Chamber opposed to city noise plan

A move to more heavily regulate industrial noise in Carson City is being criticized as premature by the Carson City Area Chamber of Commerce.

For more than four years, Carson City planners have worked on guidelines to add to the city's master plan. When a development is being proposed, the guidelines would allow planners to examine activities that would cause enough noise to disturb neighbors.

Residents will get a chance to review the proposed rules Tuesday. The Carson City Planning Commission will consider them Wednesday.

The idea is to target "friction zones," where industrial and commercial areas are close to residential areas, such as along Goni Road and Fairview Drive.

Basically, city planners are trying to keep noise, like a generator at a supermarket, from keeping neighbors awake at night.

City planners argue the noise guidelines will help prevent conflicts, and will set some standards to measure efforts to reduce the noise.

"The emphasis of this element (of the master plan) is on land use and the planning process," said Juan Guzman, city senior planner.

However, Larry Osborne, chamber executive director, said many of the problems the noise guidelines seek to address would be handled more effectively with better zoning rather than noise regulation.

"We have extreme business concerns and some objections to it," Osborne said. "The draft they gave us is fairly ambiguous. It has some errors in it. I wonder why no one has seen it, yet they're planning on having us before the planning commission Wednesday."

Osborne noted with the city undergoing a review of its zoning codes, an attempt to push the noise element through is untimely. He said many of the problems the city is trying to solve with the noise element could be solved by creating buffer zones.

"We question if we need to bring this forward next week," Osborne said. "I'm not sure that everyone involved in this is ready to review it before it heads to the planning commission. We have some problems with it as it's been presented."

The noise rules arose from a 1998 incident involving a business, Cygnet Fabrication and Stamping, and the neighboring Quail Run housing development on Fairview Drive. Complaints from Quail Run residents about Cygnet's hours of operation eventually led Cygnet to leave Carson City for Mound House.

Guzman recognizes that any sort of noise regulation has a potential to affect business.

"Let's say you're choosing a place to relocate your business. It is likely you can relocate more inexpensively in a place without the noise regulation," Guzman said. "But these are just general guidelines. Future business will be compared to these standards. The (noise guideline) is silent about current business and doesn't address how to mitigate or retrofit existing businesses.

"We want to help the planning commission, the Board of Supervisors and other city staff be able to determine when noise might be a concern that should be studied further as part of any given application."

City officials also had to deal with noise during construction of Graves Lane, an issue which led to about $1 million worth of soundwalls. Issues relating to noise on roads would remain with the Carson City Regional Transportation Commission, he said.

Noise in the friction zones and other noise, such as radios playing too loudly or dogs barking, prompt the most complaints. However, loud radios and barking dogs are dealt with by the Sheriff's Department when people complain.

If you go:

What: Public review of the noise element to the city's master plan

When: Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Where: Cooperative Extension Conference Room, 2621 Northgate Lane, Suit 12, Carson City.

What: Carson City Planning Commission

When: Wednesday, 6 p.m.

Where: the Community Center's Sierra Room, 851 E. William St.