BLACK LICK — A tougher noise ordinance passed Aug. 17 by Burrell Township leaders is intended less to silence township residents than to inject civility into what local residents must expect to hear daily.
The final discussion of the decree included the leaders’ explanations of its provisions in a round-table discussion with the participation of nearly a dozen residents.
The night time norms of the previous resolution have been extended to daylight hours.
“We’ve had several people call and complain about what’s going on during the day and we’ve had nothing,” Supervisor John Shields explained.
The new regulation consists of six pages, starting with two pages of definitions, then a list of what is regulated. The signatures of the leaders are on the seventh page. (The full text of the ruling is attached to the digital version of this article at The Indiana Gazette Online.)
The ordinance carries a fine of $25 to $1,000 per conviction for violating its provisions. However, there is an unwritten rule about freedom of action.
“We don’t just fine people,” Dan Shackrow assured residents. “First we go out and talk to them, then we send them a letter and if they still don’t comply the third time, they get fined.”
Some have defended the noise that inevitably occurs when tuning cars for downgrade derby competition.
“Everyone’s definition of ‘excessive’ is different,” said a board resident. “My son does derby and I live near him. And I work all day, so I know damn well I don’t do it during the day.”
“In such a case, someone is there for half an hour, an hour in a row, annoying the neighbors, repeating such crimes. If you’ve never been contacted before, you probably won’t be because you have a little respect for your neighbors.”
“There’s a difference between building a derby car and acting like a fool,” Shackrow said. “Driving a derby car down the driveway and getting burnt out is something that annoys the neighbors. That’s the difference.”
The basis of the ordinance is Section III, a 49-word passage that summarizes the noise ban:
“No person shall create, continue, or cause a noise nuisance, nor shall he suffer, allow, or allow a noise nuisance to be created or continued from any property, real or personal, subject to a right of human control.”
Supervisors said residents should contact a code enforcement officer or any of the supervisors to register complaints.
In other business at the monthly open board meeting, leaders:
• Agreed to sell a used Massey Ferguson tractor model 383 with side mower. Sealed applications will be accepted until the next board meeting on September 21.
• Learned that the Burrell City Library will be partnering with the Indiana County Community Action Program to coordinate a food distribution with a large number of children’s lunches from 5-8pm on September 14th, 21st and 28th. Library Director Jen Van Hanak also said the library will hold a used book sale from 9 a.m. to noon Friday and Saturday at the Exchange Center in the Industrial Park on the Corporate Campus.
• Notified residents that the Indiana County Office of Planning and Development will open bids on Sept. 14 for contracts to extend the High Ridge Water Authority pipeline to Falling Run and Campbells Mill roads.
• Consulting engineer James Garvin has reportedly not completed his review of a building permit application filed in July by Indiana County to build a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Route 22 from the PennDOT Corporate Campus and parking lot near the Route 119 interchange.
Supervisor Chairman Larry Henry said he was awaiting an engineer’s report at the next meeting and acknowledged the plan may finally be free of flaws.
Supervisors have opposed the project for more than seven years and have twice rejected the county’s applications.
If it meets the letter of the Zoning and Land Development Ordinance (SALDO), supervisors will have to allow construction to continue — but no more, Henry said.
“If approved, then only for the bridge. … But they have no way of getting to or from the bridge. There is no path to the bridge from here, Henry said. “So now the commissioners want to connect it to Pine Ridge Park.
“Rail-to-trails was a good idea, but now trying to connect them has become an expensive nightmare.”
County leaders have championed the bridge project for years as a way to connect the Huddlebug Trail, Ghost Town Trail, West Penn Trail and Blairsville Front Trail, but neither route reaches either approach to the planned span.
“It’s under review, and unfortunately it looks like we’re going to be close to getting it approved,” Henry told the audience at the meeting. “We have fought well so far, but our hands are tied. If our engineer says it meets our standards, we’ll give them a letter saying they can build the bridge on their property, but that’s it. We don’t give them permission to do anything on our roads or mark our roads as trails.”
https://www.indianagazette.com/news/ordinance-to-curtail-excessive-sound/article_328f2710-8bde-5ab9-9251-6f54614139e5.html
