No person shall throw or cast any stone or other missile or thing in, from or to any street, lane, alley, park, public place or enclosed grounds.
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Solvay as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted as Ch. 9, Sec. 9-37, of the 1975 Code]
[Added 10-8-1991 by L.L. No. 4-1991]
An offense against the provisions of this chapter shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $250 or by imprisonment for not more than 15 days, or both.
[Adopted 12-10-1991 by L.L. No. 5-1991[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This local law also contained the following statement: The purpose of this local law is to amend L.L. No. 4-1991 (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I) passed on October 8, 1991. Since the passage of L.L. No. 4 amending and recodifying the Code of the Village of Solvay, it has come to the attention of the Village Board of the Village of Solvay that several sections of the former Village Code which should have been included in the 1991 Code, adopted pursuant to L.L. No. 4-1991, were inadvertently left out of the adopted version. This local law is intended to add the missing sections of the former Village Code to the Code adopted on October 8, 1991."
No person shall conduct himself in an indecent or obscene manner or publicly exhibit or expose his person in an indecent or obscene manner in or upon any public street, sidewalk, lane, alley or park or within or upon any private or public place or building.
No person shall willfully destroy, injure or break any electric or telephone poles or fixtures thereof.
No person shall willfully or maliciously break or deface or in any way injure any of the public lamps or lampposts, nor shall any person unlawfully light or cause to be lighted or unlawfully put out or cause to be put out any of said lamps.
No person shall make or assist in making any riot, noise or disturbance in any house, at or within any building within the village or upon any street, park or public place.
[Amended 10-21-2025 by L.L. No. 10-2025]
This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Noise Control Law of the Village of Solvay."
A.
Policy. It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Village Board to prevent unreasonably loud, disturbing and unnecessary noise and to reduce noise levels within the Village so as to preserve, protect and promote the public health, safety and welfare and to foster convenience, peace and quiet within the Village by the inhabitants and transients thereof. The Village Board finds that every person is entitled to have maintained noise levels which are not detrimental to life, health and the enjoyment of property and that excessive and unnecessary noise within the Village of Solvay affects and is a menace to public health, safety, welfare and the comfort of the people of the Village.
B. DECIBEL (dB) NOISE NOISE CONTROL OFFICER REAL PROPERTY LINE SOUND DEVICE or APPARATUS SOUND LEVEL SOUND-LEVEL MEASURE UNNECESSARY WEIGHTED SOUND LEVEL
Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the terms used herein are defined as follows:
The practical unit of measurement of sound pressure level; the number of decibels of a measured sound is equal to 20 times the logarithm to the base 10 of the sound pressure of the measured sound to the sound pressure of a standard sound (20 micropascals); abbreviated "dB."
Any sound of such level and duration as to be or tend to be injurious to human health or welfare or that would unreasonably interfere with the enjoyment of life or property, exceeding the limits as set forth in this section.
Any member of the Police Department or Code Enforcement Officer trained in the measurement of sound and empowered to issue a summons for violation of this section.
Either the imaginary line, including its vertical extension, that separates one parcel of real property from another, or the vertical and horizontal boundaries of a dwelling unit that is one in a multi-dwelling-unit building.
Any apparatus or device for the making, reproduction or amplification of the human voice or other sounds.
The sound pressure level measured in decibels with a sound-level meter set for A-weighting; sound level is expressed in dBA.
An instrument for the measurement of noise and sound.
That which is not required by the usual circumstances.
The sound level, in decibels, reported as measured by a sound-level-measuring instrument having an A-weighted network which discriminates against the lower frequencies according to a relationship approximating the auditory sensitivity of the human ear. The level so read is designated in dBA.
C.
Maximum sound levels.
(1)
No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit the operation of any source of sound on a particular category of property or any public space or right-of-way in such a manner as to create a sound level that exceeds the particular sound level limits set forth as follows: between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., 100 dBAs, and between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., 60 dBAs, when measured at the adjoining property line nearest the sound source.
(2)
No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit the existence of unnecessary sound which tends to injure, alarm, annoy, harass or disturb the peace or enjoyment of property of another.
D.
