The ongoing conversation about noise in Corrales has paused, but it’s far from over.
The issue touches upon a popular subject in the village — the rural character of Corrales and changes that could harm it.
The Village Council is set to next debate the matter at a July 29 work study, at which councilors will discuss options and hear a presentation from a local concerned citizens group that has been invited to share information.
No public comment is taken at work study meetings, but they are open to the public to attend and listen. Councilors take no votes and make no decisions during work study sessions.
Last week, Village Attorney Randy Autio gave councilors an initial look at the issue, which has been the subject of intermittent intense debate for decades, with the goal of designing an update to the village’s noise ordinance.
The latest round of debate stems from resident concerns about music from bars along Corrales Road, the village’s main drag.
“We’ve heard a lot over the last six months or so about noise,” Autio said in introducing his presentation. “What I wanted to do is give a baseline to the council of the current state of the law — what we do now, and what other folks nationally, internationally and in New Mexico are doing — and give you the options of what is legal on how to regulate excess noise versus normal noise.”
Autio noted that neighboring local governments, including Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Rio Rancho and the town of Bernalillo, regulate noise.
Autio said excessive noise has the potential to cause serious health problems. He said it’s been linked to cardiovascular issues, poor work performance and hearing impairment, as defined by the World Health Organization.
Autio said the village needs to determine a number of different aspects of the issue, noting differences of opinion among Corrales residents.
“So how do we identify and regulate harmful noise? How do we measure noise?” he said.
He said the current ordinance prohibits excessive or unusually loud noise, or any noise that either annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others within the village.
“Problem with that has been, there’s no definition of either the intensity of the noise that we’re talking about to violate the law, or what a disturbance or injury is that could be caused by that noise,” Autio said.
He said the current law may not be enforceable because of that vagueness. In addition, Autio said, Corrales’ zoning rules allow for commercial and residential land uses to be in close proximity.
“That makes your village a hard place to regulate, and it causes friction between neighbors,” he said.
Autio said councilors could choose to amend zoning rules to separate the residential uses from the commercial: “Well, you can all imagine what that would look like — someone would have to leave. And that’s what happens with zoning.”
That change, he said, could take a generation to fully implement and would mean finding, for example, somewhere to put displaced commercial uses.
Autio said the council could also choose to specifically disallow high-noise uses in the Corrales Road Commercial Area, though it’s a historic use; bars with entertainment have been there since before the formation of the village.
Another option, he said, is to add a noise control element to the review process for approving new projects.
“So if you’re looking to separate noises or have noise on one property controlled so that it doesn’t disturb its neighbors, you could do it there,” Autio said, noting that such a rule would apply for future uses. He said existing establishments would have a right to continue operations for some time.
Besides land-use controls, Autio said, the issue could also be handled by establishing maximum acceptable decibel levels.
“Decibels are hard to regulate,” he said. “It’s complicated. You have to have scientifically sound measurements being completed. All that’s true, but it is what all the other communities I listed in New Mexico do. There’s not another good, objective way to separate tolerable versus intolerable noise.”
In response to a question from Councilor Stuart Murray, Autio said the village would need to arrange for code enforcement staff to be available around the clock because the violations have to be apparent and measured at the time when the enforcement officer is there.
Councilor Zachary Burkett said one challenge will be addressing necessary activities that occur in residential areas, such as lawn mowing and running of swamp coolers.
“I don’t know how we manage things like that, that are just parts of our daily lives that are going to be above what we say the rules are,” Burkett said.
Autio said that the village’s comprehensive plan excludes farm animal noise and said the duration and intensity of noise would be factors to consider.
“Everybody has to mow their lawn,” he said. “If you had your mower running all day, it might be a problem. If it’s going on for hours, it may interfere with the enjoyment of your home.”
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
WHEN: 3 p.m. July 29
WHERE: Village of Corrales Council Chambers, 4324 Corrales Road
VIRTUAL: via Zoom; Meeting ID: 849 2894 5219 Passcode: 864862.
