Albany, OR Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)

The generator rule in the Albany Municipal Code sits in the mobile food unit chapter, not in a general noise chapter, and it applies to mobile food units operating in the City of Albany, Oregon. Section 5.06.120 starts from a self-containment rule: an MFU shall be fully contained, meaning it provides its own water, power, and waste disposal. Power can come from a permitted electrical connection approved by the Albany building official, made within 50 feet of the MFU, or from a generator.

A generator is allowed only when every standard in § 5.06.120(2) is met. The connection must be made at a distance no more than 15 feet from the MFU while continuing to comply with all manufacturer guidelines, and the connection cables or cording must be maintained in good condition that allows safe operation. The generator must be placed at least 10 feet from other buildings, structures, and combustibles, and its exhaust must be directed away from the MFU, buildings, structures, and combustibles. It must also be protected from contact by the public. Electrical connections must be covered by a cable protection ramp rated for light vehicle traffic or greater with an antislip surface.

The noise-related distance is in paragraph (f): the generator shall not be operated within 300 feet of residential zoning. Subparagraph (i) gives quieter equipment a shorter buffer: inverter generators may be placed at 100 feet or greater from residential zoning, provided they are rated by the manufacturer to operate at 70 decibels or less. The decibel figure is the manufacturer's rating, so the nameplate or spec sheet is the proof an operator would produce. Paragraph (g) adds that generators that are nonintegral to the MFU shall not be stored outside during nonoperating hours.

These standards sit alongside the rest of Chapter 5.06. The Albany Fire Department deems each MFU in compliance with the Oregon Fire Code under § 5.06.110(8), and the unit must keep a 10-foot minimum clearance from any structure or combustible item not integral to it under § 5.06.110(3).