This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Town of
Ithaca Noise Ordinance" whether adopted as an ordinance or local law.
Hereinafter, this law is sometimes referred to as "this chapter."
This chapter shall apply to all areas of the Town outside the
Village of Cayuga Heights.
The purpose of this chapter is to preserve the public health,
peace, comfort, repose, welfare, safety and good order by suppressing
the making, creation, or maintenance of excessive, unnecessary, unnatural
or unusually loud noises which are prolonged, unusual or unnatural
in their time, place, and use or which are detrimental to the environment.
Unless the context otherwise clearly indicates, the words and
phrases used in this chapter are defined as follows:
DAYTIME HOURS
The hours beginning at 7:00 a.m. local time on any day and
ending at 9:00 p.m. local time.
EMERGENCY WORK
Work made necessary to restore property to a safe condition
following a public calamity or work necessary to protect persons or
property from an imminent exposure to danger.
IMPULSIVE SOUND
A sound of short duration, usually less than one second,
and of high intensity, with an abrupt onset and rapid decay.
MOTOR VEHICLES
Includes, but is not limited to, automobiles, trucks, buses,
mopeds, minibikes, and any other vehicle as defined by the Vehicle
and Traffic Law of the State of New York, as it may be amended from
time to time.
NIGHTTIME HOURS
The hours beginning at 9:01 p.m. local time on any day and
ending at 6:59 a.m. local time on the following day.
PERSON
Includes the singular and plural and also any individual,
any property owner and/or lessee, any firm, corporation, political
subdivision, government agency, association or organization, including
but not limited to officers, directors, employees, agents and/or independent
contractors thereof, or any legal entity whatsoever.
RESIDENTIAL ZONE
A Conservation, Agricultural, Lakefront Residential, Low-Density Residential, Medium-Density Residential, High-Density Residential, Mobile Home Park, or Multiple Residence Zone, as defined in Chapter
270, Zoning. "Residential Zone" also includes any special land use district or planned development zone in Chapter
271, Zoning: Special Land Use Districts, wherein the predominant land use is residential. Should such chapters be amended or replaced and by so doing adds additional zones or differently denominated zones, "residence zones" shall mean those zones determined under such laws or any successor statutes wherein the predominant intended land use is residential.
SOUND-AMPLIFYING EQUIPMENT
Any machine or device for the amplification of the human
voice, instrumental music, or any other sound. Sound-amplifying equipment
shall not include standard automobile sound systems when used and
heard only by the occupants of the motor vehicle in which such automobile
sound system is installed. As used in this chapter, sound-amplifying
equipment shall not include warning devices on authorized emergency
vehicles or horns or other warning devices on any vehicle used only
for traffic safety purposes, or authorized fire horns or other authorized
emergency alarms.
TOWN
All of the Town of Ithaca exclusive of the portion of the
Town within the incorporated Village of Cayuga Heights.
UNREASONABLE NOISE
Any excessive or unusually loud sound which either annoys,
disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace
or safety of a reasonable person of normal sensitivities, or which
causes injury to animal life or damages to property or business.