DCPC Update: Noise Ordinance Amendment Goes to City Council Monday
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Chairperson
Jun 5, 2026, 6:59:49 PMJun 5
to anno...@downtownplanningsd.org
Dear DCPC Board Members and Community,
I wanted to share an update on an issue DCPC has been working on that goes before City Council this Monday, June 8.
At our May meeting, the DCPC Board voted unanimously to oppose Item 11 of the 2026 Land Development Code Update, an amendment to the City's noise ordinance that would exempt any permitted activity from the Sound Level Limits with no decibel ceiling, no time limit, no public notice, and no appeal process. The City labeled it a "clarification," but the language has never existed in the code.
I presented this item to the Community Planners Committee on May 26, and CPC voted to change its position from "Not Oppose" to "Oppose", recognizing that this affects every community in the City with entertainment, nightlife, or commercial activity near homes.
Attached is the letter we are sending to City Council today on behalf of DCPC, requesting that Item 11 be removed from the LDC package and sent back to staff for rework with meaningful guardrails. CPC sent a separate letter in support which is also attached.
The LDC Update is scheduled as Item 613 on Monday's consent calendar. I will be testifying in person and asking Council to pull the item and ask staff a simple question: if this is truly a clarification of existing authority, what is the impact of delaying it by one year? If there's no impact, staff can add the missing protections and bring it back in the next update.
If you'd like to support this effort, there are two ways to help:
Sincerely,
I wanted to share an update on an issue DCPC has been working on that goes before City Council this Monday, June 8.
At our May meeting, the DCPC Board voted unanimously to oppose Item 11 of the 2026 Land Development Code Update, an amendment to the City's noise ordinance that would exempt any permitted activity from the Sound Level Limits with no decibel ceiling, no time limit, no public notice, and no appeal process. The City labeled it a "clarification," but the language has never existed in the code.
I presented this item to the Community Planners Committee on May 26, and CPC voted to change its position from "Not Oppose" to "Oppose", recognizing that this affects every community in the City with entertainment, nightlife, or commercial activity near homes.
Attached is the letter we are sending to City Council today on behalf of DCPC, requesting that Item 11 be removed from the LDC package and sent back to staff for rework with meaningful guardrails. CPC sent a separate letter in support which is also attached.
The LDC Update is scheduled as Item 613 on Monday's consent calendar. I will be testifying in person and asking Council to pull the item and ask staff a simple question: if this is truly a clarification of existing authority, what is the impact of delaying it by one year? If there's no impact, staff can add the missing protections and bring it back in the next update.
If you'd like to support this effort, there are two ways to help:
- Submit written comment to the City Clerk before Monday referencing Item 613 and asking that Item 11 be pulled from the LDC package
- Attend the Council meeting in person or online
Thank you to the Board for your unanimous support on this. I'll report back at our next regular meeting.
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