City of Alexandria, Virginia
____________________
MEMORANDUM
DATE: MAY 5, 2021
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. Passage on First Reading of an Ordinance to amend Title 11 Chapter 5: Noise Ordinance.
BODY
ISSUE:??Should City Council incorporate some necessary changes to the City's noise ordinance to make it enforceable, legal and constitutional?
?
RECOMMENDATION:? That City Council approve the proposed Noise Ordinance amendment (Attachment 2) on first reading and set it for second reading, public hearing, and final passage on Saturday, May 15, 2021.
?
BACKGROUND:?? Staff discussed the City's noise ordinance with Council in a work session on April 6, 2021. At that session, Council instructed staff to take a two-phase approach to revising the ordinance. This first phase proposes necessary changes to ensure the City's current noise ordinance is enforceable, legal and constitutional. A later phase, planned for summer and fall 2021, will include additional community outreach and Council consideration of broader policy changes.
The City's noise ordinance was initially adopted in 1963. Since then, both the City and case law have changed considerably. These changes compel the City to update certain provisions of the ordinance to reflect current case law, city property use patterns, and present sources of noise. The first phase under consideration now primarily addresses administrative changes. The Discussion section below outlines the four categories of legally necessitated amendments and one policy change proposed for consideration at this time.
The second phase of ordinance revisions, which Council will consider this fall, will address changes based upon policy determinations in response to changes that have taken place in Alexandria since the ordinance was first passed in 1963. This would reflect changes in property uses, densit...
Click here for full text