Commercial properties must keep noise below 65 dBA at residential property lines during day and 55 dBA at night under most Rockland town codes. HVAC, loading docks, and refrigeration units at strip malls are common complaint sources.
Rockland towns set commercial noise standards at residential property lines. Clarkstown Town Code §167 (Noise) limits commercial noise to 65 dBA daytime (7 AM-10 PM) and 55 dBA nighttime (10 PM-7 AM) at adjacent residential property lines. Ramapo Town Code §188 sets comparable standards. Orangetown Town Code §27 includes a 65/55 dBA split. Common complaint sources: rooftop HVAC units at strip malls along Route 59 (Nanuet Mall, Palisades Center area), refrigerated trailer/reefer idling at supermarkets, loading dock operations outside permitted hours, and outdoor amplified music at restaurants in Nyack along Main Street and Broadway. Delivery restrictions (typically 7 AM-10 PM) apply to commercial properties adjacent to residential zones. Construction sites have separate allowable hours (see construction noise). NY State General Business Law regulates idling of commercial vehicles over 5 minutes per 6 NYCRR Part 217. Village of Nyack has its own stricter noise code covering its dense mixed-use downtown. Enforcement is complaint-driven with sound-level meter readings by code officers.
Clarkstown §167 violations: $250 first offense, $500 subsequent, continuing daily fines. Ramapo §188 fines up to $1,000 and/or 15 days jail for criminal violation. NY DEC idling violation: $250 per occurrence.
Rockland County, NY
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See how Rockland County's industrial noise rules stack up against other locations.
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