[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Cape May 3-20-2007 by Ord. No. 92-2007.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Alarm systems  See Ch. 130.
Animals  See Ch. 145.
Beaches and Boardwalk  See Ch. 158.
Construction activities  See Ch. 194.
Malls and plazas  See Ch. 324.
Public health nuisances  See Ch. 345.
Parks and recreation areas  See Ch. 368.
Peace and good order  See Ch. 373.
Idling of vehicles  See Ch. 493.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Ch. 340, Noise, adopted by Ord. No. 908-91 (Sec. 3-2 of the 1997 Revised General Ordinances), as amended.
The following words and terms, when used in this Chapter 340, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Terms not defined in this chapter have the same meaning as those defined in N.J.A.C. 7:29.
CONSTRUCTION
Any site preparation, assembly, erection, repair, alteration or similar action, including demolition of buildings or structures.
DEMOLITION
Any dismantling, destruction or removal of buildings, structures, or roadways.
DEPARTMENT
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
EMERGENCY WORK
Any work or action necessary to deliver essential public services including, but not limited to repairing water, gas, electricity, telephone, or sewer facilities, or public transportation facilities, removing fallen trees on public rights-of-way, dredging navigational waterways, or abating life-threatening conditions.
IMPULSIVE SOUND
Either a single pressure peak or a single burst (multiple pressure peaks) that has a duration of less than one second.
MOTOR VEHICLE
Any vehicle that is propelled other than by human or animal power on land.
MUFFLER
A properly functioning sound-dissipative device or system for abating the sound of escaping gasses on equipment where such a device is part of the normal configuration of the equipment.
MULTIDWELLING UNIT BUILDING
Any building comprising two or more dwelling units, including but not limited to apartments, condominiums, co-ops, multiple-family houses, townhouses, and attached residences.
MULTI-USE PROPERTY
Any distinct parcel of land that is used for more than one category of activity. Examples of a multi-use property include but are not limited to:
A. 
A commercial, residential, industrial or public service property having boilers, incinerators, elevators, automatic garage doors, air conditioners, laundry rooms, utility provisions, or health and recreational facilities, or other similar devices or areas, either in the interior or on the exterior of the building, which may be a source of elevated sound levels at another category on the same distinct parcel of land; or
B. 
A building which is both commercial (usually on the ground floor) and residential property located above, behind, below or adjacent.
NOISE CONTROL OFFICER
An employee of a local, county or regional health agency which is certified pursuant to the County Environmental Health Act (N.J.S.A. 26:3A2-21, et seq.) to perform noise enforcement activities; or a municipality with a Department-approved noise control ordinance and the employee has received noise enforcement training and is currently certified in noise enforcement. The employee must be acting within his or her designated jurisdiction and must be authorized to issue a summons in order to be considered a noise control officer.
PLAINLY AUDIBLE
Any sound that can be detected by a person using his or her unaided hearing faculties. As an example, if the sound source under investigation is a portable or personal vehicular sound amplification or reproduction device, the detection of the rhythmic bass component of the music is sufficient to verify plainly audible sound. The noise control officer need not determine the title, specific words, or the artist performing the song.
PRIVATE RIGHT-OF-WAY
Any street, avenue, boulevard, road, highway, sidewalk, alley or easement that is owned, leased, or controlled by a nongovernmental entity.
PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
Any street, avenue, boulevard, road, highway, sidewalk, alley or easement that is owned, leased, or controlled by a governmental entity.
PUBLIC SPACE
Any real property or structures thereon that are owned, leased, or controlled by a governmental entity.
REAL PROPERTY LINE
Either:
A. 
The imaginary line, including its vertical extension, that separates one parcel of real property from another;
B. 
The vertical and horizontal boundaries of a dwelling unit that are part of a multidwelling unit building; or
C. 
On a multi-use property, the interface between the two portions of the property on which different categories of activity are being performed (e.g., if the multi-use property is a building which is residential upstairs and commercial downstairs, then the real property line would be the interface between the residential area and the commercial area).
WEEKDAY
Any day that is not a federal holiday, and beginning on Monday at 8:00 a.m. and ending on the following Friday at 6:00 p.m.
WEEKENDS
Beginning on Friday at 6:00 p.m. and ending on the following Monday at 8:00 a.m.
A. 
This chapter applies to sound from the following property categories:
(1) 
Industrial facilities;
(2) 
Commercial facilities;
(3) 
Public service facilities;
(4) 
Community service facilities;
(5) 
Residential properties;
(6) 
Multi-use properties;
(7) 
Public and private rights-of-way;
(8) 
Public spaces; and
(9) 
Multidwelling unit buildings.
B. 
This chapter applies to sound received at the following property categories:
(1) 
Commercial facilities;
(2) 
Public service facilities;
(3) 
Community service facilities;
(4) 
Residential properties;
(5) 
Multi-use properties; and
(6) 
Multidwelling unit buildings.
C. 
Sound from stationary emergency signaling devices shall be regulated in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.3,[1] except that the testing of the electromechanical functioning of a stationary emergency signaling device shall not meet or exceed 10 seconds.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.3 was recodified to 7:29-1.4 by R.2007 d.227, effective 8-6-2007.
A. 
