Washington DC Headlines
Noise Control Bill Finally Passes-- Once
As members with properties in the CBD and elsewhere downtown know, there have been no limits on 'noncommercial free speech' since a court ruling several years ago, and it's been a field day for union demonstrators to saxophone players ever since. The Council has finally faced the issue again, hotly debating, then passing a bill that sets a 70-decibel limit for residential-zoned areas, but a higher threshold of 80 decibels for non-residential areas. Stay tuned, however-- this was only the first reading on the bill, and there will undoubtedly be forces at work, between now and the June second reading, attempting to reverse the vote or weaken it further.
