(A) (1) Excessive noise, when unnecessary to the carrying on of religious, political, civic, commercial, or other constitutionally protected activities, or when not generated in the course of other activity needful to the carrying on of daily life, creates a significant threat to public health, safety, and welfare in an area of population density such as the town;
(2) Those noises which are most detrimental to public health, safety, and welfare in the town and which are least necessary to the carrying on of any constitutionally protected or otherwise necessary activity are those which are loud, boisterous, raucous, unseemly, or generated solely for the purpose of the entertainment of a person or group of persons without regard to the health, safety, and welfare of others who, because of population density, are unable to avoid being subjected to the noises;
(3) There has been an alarming increase in the frequency and volume of the noise, particularly with regard to loud parties and to the plethora of portable sound-producing and sound-reproducing devices available on the market today; and
(4) The Mayor and Town Council have received an increasing number of complaints from the citizens of the town regarding the noise.
(B) It is hereby the intent of the Mayor and Town Council to enact this legislation as a vehicle for the control and regulation of excessive noise that poses a threat to the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the town without affecting or impacting upon any commercial, religious, political, civic, or other constitutionally protected activity, except where the impact is clearly indicated and where religious, civic, political, charitable, or civic organizations provide entertainment, as in the case of fund-raisers.
(C) Nothing in this chapter is intended to preempt or alter any of the provisions of Md. Code, Transportation Article, Title 22, Subtitle 4 or of Md. Code Article 27, § 121.
(Prior Code, § 117-1) (Ord. 3-83, passed 9-26-1983)