After a public outcry over a noise ordinance, the La Conner City Council is considering revamping its sound system and hiring a sound engineer for music performances.
LA CONNER, Wash. — The La Conner City Council is reconsidering an ordinance that created 55 decibel noise limit In town.
The decision was reconsidered following a public outcry over the restrictions.
Complaints from some local businesses prompted the council to pass the measure, but all public comments at Tuesday night’s council meeting were against the noise ordinance.
During the public comment period, one resident called 55 decibels “a ridiculous number for outdoor music.”
For more than a decade, local businesses have invited musicians to Gilkey Plaza in La Conner on summer Sundays to encourage tourists and locals to visit the town and patronize local shops.
When KING 5 visited after exceeding the limit in May, guitarists playing in the square were playing louder than 70 decibels, well above the new legal threshold.
Before Tuesday’s meeting, La Conner Mayor Marna Hanneman said the restriction complied with state law for residential zones but that the city had a history of working together to come up with solutions.
“The council will discuss and deliberate what is best for the community as a whole,” Hanneman said. “That’s who we are and that’s what I support. That’s what makes La Conner so special.”
Now, the council is proposing to retrofit sound systems used for musical performances and hire sound engineers, rather than setting decibel limits.
They plan to vote on the new resolution at their next meeting on Tuesday, May 26.
KING 5’s Eric Wilkinson contributed to this report.
