In response to the more than 1,200 noise complaints Arlington Heights police have received over the last two years, village trustees approved new noise regulations for the residential areas of the village.
According to the ordinance, which was approved on a 6-0 vote, construction, repairs and blowers are allowed from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Commercial establishments 50 feet from a residential property must adhere to regulations between 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
“This is a response to a lot of concerns we’ve heard from residents and businesses over the years that we don’t have something to address noise complaints,” Mayor Tom Hayes said about the ordinance during the Feb. 20 Village Board meeting. “This gives our police officers a tool.”
Trustees Tom Schwingbeck, Richard Baldino and Scott Shirley were absent.
Village Manager Randy Recklaus outlined the new regulations for the village’s residential areas, as proposed by Police Chief Nick Pecora during the Feb. 12 Committee-of-the-Whole meeting.
“The village adopted the state of Illinois pollution control standards many years ago and found, in practice, those standards were difficult to enforce,” Recklaus said. “Noise enforcement is inherently subjective – the duration, location, time of day, make a difference on how they are perceived.”
Noise pollutants, he explained, include radios, televisions and musical instruments that can be heard from 75 feet away, as well as loud speakers, yelling and shouting, and loading and unloading anytime between 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. However, loading and unloading will be permitted beginning at 6 a.m. in the downtown Arlington Alfresco zone between May and September.
Reckalus said the new ordinance does account for exceptions, including emergency repairs on construction, emergency vehicles and roadway maintenance. Additional exceptions are for outdoor activities and venues: Playgrounds, events approved by the village and ones sponsored by the village or Park District, church activities, commercial establishments with outdoor dining permits, athletic events and places of worship.
Violators will face penalties that will be determined by police officers responding to the complaint, including first a notice of complaint and voluntary compliance, according to the ordinance. Minor infractions will be issued a warning ticket, with a first violation fine of $25 to $40 and no requirement to appear at an administrative hearing. A second violation will result in a $500 to $750 fine and a mandatory hearing appearance, Recklaus said, adding the hearing officer will assess the fine.
Although many of the new standards will apply to the downtown district, Recklaus told Pioneer Press after the meeting that area is not considered a residential one.
“This does not have an impact on the music or anything that is currently allowed in alfresco,” Recklaus said. “But if folks are exiting bars late at night and making a lot of noise, this gives officers an additional tool to tell them not to wake up the neighbors.”
In years past, many downtown residents, particularly in the Metro Lofts building, complained of noise in the summer outdoor dining venue, Arlington Alfresco. Recklaus said the village has taken steps to reduce those complaints significantly by working with the downtown businesses and managing sidewalk noise.
This new ordinance, he said, is intended to address residential areas.
Elizabeth Owens-Schiele is a freelancer.
