Politics & Government

Town Discussing Noise Ordinance Changes

Loud bass rhythm complaints prompts town to consider changes.

South Brunswick is considering alterations to the township's noise ordinance following complaints regarding heavy bass rhythm from loud music.

During a discussion at last week's Township Council meeting, officials said bass rhythm falls under a different scale than other noise covered in the town's ordinance.

"We've had some issues with noise in town over the years, and one of the challenges we've faced in recent years is not from typical noise, but bass rhythm noise, which is measured differently against other noises," said Township Attorney Don Sears during the meeting.

The town's existing noise ordinance covers only decibel sounds measured on an “A” weighted scale, while bass rhythm falls under a “C” weighted scale. The "C" scale is flat, and includes more of the low-frequency range of sounds than the "A" and "B" scales, according to HearForever.org.

The council discussed adopting the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's model ordinance, which includes noise that falls under the “C” weighted scale, while excluding nuisance complaints without taking decibel readings.

The township plans on reexamining the issue after consulting with the health department and other experts for review to see if alterations to the ordinance for bass rhythm is a feasible option.


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