Virginia Beach, VA Noise Ordinances: Industrial Noise (2026)

Industrial noise sources in Virginia Beach include manufacturing and warehousing in the Oceana West Industrial Park, operations around the Lynnhaven Industrial Area, the port-related activity near Lynnhaven Inlet, and commercial HVAC or refrigeration equipment at big-box retail along Virginia Beach Boulevard. The City Code addresses these through two layers. First, Chapter 23, Article II prohibits unreasonably loud, disturbing, or unnecessary noise regardless of zoning district. Second, the zoning ordinance establishes performance standards for the I-1 Light Industrial and I-2 Heavy Industrial districts requiring that noise, vibration, odors, and glare not be objectionable beyond the lot line. When an industrial use abuts a residentially zoned parcel, the ordinance holds the operator to the ambient standard of the residential zone at the shared boundary, which in practice means quieter operation near the property line and often a requirement for sound-attenuating buffers, fencing, or landscaped berms during site plan review. New industrial developments must address noise mitigation in their site plans, and repeated complaints can trigger a zoning compliance review. Enforcement is split between Planning/Zoning for permitted-use issues and police for acute disturbances.