No Noise Notice Needed

Last September, the same Friday afternoon that sound stages were being erected in Fremont for the weekend-long celebration of Oktoberfest, someone erected a sound stage on Wallingford Ave & put up “road closed” signs in the cul de sac below 34th.

At 2pm, there was an incredibly loud sound check.  I wondered how many hours and how many days the noise would continue. I wrote this post letting neighbors know that something very very loud was happening, and asking Wallyhoodies what was going on… did anybody know?

Well, some of you did.  Through the comments section of Wallyhood I learned:

• the event was a private anniversary party;
• they got a permit; and
• I am a crybaby.

To my relief, The Presidents of the United States of America and Hey Marseilles ended their sets promptly at 10pm & they did not return to play again over the weekend.  But it sure would’ve been nice to know that ahead of time.

Jordan suggested I call the city to ask whether neighbors should be notified of an event that impacts their living space.  Which I did, but due to unreturned phone calls and some serious ass procrastination on my part, I never got through.   I did, however, find the Seattle Department of Transportation’s Street Use Permits for Special Events page.

Here’s what I learned:

• SDOT issues Special Event permits for events that temporarily close streets or sidewalks (and according to the website, are open to the public)
• “Street Closed” barricades and signs are required
• Applicants must prove that property owners have been notified of the activity.
• The Special Events permit web page does not mention noise.

I then perused the City of Seattle’s Municipal Code, Chapter 25.08, Noise Control.  Here’s what I learned there, paraphrased for length:

It is the policy of the City to minimize the effects of  excessive noise and to protect, promote, and preserve the public health, safety and welfare.  It is the  express intent of the City Council to control noise in a manner that promotes commerce (yeah, commerce is listed first), the use & value & enjoyment of property, sleep & repose, and the quality of the environment.

Beyond that, I wasn’t able to make heads or tails of the policy without decibel information and a good legalese translator. Section 25.08.590 seems to indicate that when a “variance” is issued, property owners shall be notified.  But variances seem to apply to construction, not private parties.

So I’m going to let it go.   I was just curious anyway.  But if anybody is going to put up a sound stage in a residential area any time soon, it might be nice of you to put some flyers on telephone poles & let people know.  You could also email us here at Wallyhood ([email protected]) & we’ll write it up for ya!