The Steelton Borough Council, finding excess
levels of sound are detrimental to the physical, mental and social
well-being of the people as well as to their comfort, living conditions,
general welfare and safety and being therefore a public health and
welfare hazard, hereby declares it to be necessary to provide for
the greater control and more effective regulation of excessive sound
and the sources of excessive sound within the Borough of Steelton.
This chapter shall be known as the "Steelton
Noise Control Ordinance."
The following words, terms and phrases, when
used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in
this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different
meaning.
A-WEIGHTED SOUND LEVEL
The sound pressure level in decibels as measured on a sound
level meter using the A-weighting network. The level so read is designated
dB(A).
AMBIENT NOISE
The all-encompassing noise associated with a given environment
being usually a composite of sounds from many sources near and far.
CONSTRUCTION OPERATION
The erection, repair, renovation, demolition or removal of
any building or structure; and the excavation, filling, grading and
regulation of lots in connection therewith.
DECIBEL (dB)
A unit for measuring the sound pressure level, equal to 20
times the logarithm to the base 10 of the ratio of the pressure of
the sound measured to the reference pressure, which is 20 micropascals
(20 micronewtons per square meter).
EMERGENCY
Any occurrence or set of circumstances involving actual or
imminent physical trauma or property damage.
EMERGENCY WORK
Any work performed for the purpose of preventing or alleviating
the physical trauma or property damage threatened or caused by an
emergency.
IMPULSIVE SOUND
Sound of short duration, usually less than one second, with
an abrupt onset and rapid decay. Examples of impulsive sound include
explosions, drop forge impacts and the discharge of firearms.
NOISE
Any sound which annoys or disturbs humans or which causes
or tends to cause an adverse psychological or physiological effect
on humans or is plainly audible across boundary lines.
NOISE DISTURBANCE
Any sound which endangers or injures the safety or health of humans or animals; annoys or disturbs a reasonable person of normal sensitivities; endangers or injures personal or real property; or is in excess of the sound levels by zoning districts established in §
75-5.
PERSON
Any individual, association, partnership or corporation,
and includes any officer, employee, department, agency or instrumentality
of a state of any political subdivision of a state. Whenever used
in any clause prescribing and imposing a penalty, person includes
the individual members, partners, officers and managers, or any of
them, of partnerships and associations and as corporations, the officers
and managers thereof or any of them.
POWERED MODEL VEHICLE
Any self-propelled airborne, waterborne, or landborne plane,
vessel or vehicle which is not designed to carry persons, including,
but not limited to, any model airplane, boat, car or rocket.
PROPERTY LINE (BOUNDARY)
Any imaginary line drawn through the points of contract lands,
apartments, condominiums, townhouses and duplexes owned, rented or
leased by different persons, a demarcation or a line of separation
of properties and, also, for any two or more buildings sharing common
grounds, the line drawn midway between any two said buildings. All
areas devoted to public right-of-way shall be deemed to be across
the property line. For the purpose of this regulation, the property
line includes all points on a plane formed by projecting the property
line in a manner deemed appropriate by the enforcing officer.
PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
Any street, avenue, boulevard, highway, sidewalk, alley or
similar place which is owned or controlled by a governmental entity.
PUBLIC SPACE
Any real property or structures thereon which are owned or
controlled by a governmental entity.
REAL PROPERTY
All land, whether publicly or privately owned, whether improved
or not improved, with or without structures, exclusive of any areas
devoted to public right-of-way.
SOUND
An oscillation in pressure, particle displacement, particle
velocity or other physical parameter, in a medium with internal forces
that causes compression and rarefaction of the medium or the superposition
of such prorogated oscillation which evokes an auditory sensation.
The description of sound may include any characteristics of such sound,
including duration, intensity and frequency.
SOUND LEVEL
The weighted sound pressure level obtained by the use of
a sound level meter and frequency weighting network, such as A, B
or C, as specified in American National Standards Institute specifications
for sound level meters (ANSI S1.4-1971, or the latest revision thereof).
If the frequency weighting employed is not indicated, the A-weighting
shall apply.
SOUND LEVEL METER
An instrument which includes a microphone, amplifier, RMS
detector, integrator or time average, output meter and any applicable
weighting network used to measure sound pressure levels which meets
or exceeds the requirements for a Type I or Type II sound level meter
as specified in ANSI Specifications S1.4-1971. The manufacturer's
published indication of compliance with such specifications shall
be prima facie evidence of such compliance.
ZONING DISTRICTS
The land use established by Chapter
120, Zoning, of the Code of the Borough of Steelton and all subsequent amendments.
The following sounds are exempted from the provisions
of this chapter:
A. Amplified announcements. Electronically amplified
announcements at athletic events.
B. Blasting. Blasting, under permit by the Code Enforcement
Officer and Fire Chief.
C. Concerts, etc. Band concerts, block parties, church
carnivals or other performances or similar activities publicly or
privately sponsored and presented in any public or private space outdoors
shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter provided that:
(1) Such activities do not produce sound 15 dB(A) in excess of the sound levels set forth in Table I of §
75-5 of this chapter.
(2) Such activities do not occur between the hours of
10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.
(3) Authorization to hold the functions was preapproved
by the Borough Council.
D. Emergency work. Sounds caused by the performance of
emergency work or by the ordinary and accepted use of emergency apparatus
and equipment.
E. Municipal and utility services. Sounds resulting from
the repair or replacement of any municipal or utility installation
in or about the public right-of-way; utility services shall include
the Borough trash collection program through its contracted bid.
F. School and public activities. Sounds not electronically
amplified, created by organized school-related programs, activities,
athletic and entertainment events or other public programs, activities
or events.