Noise Ordinance's Effectiveness Discussed By Morristown Council

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Both residents and government officials believe that the town's noise control regulations are thorough — they just need better enforcement.

A recent council decision to allow for the installation of a pop-up tiki bar at Tashmoo Restaurant and Bar and Homestead Bar and Kitchen opened up a larger conversation about the current enforcement of the town's noise ordinance.

• Read More: Installation Of Tiki Bar Approved By Morristown Council

During the July special ABC meeting, Councilman Robert Iannaccone was one of the only council members to vote against the proposal, citing increased noise as a major concern.

Iannaccone, the former representative for that ward, stated that there was a lot of concern about noise and previous complaints from residents in the surrounding area.

"You've got a lot of people concerned. We have consistently reinforced those rules, and probably the reason there are no longer any complaints is because we did protect the public when we passed that resolution in 2016," Iannaccone stated.

Councilman Stefan Armington argued against that point, stating that no violations of the noise ordinance had been issued against the establishments in the last ten years.

Armington, who recently launched a petition urging Morristown to take action on a source of local pollutants and resident headaches: gas-powered leaf blowers, has been critical of the town's inaction on noise.

Morristown adopted the NJDEP's model noise ordinance in 2021, which establishes maximum allowable decibel levels during the day and night, ensuring residents' right to live in peace. Although the ordinance was passed unanimously, the town has been unable or unwilling to educate the public about the noise ordinance or enforce the laws, Armington states.

"You all know that I've been pushing for noise restrictions on leaf blowers and landscaping equipment. The council has consistently voted against that, so we don't seem to care about noise during the day. Hypothetically, they would be allowed to have three leaf blowers blowing all day long, and that would be okay, but they wouldn't be able to have this outdoor patio," Armington said.

Armington claims that in order to impose noise regulations on local restaurants and bars, other forms of noise, such as landscaping equipment, should be given the same consideration. noise

"We should not be restricting a business for fear that there will be a noise ordinance and for fear that the town will enforce the noise ordinance," Armington said.

Iannaccone argued against that statement, saying that the fact that there have been noise complaints from the public should be a cause for concern on its own.

"We know that you're indirectly criticizing the town for lack of enforcement," Iannaccone said.

"I'm saying that the town, as a council, the administration, and the police department prefer business as usual, landscaping and bars over maintaining the strict level of noise that our ordinance applies, and so how do you justify superseding all those decisions?" Armington said.

Iannaccone ultimately agreed that the town needs to put more emphasis on enforcing the noise ordinance, a topic that the council has repeatedly raised.

Armington's ordinance calling for a seasonal ban on the use of gas-powered leaf blowers between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30 will be on the agenda for the Aug. 8 Council meeting. If the council does not approve the ordinance during the Aug. 8 council meeting, the same public question will be put to a vote during the November election.