Prohibited acts. The following acts, among others, are declared to be loud, disturbing and unnecessary noises in violation of this section, but the enumeration herein shall not be deemed to be exclusive:
(1)
The operation of any radio, phonograph or use of any musical instrument in such a manner or with such volume as to annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of persons in any dwelling, apartment or other type of residence.
(2)
The keeping of any animal or bird which, by causing frequent or long-continued noise, shall disturb the comfort and repose of any person in the vicinity. (For the purpose of this section, a "noise disturbance from a barking dog" shall be defined as that created by a dog barking continually for five minutes or intermittently for 10 minutes, unless provoked.)
(3)
The use of any automobile, motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle, bus or vehicle in any manner as to create loud and unnecessary noise.
(4)
The discharge into the air of the exhaust of any steam engine, stationary internal-combustion engine or motor-vehicle engine, except through a muffler or other device which will effectively prevent loud or explosive noises therefrom.
(5)
The erection, including excavation, demolition, alteration or repair of any building other than between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., except in the case of urgent necessity in the interest of public safety as determined by the Noise Control Officer.
(6)
The creation of any excessive noise on any street or property adjacent to any school, institution of learning, court or church while the same is in session or adjacent to any hospital or nursing home which unreasonably interferes with the workings of such institution.
(7)
The creation of a loud and excessive noise in connection with the loading or unloading of any vehicle, or the opening and destruction of bales, boxes, crates and containers in such a manner as to create an unreasonable or unnecessary noise of unreasonable extent and duration.
(8)
The shouting and crying of peddlers, hawkers and vendors which disturbs the peace and quiet of the neighborhood.
(9)
The use of any drum, loudspeaker or other instrument or device for the purpose of attracting attention to any sale or display of merchandise by the creation of noise.
(10)
The sounding of any horn or signal device on any vehicle, motorcycle, bus or other device, except as a warning signal pursuant to the provisions of Subdivision 1 of § 375 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law of the State of New York.
(11)
The use of any radio apparatus, talking machine, loudspeaker, public address system or amplifier attached thereto in such a manner that the loudspeaker shall cause the sound from such device to exceed the level set forth in this section at the property line nearest the sound source.
(12)
The creation of any noise which causes public inconvenience or alarm or disturbs the public's peace, comfort and tranquility.
E.
Sound devices.
(1)
It shall be unlawful for any person to use or operate or cause to be used or operated any sound device or apparatus in, on, near or adjacent to any public street, park or place for commercial or business advertising purposes or for any person to operate or drive any automobile, truck or other vehicle for commercial or business advertising by means of any sound device or apparatus. The use of any trade, business or corporate name or the name of any person, proprietor or vendor in such commercial or business advertising shall be presumptive evidence that such advertising was conducted by that person, business or corporation.
(2)
It shall be unlawful to operate any radio apparatus, talking machine, loudspeaker, amplifier or other sound-making device in any street, park or public gathering place in such a fashion as to exceed a noise level of over 60 dBAs as measured 20 feet from the sound-producing device.
F.
Exceptions. The following sounds shall not be deemed to be a violation of this section:
(1)
Sounds created by church bells or chimes.
(2)
Sounds created by any government agency by the use of public warning devices.
(3)
Sounds created by public utilities in carrying out the operation of their franchises.
(4)
Sounds connected with sporting events of any public or private school, authorized carnival, fair, exhibition, parade, etc.
(5)
Sounds on private property which do not carry beyond the boundary lines of the property on which they are created.
(6)
Sounds created in the exercise of any trade, industry, business or employment, provided that it is not conducted in such a manner as to create any unreasonable or unnecessary noise of any unreasonable extent and duration.
G.
Penalties for offenses. Any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a violation of section and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not more than 15 days, or both. The fines provided for herein may be amended by a resolution duly adopted by a majority of the Village Board.
No person shall participate in any parade, demonstration, public gathering or assemblage called or formed for the purpose of inciting, advising or urging the use of violence, force or the commission of any act in violation of law or at which any of such acts or things are advocated, advised, urged or committed.
Any person violating any provision of this article shall be punished as provided for in the Code of the Village of Solvay adopted on October 8, 1991.