Carmel City Code Sec. 6-158(a) caps industrial and agricultural districts (I-1, M-1, M-3, AG-1) at 70 dBA at any time of day, measured at no less than 50 feet. Normal, customary sounds of legally established non-transient businesses are exempt under Sec. 6-158(b)(9).
Industrial noise in Carmel is governed by the same Sec. 6-158 decibel chart, with the most permissive tier for industrial and agricultural land. Districts I-1, M-1, M-3, and AG-1 are allowed 70 dBA 'anytime,' with no separate daytime/nighttime step-down, in contrast to residential (55/50 dBA) and business (60/50 dBA) zones. The general prohibitions in Sec. 6-158(a) still apply: even in an industrial zone, the 70 dBA figure is also the absolute ceiling, since Sec. 6-158(a)(3) bars sound over 70 decibels at 50 feet for any period of time. Sec. 6-158(b)(9) exempts 'sounds associated with the normal conduct of legally established non-transient businesses, organizations and governmental entities, when such sounds are customary, incidental and within the normal range appropriate for such use,' which covers routine operations of an established industrial business. Indiana state law authorizes municipalities to regulate sound (Indiana Code 36-8-2-8, cited in the statutory reference to Sec. 6-158), which is the legal basis for Carmel's local industrial-noise limits. Measurement uses the ambient-noise method defined in Sec. 6-158(g).
Industrial-noise violations are infractions under Sec. 6-158(d), with fines escalating from up to $250 (first) to up to $2,500 (fourth and subsequent). Sworn Carmel Metropolitan Police officers issue citations (Sec. 6-158(f)); the Carmel City Court is the venue (Sec. 6-158(e)). Report persistent industrial noise to Carmel non-emergency police dispatch at 317-571-2580.
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