By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

NAPLES— Is 70 decibels a comfortable sound level?

The Town of Naples is looking into hiring a company to do a noise study to get a possible answer.

The town recently adopted the revised Entertainment Ordinance. Within that ordinance is the rule that establishments must keep music at the level of 70 decibels as measured about 200 feet from the building.

The idea behind having a decibel threshold — as presented by the Naples Ordinance Review Committee — is that noise involved in noise complaints would become objective because a number is attached to it.

Last month, the Naples Board of Selectmen decided through a majority vote that the town would hire someone to conduct a noise study “but we have not found a contractor that can do that for us,” according to Naples Town Manager John Hawley.

“Our planner was looking for a certified contractor with the availability to do this,” Hawley said, adding that as of Monday the town had not hired anyone for this job.

The noise study would entail “taking random readings around the community to give measurements of typical noise levels,” Hawley said.

In August, a resident questioned whether 70 decibels were quiet enough for people living near establishments that have “live” bands and music on most summer nights.

This happened during the Naples selectmen meeting on Aug. 10.

On Aug. 10, a public hearing was held for the liquor license renewal and also the entertainment permit for Gary’s Olde Towne Tavern. The board voted to have a noise study done within the next 30 days. Additionally, the selectmen tabled the approval of the entertainment permit for Gary’s until the noise study was done.

Owner Gary Skellett and the employee in charge of hiring the entertainment have done decibel readings. Those readings show that the sound levels are at 70 decibles.

They had copies of the decibel readings, all of which were 70 decibels or less, on various nights. They presented those copies to the town manager.

Skellett said he was trying to adhere to the ordinance by keeping the noise at 70 decibels.

Neighbor Sam Merriam said he agreed that the sound range was 70 decibels. His concern was that perhaps 70 was still too loud.

“My request to the board is the town pay for a study to find out if 70 decibels at the property line would be okay,” Merriam said.

Chairman Jim Grattelo asked what he meant by a noise study.

Merriam answered, “An independent sound company come out and measure decibels at the property line.”

“If I understand correctly the 70 came from the planner we hired. Based on other towns, between 65 and 70 was the common decibel reading,” Grattelo said.

Merriam said that no one on the committee really discussed what those levels were and how they could impact humans. 

“We used a phone app decibel reader. It is our opinion. It’s no different from it was before the ordinance,” Merriam said. “One of the elements of this ordinance is the decibel level. Spend the money and find out what the decibel reading is. Maybe, 70 is fine. Maybe, it is going to work.” Skellett spoke to the board, “We have complied with everything you guys have asked. It is the same people time after time. No one else has an issue. We took that reading from the fence line. The noise of the traffic in the front of the building is louder that.”

According to a graph of noise sources and their effects, compiled by Temple University Department of Civil/Environmental Engineering, “70 decibels is an arbitrary base of comparison.”

Noises in the “upper 70s are considered annoyingly loud to some people,” the graph said.  

Seventy (70) decibels is the sound levels of a passenger car going 65 mph at 25 feet away, a freeway at 50 feet from pavement’s edge around 10 a.m. and a vacuum cleaner.

Sixty (60) decibels is half as loud as 70 and includes sounds like an air conditioning unit from 100 feet away, a conversation in a restaurant or an office, and background music.

Eighty (80) decibels is twice as loud as 70. Some of the things that produce this level of noise are: a food blender, a milling machine, a garbage disposal, a dishwasher, a car wash from 20 feet away and a diesel truck going 40 mph at 50 feet away.

Town Manager Hawley said that according to the ordinance the owners of establishment are not responsible for producing decibel readings during live entertainment.

“But it would be in their best interest so that they are aware if they are approaching levels that would be in violation,” Hawley said.

Going forward, the town will need to purchase a decibel reader, he said.

“We are going to have to purchase one as we can’t enforce the rule without the proper tools to do it,” he said.