Laredo, TX Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Section 24-68 layers the Airport Noise Specific Use Zoning Overlay District on top of Laredo's regular zoning map, in addition to whatever the underlying zone already allows. The district is split into three subdistricts keyed to the FAR Part 150 Airport Noise Study contours: Subdistrict C covers the 65-70 Ldn exposure band, Subdistrict B covers 70-75 Ldn, and Subdistrict A covers everything above 75 Ldn. 4's Airport Land Use Compatibility Chart then runs every listed land use, from auto repair shops to child day cares, against those three subdistricts.

Uses marked with an 'X' are flatly prohibited in that subdistrict; uses marked '30' or '25' are allowed only if the structure meets a mandatory interior noise reduction of 30 or 25 decibels under Appendix N of the adopted Standard Building Code. 3 states plainly that any use or structure not specifically permitted in the compatibility chart is prohibited within the overlay district. Appendix N's construction standards (N101-N104) require insulating noise-sensitive interiors, such as bedrooms and hotel sleeping rooms, down to an Ldn of 45 or less from outdoor levels exceeding 65 Ldn.

75 inches thick, sealed roof and ceiling assemblies, and mechanical ventilation so no window ever needs to open to the outside. Areas above 70 Ldn carry heavier standards still, including a ban on skylights and a bump to 75-pound-per-square-foot masonry walls. These requirements apply on top of, not instead of, the building codes adopted citywide under Section 24-16, and they attach automatically to any new construction, reconstruction, remodeling, or addition valued at more than 50% of the existing structure's value within a mapped subdistrict.