The provisions of this chapter shall be enforced by noise control officers. A person shall be qualified to be a noise control officer if the person meets the criteria set forth in the definition above and completes, at a frequency specified by the Department in N.J.A.C. 7:29-2.11, a noise certification and recertification course which are offered by the Department of Environmental Sciences of Cook College, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey or any other noise certification or recertification course which is offered by an accredited university and approved by the Department.
B. 
Sound measurements made by a noise control officer shall conform to the procedures set forth at N.J.A.C. 7:29-2, except that interior sound level measurements shall also conform with the procedures set forth in § 340-4B and C of this regulation and with the definition of "real property line" as contained herein.
C. 
Noise control officers shall have the power to:
(1) 
Coordinate the noise control activities of all departments in Cape May City and cooperate with all other public bodies and agencies to the extent practicable;
(2) 
Review the actions of Cape May City and advise of the effect, if any, of such actions on noise control;
(3) 
Review public and private projects, subject to mandatory review or approval by other departments or boards, for compliance with this chapter;
(4) 
Investigate and pursue possible violations of this chapter for sound levels which equal or exceed the sound levels set forth in Tables I and II,[1] when measured at a receiving property located within the designated jurisdiction of the noise control officer, in accordance with § 340-7 below; and
[1]
Editor's Note: Tables I and II are included at the end of this chapter.
(5) 
Cooperate with noise control officers of adjacent municipalities in enforcing one another's municipal noise ordinances.
A. 
No person shall cause, suffer, allow, or permit the operation of any source of sound on any source property listed in § 340-2A above in such a manner as to create a sound level that equals or exceeds the sound level limits set forth in Tables I and II when measured at or within the real property line of any of the receiving properties listed in Tables I and II,[1] except as specified in Subsection B below.
[1]
Editor's Note: Tables I and II are included at the end of this chapter.
B. 
When measuring total sound or residual sound within a multi-use property, or within a residential unit when the property line between it and the source property is a common wall, all exterior doors and windows shall be closed and the measurements shall be taken in the center of the room most affected by the noise. Residual sound shall be measured in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:29-2.9(b)2. When measuring total sound or residual sound, all sound sources within the dwelling unit must be shut off (e.g., television, stereo). Measurements shall not be taken in areas which receive only casual use such as hallways, closets and bathrooms.
C. 
Indoor measurements shall only be taken if the sound source is on or within the same property as the receiving property, as in the case of a multi-use property (e.g., sound generated within a commercial unit of a multi-use property building and received within a residential unit of the same building) or multidwelling unit building. In addition, indoor measurements shall be taken if the property line between the receiving property and the source property is a common wall, such as in a multidwelling unit building. The allowable sound level standards for indoors are as shown in Tables I and II.[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Tables I and II are included at the end of this chapter.
D. 
Impulsive sound. Between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., impulsive sound shall not equal or exceed 80 decibels. Between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., impulsive sound which occurs less than four times in any hour shall not equal or exceed 80 decibels. Impulsive sound which repeats four or more times in any hour shall be measured as impulsive sound and shall meet the requirements as shown in Table I.[3]
The provisions of this Chapter 340 shall not apply to the following exceptions:
A. 
Bells, chimes or carillons while being used in conjunction with religious services;
B. 
Emergency energy release devices;
C. 
When public health or safety is involved, emergency work to provide electricity, water or other public utilities, to make emergency repairs to public roadways or bridges, or upon written approval of the authorized enforcement agency, to utilize sound-producing devices to relocate wildlife;
D. 
National Warning System (NAWAS): Systems used to warn the community of attack or imminent public danger such as flooding or explosion. These systems are controlled by the New Jersey Office of Emergency or Hazardous Spill Management, Division of State Police;
E. 
Noise of aircraft flight operations;
F. 
Municipally sponsored or approved public celebrations or events;
G. 
Public roadways;
H. 
Surface carriers engaged in commerce by railroad; and
I. 
The unamplified human voice.
A. 
The provisions of this Chapter 340 shall not apply to the exceptions listed at N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.4,[1] which shall be regulated in accordance with Chapter 340.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.4 was recodified to 7:29-1.5 by R.2007 d.227, effective 8-6-2007.
B. 
Construction and demolition activities are exempt from the sound level limits set forth in Tables I and II,[2] but shall be regulated in accordance with Chapter 340.
[2]
Editor's Note: Tables I and II are included at the end of this chapter.
A. 
Violation of any provision of this chapter shall be cause for an enforcement document to be issued to the violator by the noise control officer according to procedures set forth at N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.6.[1] The recipient of an enforcement document shall be entitled to a hearing in municipal court having jurisdiction to contest such action.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.6 was recodified to 7:29-1.7 by R.2007 d.227, effective 8-6-2007.
B. 
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall be subject to a civil penalty for each offense of not more than $1,000. If the violation is of a continuing nature, each day during which it occurs shall constitute an additional, separate, and distinct offense.
C. 
No provision of this chapter shall be construed to impair any common law or statutory cause of action, or legal remedy therefrom, of any person for injury or damage arising from any violation of this chapter or from other law.
D. 
Any violation of this chapter constitutes a breach of the peace.
[Added 7-3-2023 by Ord. No. 504-2023]