Corrales residents concerned about increasing noise from local businesses have a chance to influence new village regulations at a July 29 work study meeting, as officials work to replace a noise ordinance that may be legally unenforceable.
The Village of Corrales will hold a work study session on July 29 from 3-4 p.m. to discuss options for revising its noise ordinance, according to a public notice from a resident advocacy group. The meeting comes after Village Attorney Randy Autio told councilors the current ordinance “may not be enforceable because of that vagueness” in defining what constitutes excessive noise levels.
Four existing businesses are currently playing amplified music outdoors without volume restrictions or enforcement, according to the resident notice. Two additional businesses are planning to start outdoor entertainment venues soon.
The issue affects Corrales’ approximately 8,600 residents, many of whom moved to the rural village for its quiet character. At 55.8 years, Corrales has a median age well above the national average, suggesting many residents may be particularly sensitive to noise disruptions.
Among the businesses with outdoor entertainment, Casa Vieja brewery “hosts local musicians most evenings” on its “spacious patio,” according to New Mexico Magazine. The historic brewery, housed in an 18th-century adobe building at 4541 Corrales Road, has become a community gathering place since opening.
The current ordinance prohibits excessive or unusually loud noise that “annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others” within the village. But Autio explained in a June 24 presentation to councilors that the law lacks specific intensity measurements or clear definitions of what constitutes a disturbance.
A resident committee calling itself the “Resident Noise Committee” has been working with village officials on the issue and will have a representative participating in the work study. The group is collecting public comments at quietcorrales@gmail.com before the July 29 meeting.
The work study will not include public comment, but residents can also send concerns directly to village officials, including Mayor Jim Fahey at corralesmayor@corrales-nm.org and council members representing the village’s six districts.
Autio noted that neighboring communities including Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Rio Rancho and the town of Bernalillo already regulate noise through ordinances.
The Village Council chambers are located at 4324 Corrales Road. Village officials encourage residents concerned about the noise increase to attend the July 29 meeting.