Noise Hearing Goes Off Quietly

While Port Jefferson village leaders have grappled with re-writing its noise code – a public hearing was held last July on a previous draft – a public hearing Monday night drew little attention after one amendment was made.

That amendment – the 19th item in a list of exceptions to the decibel standards – excludes "the emission of sound from industrial and commercial equipment provided the operation of such equipment is an integral part of providing product critical to the Village and surrounding region."

Concerns were raised at the hearing about commercial enterprises – including hospitals within the village – seeking the exclusion of providing "integral" services to the village.

Barbara Sabatino expressed concern noise coming from Mather Hospital, while Molly Mason stated that the code is "impossible to enforce on a nonpartisan basis."

However Village Attorney Barry Warren was confident the language was written to curb certain kinds of disruptions.

"This was written with a specific eye toward the HVAC problem at Mather Hospital," Warren said, emphasizing that "product" would not be applicable to the noise exception.

The code change calls for a revision from a 75dB limit during off-hours (11 p.m. to 9 a.m.) to a 50 dB limit (11 p.m. to 7 a.m. on Friday and Saturday; 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. all other days).

Mayor Margot Garant said that the latest amendment was added with the intent of continuing crude oil deliveries into the village harbor – "critical to the Long Island region beyond Port Jefferson Village," she said – though Warren said that village officials are in talks about reducing future noise pollution, hopefully making the exception moot anyways.

As far as other enterprises interpreting the language to consider themselves "integral" or "critical to the Village and surrounding region," Warren said the new regulations should clamp down on just the kind of noises they are hoping to.

"Sure, they can" interpret the code to their benefit, he said. "But I don't think they will be permitted to."

Monday night's hearing was closed after comment from the public.