[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council
of the Township of Springfield 12-14-1994 as § 4-10 of the
1994 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
No person shall make, continue or cause to be
made or continued any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise or any noise
which does or is likely to annoy, disturb, injure or endanger the
comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others, within the limits
of the Township.
A.
Without intending to limit the generality of § 130-1, the following acts are hereby declared to be examples of loud, disturbing and unnecessary noise in violation of this section:
(1)
Horns and signaling devices. The sounding of a horn
or signaling device on an automobile, motorcycle, bus or other vehicle,
on any street or public place except when required by law, or when
necessary to give timely warning of the approach of the vehicle, or
as warning of impending danger to persons driving other vehicles or
to persons on the street. No person shall sound a horn or signaling
device on an automobile, motorcycle, bus or other vehicle which emits
an unreasonably loud or harsh sound, or for an unnecessary or unreasonable
period of time. No person shall use any signaling device except one
operated by hand or electricity. The use of any horn, whistle or other
device operated by engine exhausts is prohibited. The use of any signaling
device when traffic for any reason is held up is prohibited. All backup
alarms on any vehicle, except vehicles engaged in agriculture, shall
be equipped with smart alarms which shall not exceed a maximum of
five dB above surrounding noise levels.
[Amended 6-11-2008 by Ord. No. 2008-5]
(2)
Radios, televisions, phonographs. The playing, use
or operation of any radio receiving set, television, musical instrument,
phonograph or other machine or device for the producing or reproducing
of sound, in such a manner as to disturb the peace, quiet and comfort
of neighboring inhabitants or with louder volume than is necessary
for convenient hearing for persons who are in the room, vehicle or
chamber in which the machine or device is operated and who are voluntary
listeners thereto. The operation of any such set, instrument, phonograph,
machine or device between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. so
that it is clearly audible at a distance of 25 feet from the building,
structure or vehicle in which it is located shall be prima facie evidence
of a violation of this section.
(3)
Loudspeakers; amplifiers for advertising.
(a)
The using, operating or permitting to be played,
used or operated any radio receiving set, musical instrument, phonograph,
loudspeaker, sound amplifier or other machine or device for the producing
or reproducing of sound which is cast upon the public streets for
the purpose of commercial advertising or for any other purpose, with
the following exceptions: such sound as may attract attention but
which will not disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of the inhabitants,
provided such sound is produced or caused to be produced only between
the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon and between 2:00 p.m. and 9:00
p.m. in the months of April through September, and between the hours
of 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon and between 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in
the months of October through March.
(b)
Such sound shall not be audible in any location
for a period of longer than five minutes in any hour, except by special
permit from the Township Council.
(4)
Yelling, shouting. 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, which annoys or
disturbs the quiet, comfort or repose of persons in any office, dwelling,
hotel, motel or other type of residence or of any persons in the vicinity.
(5)
Animals, birds. The keeping of animals or birds which,
by causing frequent or long-continued noise, disturb the comfort or
repose of any person in the vicinity.
(6)
Whistles. The blowing of any whistle, except to give
notice of the time to begin or stop work or as a warning of fire or
danger, or upon request of proper Township authorities, or as may
be required by general law or ordinance.
(7)
Exhaust. The discharge into the open air of the exhaust
of a steam engine, internal combustion engine or motor vehicle, except
through a muffler or other device which will effectively prevent loud
or explosive noises.
(8)
Defect in vehicle or load. The use of an automobile,
motorcycle or vehicle so out of repair, so loaded or in such manner
that it creates loud and unnecessary grating, grinding, rattling or
other noise.
(9)
Loading, unloading, opening boxes. The creation of
a loud and excessive noise in connection with loading or unloading
any vehicle or the opening and destruction of bales, boxes, crates
and containers.
(10)
Construction or repair.
(a)
The carrying on of excavation, demolition, construction,
repair or alteration work, other than between the hours of 7:00 a.m.
and 6:00 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays; the carrying on of construction,
repair or alteration work by a homeowner on his/her own dwelling or
property, other than between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
(b)
In the case of urgent necessity or in the interest
of public health or safety, the Township Engineer may grant a permit
for excavation, demolition, construction, repair or alteration work
for a period not to exceed three days, which may be renewed for additional
periods of three days, while the emergency continues by the terms
of which permit such work may be carried on during the hours specified
in the permit.
(11)
Schools, courts, churches, hospitals.
(a)
The creation of excessive noise on a street
adjacent to a school, institution of learning, church or court while
in use, or adjacent to a hospital, which unreasonably interferes with
the working of the institution or which disturbs or unduly annoys
patients in the hospital, provided that conspicuous signs are displayed
in such a street indicating that it is a school, hospital or court
street.
(b)
If the Township Engineer should determine that
the public health and safety will not be impaired by the erection,
demolition, alteration or repair of any building, or the excavation
of streets and highways between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.,
and if (s)he shall further determine that loss or inconvenience would
result to any party in interest, (s)he may grant permission for such
work to be done between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. upon
application being made at the time the permit for the work is awarded
or during the progress of the work.
(c)
No work involving the erection, demolition,
alteration or repair of any building or the excavation or the movement
of any dirt shall be done on Sunday except with a permit which may
be granted by the Township Engineer in accordance with the conditions
set forth above.
(12)
Drums. The use of any drum or other instrument or
device for the purpose of attracting attention by creation of noise
to any performance, show or sale.
(13)
Hawkers, peddlers. The shouting and crying of peddlers,
hawkers and vendors which disturbs the peace and quiet of the neighborhood.
(14)
Metal rails, pillars and columns; transportation thereof.
The transportation of rails, pillars or columns of iron, steel or
other material over and along streets and other public places upon
carts, drays, cars, trucks or in any other manner, so loaded as to
cause loud noises or as to disturb the peace and quiet of such streets
or other public places.
(15)
Railroad cars and buses; operation thereof. The causing,
permitting or continuing of any excessive, unnecessary and avoidable
noise in the operation of railroad cars, locomotives and buses.
(16)
Pile drivers, hammers. The operation, other than between
the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, of any pile driver,
steam shovel, bulldozer or other earthmoving machinery, pneumatic
hammer, derrick, steam or electric hoist or other appliance, the use
of which is attended by loud or unusual noise.
(17)
Blowers. The operation of any hoist-creating blower
or power fan or any internal combustion engine, the operation of which
causes noise due to the explosion of operating gases or fluids, unless
the noise from such blower or fan is muffled and such engine is equipped
with a muffler device sufficient to deaden such noises.
(18)
Outside alarms. The user of any alarm system emitting
an audible or visible response shall, at the time such system is installed,
cause to be installed an automatic timing device which shall deactivate
such alarm so that it will be activated for no more than 15 minutes.
All outside alarms shall be registered with the Police Department,
and the registered owner shall provide the Police Department with
an emergency phone number, as well as an alternate phone number, where
someone with responsibility in relation to the alarmed premises may
be contacted at any time by the Police Department.
(19)
Public sales, taxicabs. Public outcries shall be prohibited
at or for any public sale or auction, or to advertise any goods, wares
or merchandise for sale, or to attract any attention, or to gain passengers
for any cab, taxicab, hack or omnibus.
B.
The above enumeration is intended to give typical
illustrations of prohibited noise and shall not be construed as exclusive.
Nothing herein contained shall be construed
to apply to church bells or chimes or to prohibit playing by a band
or orchestra in a hall or building or in the open air.