A debate on decibels
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The ongoing conversation about noise in Corrales has paused, but it’s far from over.
The issue touches upon a popular subject in the village — the rural character of Corrales and changes that could harm it.
The Village Council is set to next debate the matter at a July 29 work study, at which councilors will discuss options and hear a presentation from a local concerned citizens group that has been invited to share information.
No public comment is taken at work study meetings, but they are open to the public to attend and listen. Councilors take no votes and make no decisions during work study sessions.
Last week, Village Attorney Randy Autio gave councilors an initial look at the issue, which has been the subject of intermittent intense debate for decades, with the goal of designing an update to the village’s noise ordinance.
The latest round of debate stems from resident concerns about music from bars along Corrales Road, the village’s main drag.
“We’ve heard a lot over the last six months or so about noise,” Autio said in introducing his presentation. “What I wanted to do is give a baseline to the council of the current state of the law — what we do now, and what other folks nationally, internationally and in New Mexico are doing — and give you the options of what is legal on how to regulate excess noise versus normal noise.”
Autio noted that neighboring local governments, including Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Rio Rancho and the town of Bernalillo, regulate noise.
Autio said excessive noise has the potential to cause serious health problems. He said it’s been linked to cardiovascular issues, poor work performance and hearing impairment, as defined by the World Health Organization.
Autio said the village needs to determine a number of different aspects of the issue, noting differences of opinion among Corrales residents.
“So how do we identify and regulate harmful noise? How do we measure noise?” he said.
He said the current ordinance prohibits excessive or unusually loud noise, or any noise that either annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others within the village.
“Problem with that has been, there’s no definition of either the intensity of the noise that we’re talking about to violate the law, or what a disturbance or injury is that could be caused by that noise,” Autio said.
He said the current law may not be enforceable because of that vagueness. In addition, Autio said, Corrales’ zoning rules allow for commercial and residential land uses to be in close proximity.
“That makes your village a hard place to regulate, and it causes friction between neighbors,” he said.
Autio said councilors could choose to amend zoning rules to separate the residential uses from the commercial: “Well, you can all imagine what that would look like — someone would have to leave. And that’s what happens with zoning.”
That change, he said, could take a generation to fully implement and would mean finding, for example, somewhere to put displaced commercial uses.
Autio said the council could also choose to specifically disallow high-noise uses in the Corrales Road Commercial Area, though it’s a historic use; bars with entertainment have been there since before the formation of the village.
Another option, he said, is to add a noise control element to the review process for approving new projects.
“So if you’re looking to separate noises or have noise on one property controlled so that it doesn’t disturb its neighbors, you could do it there,” Autio said, noting that such a rule would apply for future uses. He said existing establishments would have a right to continue operations for some time.
Besides land-use controls, Autio said, the issue could also be handled by establishing maximum acceptable decibel levels.
“Decibels are hard to regulate,” he said. “It’s complicated. You have to have scientifically sound measurements being completed. All that’s true, but it is what all the other communities I listed in New Mexico do. There’s not another good, objective way to separate tolerable versus intolerable noise.”
In response to a question from Councilor Stuart Murray, Autio said the village would need to arrange for code enforcement staff to be available around the clock because the violations have to be apparent and measured at the time when the enforcement officer is there.
Councilor Zachary Burkett said one challenge will be addressing necessary activities that occur in residential areas, such as lawn mowing and running of swamp coolers.
“I don’t know how we manage things like that, that are just parts of our daily lives that are going to be above what we say the rules are,” Burkett said.
Autio said that the village’s comprehensive plan excludes farm animal noise and said the duration and intensity of noise would be factors to consider.
“Everybody has to mow their lawn,” he said. “If you had your mower running all day, it might be a problem. If it’s going on for hours, it may interfere with the enjoyment of your home.”
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
WHEN: 3 p.m. July 29
WHERE: Village of Corrales Council Chambers, 4324 Corrales Road
VIRTUAL: via Zoom; Meeting ID: 849 2894 5219 Passcode: 864862.
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