[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Houston 5-11-1994 by Ord. No. 433B. Amendments noted where applicable.]
It is hereby declared to be a nuisance and it shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to make or cause or suffer or permit to be made or cause, upon any premises owned, occupied or controlled by him or it or upon any public street, alley or thoroughfare in the Borough of Houston, any unnecessary noises or sounds by means of the human voice or by any other means or methods which are so harsh or so prolonged or unnatural or unusual in their use, time and place as to occasion physical discomfort, or which are injurious to the lives, health, peace and comfort of the inhabitants of the Borough of Houston or any member thereof.
The following acts, among others, are declared to be loud, disturbing and unnecessary noises in violation of this chapter:
A. 
Horns, signaling devices, etc. The sounding of any horn or signaling device on any automobile, motorcycle, streetcar, or other vehicle on any street or public place of the Borough, except as a danger warning; the creation by means of any such signaling device of any unreasonably loud or harsh sound; and the sounding of any such device for any unnecessary and unreasonable period of time.
B. 
Radios, phonographs, etc. The using, operating or permitting to be operated any radio receiving set, musical instrument, phonograph, or other machine or device for the producing or reproducing of sound in such manner as to disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of the neighboring residents. The operation of any such set, instrument, phonograph, machine or device between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of 50 feet from the building, structure or vehicle in which it is located shall be a prima facie evidence of a violation of this section.
C. 
Loudspeakers, amplifiers for advertising. The using, operating or permitting to be played, used or operated of any radio receiving set, musical instrument, phonograph, loudspeaker, sound amplifier, or other machine or device for the producing or reproducing of sound which is carried upon the public streets for the purpose of commercial advertising or attracting the attention of the public to any building or structure.
D. 
Yelling, shouting, etc. Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling, or singing on the public streets, particularly between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. or at any time or place so as to annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort, repose of persons in any office, and in any dwelling, hotel or other type of residence, or of any persons in the vicinity.
E. 
Animals, birds, domesticated animals, etc. The keeping of any animal which creates frequent or long continued noise in such a manner as to disturb the peace quiet and comfort of the neighboring residents.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See also § 68-4C of Ch. 68, Animals.
F. 
Defect in vehicle or load and/or modification of vehicle or load. The use of any automobile, motorcycle, or vehicle so out of repair, so loaded or modified in such manner as to create loud and unnecessary grating, grading, rattling or other noise. Also, the racing of any engine and/or modification of any muffler system or other system of any automobile, motorcycle or vehicle in any manner as to create loud and unnecessary noise.
G. 
Schools, courts, churches, hospitals. The creation of any excessive noise on any street adjacent to any school, institution of learning, church or court, while the same are in use, or adjacent to any hospital, which unreasonably interferes with the workings of such institution or which disturbs or unduly annoys patients in the hospital, provided conspicuous signs are displayed in such streets, indicating that the same is a school, hospital or court street.
H. 
Pile driver, hammers, etc. The operation between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of any pile driver, steam shovel, pneumatic hammer, derrick, steam or electric hoist or other appliance, the use of which is attended by loud or unusual noise.
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $600 and/or to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 90 days. Every day that a violation of this chapter continues shall constitute a separate offense.
As an additional remedy, the operation or maintenance of any device, instrument, vehicle or machinery in violation of any provision hereof and which causes discomfort or annoyance to reasonable persons of normal sensitiveness or which endangers the comfort repose, health or peace of residents in the area shall be deemed and declared to be a public nuisance and may be subject to abatement summarily by a restraining order or injunction issued by a court of competent jurisdiction.