Changes tighten recent Little Compton noise, entertainment laws

By Tom Killin Dalglish
Posted 10/6/16

LITTLE COMPTON — At its meeting Sept. 22, the Little Compton Town Council approved amendments to the two new entertainment and noise ordinances that may lighten the decision-making burden on the council, make it easier to enforce the two ordinances.

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Changes tighten recent Little Compton noise, entertainment laws

Posted

LITTLE COMPTON — At its meeting Sept. 22, the Little Compton Town Council approved amendments to the two new entertainment and noise ordinances that may lighten the decision-making burden on the council, make it easier to enforce the two ordinances.

The changes also impose stricter requirements for certain license applicants who plan an activity that intensifies a non-forming use.

"The essence of it is," said Town Council President Robert Mushen, "that we passed the new noise and entertainment ordinances at the beginning of the season, and since that time we've had some lessons learned and some citizen input,” information that has been used to improve the ordinances.

The two ordinances were adopted last winter to address increasing numbers of entertainment and musical events on farms, in particular at Carolyn Sakonnet Vineyards.

Among the changes are:

• Before the amendments to the entertainment ordinance, the council had the authority to "waive,"

at its discretion and for good cause shown, any provision of the entertainment ordinance. This was changed by an amendment that says any such waiver must be preceded by a public hearing.

• One amendment made a change in the criteria by which noise is considered actionable, and an accompanying change in the decibel level that could trigger enforcement.

Before the amendment, enforcement action in a residential zone was allowed in order to curtail noise if it was "plainly audible" to, or that could "disturb," a "neighborhood or person(s) of average sensibilities in the accessible area of their occupied properties.""

Now, enforcement action in a residential zone can be taken if the noise is "disturbing" to a "person of reasonably sensitive hearing in the accessible area of their properties."

• The amendments lowered the threshold decibel levels at which enforcement action can be taken. Before the amendment, the threshold decibel level was 65 db between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., and 55 db between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m..

After the amendments, the 65 db level was lowered to 55 db for the daytime and early evening hours, and lowered from 55db to 50 db after 9 p.m.

• Another amendment changes the basis on which the council may deny an entertainment license, and appears to shift some of the responsibility from the council to the zoning official.

Before the amendment, the council had the responsibility to determine whether the application conformed with a zoning certificate. After the amendment, it will be the zoning official’s job to make the determination "that the proposed activity is compliant" with zoning.

• Another amendment imposes a higher hurdle for an applicant seeking to intensify a non-conforming use. Instead of merely obtaining a zoning certificate from the zoning official, the applicant must now get a Special Use Permit from the Zoning Board.

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
MIKE REGO

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.