For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
AMBIENT NOISE or BACKGROUND NOISE. Noise of a measurable intensity which exists at a point as a result of a combination of many distant sources individually indistinguishable.
BOARD OF SELECTMEN. The Board of Selectmen of the Town of East Lyme or a duly authorized officer.
COMMERCIAL ZONE. As set forth in the town zoning regulations and all associated therewith either permitted as a right or as a special use.
CONSTRUCTION. Any site preparation, assembly, erection, substantial repair, alteration or similar action, for or of public or private rights-of-way, structures, utilities or similar properties, but excluding demolition.
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT. Any equipment or device operated by any fuel or electric power used in construction or demolition work.
DAYTIME HOURS. The hours between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and the hours 9:00 a.m. through 10:00 p.m. on Sundays.
DECIBEL. A logarithmic unit of measure in measuring magnitudes or sound. The symbol of dB.
DEMOLITION. Any dismantling, intentional destruction or removal of structures, utilities, public or private right-or-way surfaces or similar properties.
DOMESTIC POWER EQUIPMENT. Including, but not limited to, power saws, drills, grinders, lawn and garden tools and other domestic power equipment intended for use in residential areas by a homeowner.
EMERGENCY. Any occurrence or set of circumstances involving actual or perceived imminent physical trauma or property damage which demands immediate action.
EMERGENCY VEHICLE. Any motor vehicle authorized by the State of Connecticut to have sound warning devices, such as sirens and bell, which can lawfully be used when responding to an emergency. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-283)
EMERGENCY WORK. Work made necessary to restore property to a safe condition following an emergency or work required to protect persons or property from exposure of imminent danger.
IMPULSE NOISE. Sound of short duration, usually less than one second, with an abrupt onset and rapid decay.
INDUSTRIAL ZONE. As set forth in the town zoning regulations and all uses associated therewith, either permitted as a right or a special use.
MOTOR VEHICLE. Per Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-1.
MUFFLER. A device for abating sounds such as escaping gases.
NIGHTTIME HOURS. The hours between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., Sunday evening through Saturday morning, except that NIGHT shall mean the hours between 10:00 p.m. Saturday and 9:00 a.m. Sunday.
NOISE LEVEL. The sound pressure level as measured with a sound level meter using the A-weighting network. The level so read is designed db(A) or dBA.
PERSON. Any individual, firm, partnership, association, syndicate, company, trust, corporation, municipality, agency or political or administrative subdivision of the state or other legal entity of any kind.
PREMISES. Any building, structure, land or portion thereof, including all appurtenances, and shall include yard, lots, courts, inner yards and real properties without building or improvements owned or controlled by a person. The emitter’s PREMISES includes contiguous publicly dedicated street and highway rights-or-way, all road rights-or-way and waters of the state.
PROPERTY LINE. That real or imaginary line along the ground surface and its vertical extension which separates real property owned or controlled by any person from contiguous real property owned or controlled by another person and separates real property from the public right-of-way.
PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY. Any street, avenue, boulevard, highway, sidewalk, alley, park, waterway, railroad or similar place which is owned or controlled by a governmental entity.
RECREATIONAL MOTORIZED VEHICLE. Any motorized vehicle, whether or not duly licensed and registered, including, but not limited to, commercial or noncommercial racing vehicles, motorcycles, dirt bikes, go-carts, ATVs, snowmobiles, amphibious craft, campers and dune buggies, but not including motorboats or aircraft.
RESIDENTIAL ZONE. Those residential districts as defined and set forth in the town zoning regulations and all uses associated therewith either permitted as a right or as a special use.
SOUND. A transmission of energy through solid, liquid or gaseous media in the form of vibrations which constitute alterations in pressure or position of the particles in the medium and which, in air, evoke physiological sensations, including, but not limited to, an auditory response when impinging on the ear.
SOUND LEVEL METER. An instrument used to take sound-level measurements and which should conform, as a minimum, to the operational specifications of the American National Standards Institute for Sound Level Meters S1.4. 1971 (Type S2A).
SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL. Twenty times the logarithm to the base 10 of the ratio of the pressure of a sound to the reference pressure of 20 micronewtons per square meter and is expressed in decibels (dB).
(Ord. passed - -)