HOUSTON’S MORNING BUZZ WILL START AN HOUR LATER Among the changes included in the revised noise ordinance that city council approved today with only a single “no” vote: An extra leaf-blower-free hour in the morning. The go-ahead time for yard work using lawn mowers, weedwhackers, and other powered equipment in residential areas has been moved from 7 am to 8 am. The penalty for all noise violations has been doubled, from $500 to $1,000. [Rocks Off]
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Great! But I’m guessing this ordinance doesn’t apply to the helicopters that daily shake my house starting at 6am sometimes. Oh yeah, thanks for grants from Homeland Security they’re keeping me safe. We can sleep better knowing that, just not past 6am…
apparently city council is trying to prove to us just how retarded they are, we don’t need anymore convincing guys.
i thought the fact that cops are no longer required to check the decibel level thus turning the noise ordinance into a simple disturbance ordinance was the most important addition.
can’t wait to start wasting my fellow taxpayers money by calling in noise complaints for any big truck/van/valet/dog/or just generally anything i don’t like within the vicinity of my place.
this is going to be lots of fun.
The go-ahead time for yard work using lawn mowers, weedwhackers, and other powered equipment in residential areas has been moved from 7 am to 8 am.
Really? REALLY?! Our city is out of money and and this is what thye have to focus on…….Ohhhhhhhh…..right…..citations…..got it…..*wink*
Just more BS brought to us by the Houston City Council.
If we actually had polite neighbors now-a-days this would not be needed… If you bothered them by mowing too early, they would just knock on your door and ask you to wait till later next time…instead we have a bunch of sissys who would rather call the cops than talk to a neighbor.
This is going to be a serious problem. How in the world is there going to be any oversight on this. So, if I own a bar and the same neighbor that has been complaining since he moved in 100 yards away complains, do the cops have the disgression to shut me down for the night and fine me $1000.00. From my experience, most cops are liars and they will abuse this. This is a pointed attack on bar and music venue owners, most of which have been in business far longer than the residents that complain about these things have resided in earshot. If you don’t want to hear loud noises, don’t move in next to an established bar. Stay out in the Woodlands, Katy, or some other soul crushing suburb and leave the filth you hate so much to people that will actually appreciate it. I can’t wait until the city gets hammered with a nasty lawsuit. Common sense is not so common.
What is so bad about mowing the yard after 7:00 am? I don’t see why the early bird should get punished, especially on 100+ degree days in the summer, when the early morning is the coolest time of the day.
Rush hour traffic on 288 picks up heavily after 6:30 am, along with its steady hum (I hear it every day through my window). School kids are on the noisy bus by 7:00 am, and 90% of the world is up getting ready for work by that time. If you are one of the priveleged few who get to sleep in while I’m trudging to the office to deal with idiots all day, and while your local hard working landscape crew is earning cash to feed their families, then pop an Ambien and quit yer bitchin.
Actually I think this was more to help out the people who already lived here, and a noisy bar or club opened up next to them afterward, or the fomerly quaint and quiet neighborhood place that changed ownership and got turned into a loud live music juke joint. Plenty of people near Washington Ave. fit this category.
Used to be government seemed like a necessary evil. Not so sure about the “necessary” part any more. More and more, government seems like just another racket.
One of our neighbors was upset when my son was doing the yard late in the evening, just before dark, around 7:30 – 8 o’clock.
Said his wife was trying to put their child
to bed.
Can’t please everybody.
I’d like to see leaf blowers banned entirely. They create enormous noise and air pollution. They’re worse than cars, in terms of emissions. BTW, go ahead and mow your lawn in the middle of the night if you want. Just use a reel mower like I do… virtually silent. Zero emissions. Little bit of exercise, too. I have a small electric leaf blower for the worse of leaf season. Not too noisy.
Then there are those who kick their dogs outside to bark from 5:00 am right through the time their kids catch the bus. When you knock on the door and ask them nicely (at a reasonable hour) to stop costing you an hour of sleep each night, they tell you that they consider it your problem, not theirs. We work everyday, but not all folks have to rise before the sun. I bet they would not like my dogs to wake them up at midnight. Lucky for them, I like the rest of our neighbors. I tried to get the cops to enforce the law on three separate occasions over a two week period, but that did not seem to convince them that they should change at all. Maybe a stiff fine would be helpful. It would be valuable for my family if we could have our peace.
What is the city’s definition of residential neighborhood? In Houston there are many houses that are directly across the street from schools, churches, and shopping centers. Many others are adjacent to office buildings, warehouses, restaurants, motels and hotels. Will the city prohibit the use of such equipment during the stated hours, at these commercial properties when located near residential dwellings?
Then there are those who kick their dogs outside to bark from 5:00 am right through the time their kids catch the bus.
Double paned windows go far in reducing outside noise.
I think we should all have to cut our yards using scissors on our hands and knees only after we receive permission from our neighbors and the city. Our neighbors should get to tell us when we are allowed to mow our yard so that it does not bother them. Any any yard cutting, fertilizing, weeding, or landscaping should be allowed only after receiving written approval from the Core of Engineers, and the EPA verifying that the height of the grass once cut will not increase global warming, or contribute to sediment build-up, or noxious run-off in our bayous, storm drains, and other waterways.
We have really become so insensitive to our neighbors and the environment!
“Double paned windows go far in reducing outside noise”
So does a cyanide-laced milkbone..
MUA HA HA HAAAA
Several years ago, neighbors let their dogs out all night, leading to 2am wake-up barks. They finally got the message after multiple complaints. BTW, I shouldn’t have to spend $$$ installing double-paned windows (though I’d like to for energy-related reasons). And, agree re Washington Ave–good friend 2 blocks north has constant trouble w/late night drunks, trash, property destruction, and she did install double-paned windows.
Lawn work–we wait until 9a on week-ends to start, and have already checked w/neighbors about when they are awake.
So does a cyanide-laced milkbone..
MUA HA HA HAAAA
Live in Aldine do we?
Several years ago, neighbors let their dogs out all night, leading to 2am wake-up barks. They finally got the message after multiple complaints.
It sucks to live next to inconsiderate neighbors yes, but living in a city means compromises. New city ordinances always have a wonderful effect of unintended consequences. Just ask those who live in historic districts.
@Lost – I am pretty sure most of the negatives in the historic districts were by design….I participated in the debate and those in charge of the HD debacle, knew exactly what they were doing – even if they had to lie to everyone who supported them to pass it!