Downtown Royal Oak turns up the volume

Royal Oak's downtown area is home to multiple bars and nightclubs, some of which provide loud music for their patrons. A few of the establishments have rooftop or open-air spaces for their patrons to gather. Earlier this month, the Planning Commission passed a resolution which would make the limits on noise and vibration higher in the downtown area.

The commission looked to other similarly-situated downtowns to determine appropriate noise levels. Ann Arbor, Birmingham, East Lansing and Kalamazoo were all used in the study. The new Royal Oak standards would increase the acceptable decibel level in the downtown area between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. from 75 to 90. It would also increase the level between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. from 60 to 75.

To put the 90-decibel level in perspective, it is similar to the sound of a train whistle just under two football fields in the distance. The current levels are just below those of Birmingham, East Lansing and Ann Arbor, and just above that of Kalamazoo. The new 90-decibel level would be higher than anywhere in all four municipalities, with the exception of Birmingham, in all commercial districts, on weekends from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

A public hearing on the issue is expected to be held July 14.

Sources:

http://www.ci.royal-oak.mi.us/portal/sites/default/files/meetings/City%20Commission/2010/0621-18a.pdf
http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html
http://www.freep.com/article/20100627/NEWS03/6270449/Downtown-Royal-Oak-may-turn-the-volume-up-a-notch