools and landscaping
and yard maintenance equipment shall not be operated between the hours of
8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., unless such activities can meet the applicable limits
set forth in Tables I and II. All motorized equipment used in these activities
shall be operated with a muffler. At all other times, the limits set forth
in Tables I and II do not apply to noncommercial or nonindustrial power tools
and landscaping and yard maintenance equipment;
(2)
Commercial or industrial power tools and landscaping and yard maintenance equipment, excluding emergency work, shall not be operated on a residential property or within 250 feet of a residential property line when operated on commercial or industrial property, on Sundays or holidays or between the hours of sundown and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays, or between the hours of sundown and 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays, unless such activities can meet the limits set forth in Tables I and II. In addition, commercial or industrial property shall meet the limits set forth in Tables I and II between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. All motorized equipment used in these activities shall be operated with a muffler. At all other times, the limits set forth in Tables I and II do not apply to commercial or industrial power tools and landscaping and yard maintenance equipment. This provision shall, at all times, be subject to the provisions of Chapter 123 of the Code of the Township of Rochelle Park.
(3)
Construction and demolition activity, excluding emergency
work, shall not be performed between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
on weekdays, or between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. on weekends and
federal holidays, unless such activities meet the limits set forth in Tables
I and II. All motorized equipment used in construction and demolition activity
shall be operated with a muffler. At all other times, the limits set forth
in Tables I and II do not apply to construction and demolition activities.
(4)
Motorized snowblowers, snow throwers, and lawn equipment
with attached snow plows shall be operated at all times with a muffler. At
all times, the limits set forth in Tables I and II do not apply.
[Amended 6-18-2003 by Ord. No. 886-03]
(5)
An exterior burglar alarm on a building or motor vehicle
must be activated in such a manner that the burglar alarm terminates its operation
within five minutes for continuous airborne sound and 15 minutes for impulsive
sound after it has been activated. At all times, the limits set forth in Tables
I and II do not apply.
[Amended 6-18-2003 by Ord. No. 886-03]
(6)
Personal or commercial vehicular music amplification
or reproduction equipment shall not be operated in such a manner that it is
plainly audible at a residential property line between the hours of 10:00
p.m. and 8:00 a.m.
(7)
Personal vehicular music amplification equipment shall
not be operated in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of
50 feet in any direction from the operator.
(8)
Self-contained, portable, hand-held music or sound amplification
or reproduction equipment shall not be operated on a public space or public
right-of-way in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of 50
feet in any direction from the operator between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and
10:00 p.m. Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., sound from such
equipment shall not be plainly audible by any person other than the operator.
(10)
Outdoor public functions and/or assemblies including
any such activities which take place on private property, commercial property
or any other places of public assembly shall be conducted in such a manner
so that these activities shall not violate the standards set forth in Table
I above. This prohibition shall not apply to outdoor public functions and/or
assemblies conducted by or on behalf of the Township of Rochelle Park or any
of its departments or commissions, provided that the same are approved by
Township Committee resolution.
[Amended 6-18-2003 by Ord. No. 886-03]
A.
Violation of any provision of this chapter shall be cause
for an enforcement document to be issued to the violator by the Noise Control
Officer according to procedures set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.6. The recipient
of an enforcement document shall be entitled to a hearing in municipal court
having jurisdiction to contest such action.
B.
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter
shall be subject to a civil penalty for each offense or not more than $3,000.
If the violation is of a continuing nature, each day during which it occurs
shall constitute an additional, separate, and distinct offense.
C.
No provision of this chapter shall be construed to impair
any common law or statutory cause of action, or legal remedy therefrom, of
any person for injury or damage arising from any violation of this chapter
or from other law.
