Published: May 04, 2008 11:30 pm            

Officials to look at noise control

Spurred by complaints

ASHLAND — Spurred by a number of complaints, Ashland officials will be taking a closer look at the city’s noise control ordinance in the coming weeks.

Ashland Police Chief Rob Ratliff said the ordinance was originally enacted in 2000. Since that time the police department has responded to 634 nuisance complaints. Of those, 342 incidents were resolved by officers at the scene, 238 were not located, five arrests were made and two citations given. Forty-seven other complaints were handled by other means, he said.

Ratliff said the ordinance has “served us well,” but the city will be looking at it as a result of resident complaints to see what changes need to be made.

One change residents are pushing is amending the ordinance to apply to moving vehicles. Under the current ordinance only a “continuing noise disturbance,” i.e. a radio playing in a parked car, qualifies as a violation.

Residents say the main culprit disturbing their peace is loud radios and exhausts from motorcycles and cars.

Walter “Stu” Taylor, a resident of the 600 block of 17th Street, was among several residents to voice their concerns at Thursday’s Ashland Board of City Commissioners meeting. Taylor said loud motorcycles and stereos — originating from cars leaving or going to Central Park — are constantly disturbing his peace.

“When we’re sitting out on our front porch, it about takes the putty out of our windows,” he said. He said he’d like to see the city establish a permanent patrol around the park to persuade some of the culprits to calm the noise.

Neighbor Mike Owens also complained about excessive noise originating from vehicles cruising around Central Park and urged commissioners to put “some teeth” into the ordinance.

City officials heeded the complaints.

Mayor Steve Gilmore assured residents the city would “stay on this and try to come up with a better ordinance.”

CARRIE KIRSCHNER can be reached at ckirschner@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.

        

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