Letter: Enforce noise ordinance for loud vehicles

Graphic by Lori Deaton

It would be wonderful if the Asheville Police Department could start enforcing the new noise ordinance by stopping loud vehicles in Asheville. I read that only one vehicle has been cited for excessive noise.

If you agree, please email the City Council, city manager, APD and the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office and get them to collaborate and end this annoying practice. The speed limit in Asheville’s business district is 20 mph, and there’s no need for excessive vehicle noise.

Let’s make Asheville a better place for all. Thanks.

— Mark Thompson
Asheville

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8 thoughts on “Letter: Enforce noise ordinance for loud vehicles

  1. kw

    Salvage Station is the other constant offender. We’re hoping for better/quieter neighbors in 2024. We who actually live and have jobs in this town need our sleep.

  2. Cit

    Loud helicopters hover, land and takeoff at Mission Hospital all day and night. I am sorry for folks with medical emergencies, but this noise has negatively affected my quality of life by loss of sleep, stress, high blood pressure, etc. I wish something could be done about this.

    • Dougal Bailey

      So your opinion is my so called mental health is more important than the people being transported to the hospital after horrific injuries. You bought that place but you wanna play the nimby card. I owned a shop in the flight path for 12 years. My thoughts were always “ I hope that person is ok “ Guess I’m just a bleeding heart.

      • Cit

        Hypertension is a physical health problem that can cause stroke, heart attack and other problems. Constant stress also leads to physical health problems. Moreover, I have lived in this house since long before Mission Hospital built that 12 story building on Biltmore Avenue near my house. The city never should have approved this building with a helipad being placed in proximity to a dense residential neighborhood. Prior to this, we were never bothered by helicopters coming into Mission. Additionally, there has been a major uptick (since 2020) of helicopter transports. I don’t know if Mission has stopped using ambulances so they can charge more for the helicopter ride or if they are flying personnel into town…

  3. SpareChange

    The new noise ordinance is an unenforceable joke, and the council knew this when they passed it. First of all, they ignored most of the work the advisory bodies did in recommending an ordinance which had some teeth. Then, what the council did pass lacked any effective enforcement mechanism, and has so many holes and exceptions for determining violations, that it might as well not even exist at all.

    Enforcement (or the lack thereof) mainly falls to the Development Services Department, which is operational during weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In other words, they are on guard during the quietest days and times of the week. But even then, it’s not like there are people on call to go out and enforce the ordinance in real time. Nights and weekends, when the vast majority of noise issues become apparent, they are not available, and APD, which has its hands full with more serious issues, is on call.

    The joy riding downtown with trucks and cars every weekend, most equipped with resonator exhaust systems which amplify engine sounds to window rattling decibel levels, is now a well established and predictable occurence. No, it is not the most pressing problem facing Asheville. But I have to think that just a couple APD officers on patrol, writing tickets, would send a message and improve things greatly. Hopefully the new chief will tune into the issue, and hopefully council will get sufficient blow back on the ineffectiveness of their ordinance that it will prompt significant changes.

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