By Madeline Baker, Times Chronicle
The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) continued to make progress on their proposed new noise bylaw format, one which would require measurement of decibels to determine the validity of noise complaints, at their August 18 planning and development meeting.
The new, more precise format was first considered on July 21 but deferred to a future meeting for several reasons, chief among them being that the RDOS has never used a decibel-specific noise bylaw format and the board did not want to assign arbitrary levels that would bring about more problems than solutions.
Christopher Garrish, planning manager at the RDOS, was charged with gathering more information and presenting a clear guide to assigning acceptable decibel levels for a variety of zoning types, a task for which the planning services office even purchased a decibel measuring device to better understand what they were regulating.
Once they had confirmed the average decibel levels in various workplace types set out by WorkSafe BC, from 44.1 decibels in their own office to 85.1 decibels near an active blacktop paver, they were better able to consider existing bylaws from Abbotsford and use them as a template to draft a detailed bylaw for the region.
They did identify some businesses that would definitely break the new decibel limits in their zoning type if the bylaw was implemented, such as aggregate gravel pits and motorsport venues like the Penticton Speedway. Businesses in that situation would not be grandfathered in and allowed to remain non-compliant, Garrish said, but exceptions could be written for them.
Despite his reassurance that the bylaw could be shaped around pre-existing businesses in that situation, Electoral Area F Director Riley Gettins remained concerned about the fate of an aggregate pit in her area and its ongoing relationship with nearby residents under decibel-specific noise bylaws.
Director Martin Johansen from Oliver was also unconvinced that the change would be a positive one, as he questioned the ease and practicality of sending bylaw officers out with decibel readers to respond to every complaint, and Garrish admitted that it wouldn’t be possible to get that feedback without first trying the new system.
Even with some of their concerns and questions still unanswered, the board eventually voted in favour of rewrites to the existing definitions of “motorsport facility” and “natural resource extraction,” as well as exceptions to the current draft bylaw that would accommodate the needs of those businesses with higher maximum noise levels.
This new draft of the bylaw, should no more rewrites be requested, will need to pass three readings by the board of directors before they can vote on its implementation.
