Leander's 2024 noise ordinance sets objective dBA caps at the property line: residential 65 dBA day / 55 dBA night, commercial/mixed-use 70 / 60 dBA, and industrial 75 / 65 dBA, or 10 dBA above background by day and 5 dBA above by night, whichever is lower. School events, entertainment zones, and special-event permits allow up to 85 dBA.
A central feature of Ordinance No. 24-017-00 is the Maximum Sound Levels chart in Section 8.04.002, which replaced Leander's old subjective standard with measurable dBA limits. Noise is measured as the A-weighted sound pressure level (dBA) using a sound level meter meeting American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Type 1 or Type 2 standards, taken where the noise is audible on the complainant's property or on the right-of-way outside it. The caps are: Residential 65 dBA day and 55 dBA night; Commercial/mixed-use 70 dBA day and 60 dBA night; Industrial 75 dBA day and 65 dBA night. For each, the limit is the listed figure 'or 10 dBA above background noise' during the day and '5 dBA above background noise' at night, whichever is lower, so a quiet area gets stronger protection. 'Day' is 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and 'Night' is 10:01 p.m. to 6:59 a.m. Three higher allowances exist: school district events may reach 85 dBA from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.; council-adopted entertainment zones may reach 85 dBA from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.; and approved special-event permits allow 85 dBA from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. The ordinance also treats vibration above an individual's perception threshold at the property line (or 50 feet in a right-of-way) as prima facie evidence of an unlawful disturbance.
Sound measured at the property line that exceeds the applicable zone cap (or the background-plus-margin figure, whichever is lower) is a violation. Citations are issued to the responsible party and penalized under the general penalty (Section 1.01.009).
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