Caldwell, ID Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)

Caldwell City Code § 10-02-09-9 (SCREENING) applies to new service equipment, waste storage, utility vaults, ancillary outdoor storage and similar installations visible from a residential use, public street, pathway, parking area or other public space. Subsection (3)(C) singles out large auxiliary equipment, expressly including generators, and requires that it be placed away from any adjacent property lines to mitigate noise, appearance and odors affecting neighboring properties. The ordinance does not fix a numeric setback distance for this equipment; instead, the required distance is approved by the Community Development Director at his or her discretion, based on what is needed to mitigate the noise, appearance and odor impacts on that specific site.

If the Director requires it, the generator or other equipment must also be screened with solid fencing, landscaping, or a combination of both. This screening authority sits alongside the broader screening standards in the same section: on-site service areas and utility vaults must generally be hidden from public roadways and spaces or fully screened to the height of the equipment, roof-mounted mechanical equipment must be screened from view from the far side of any adjacent right-of-way, and any sight-obscuring fencing used for this purpose must match the style, material and color of the principal building on the parcel, as the Director determines. Chainlink fencing with slats cannot be used as screening material except in industrial zoning districts or between industrial uses, with the Director's approval.