Miami Gardens council may tune ordinance to keep out F1 noise
The Miami Gardens City Council will consider whether to amend the city’s noise ordinance through two votes, the first of which may come during a meeting at City Hall on Wednesday.
City residents have been vocal about levels of noise pollution from Hard Rock Stadium because of concerts, football games and a possible Formula One Grand Prix.
If passed, the ordinance will set the acceptable level of car noise in the city under the safe limit set by the federal government.
Councilman Erhador Ighodaro sponsored the ordinance.
“It is evident from what is going on people in Miami Gardens don’t want Formula One,” Ighodaro said. “For obvious reasons: the noise, the burden on our city in terms of traffic but most importantly the noise, the intrusion.”
An ordinance, the technical term for a regulation in city or county government, has to go through two readings, the meeting on Feb. 12 will be the first.
“We have a mandate to protect our city. I did not write the noise ordinance; it was here before me,” Ighodaro said. “But I don’t think it’s sufficient to protect our city.”
The amendment will create a 14th subsection in section 15 of the noise ordinance that applies only to noise from automobiles.
“(14) Motor vehicle noise. Motor vehicle noise that exceeds 75 decibels is prohibited,” the amendment reads.
The Occupational and Health Safety Administration has set 80 decibels as the safe limit.
Colby Leider, an audio and acoustical engineer, contacted for this report said 75 decibels is safe but fairly loud.
“What we normally use for speech is 70 decibels,” Leider said. “So 75 is between a car or a truck going by when you’re standing outside.”
The ordinance references studies and what they have shown about excessive noise.
“Scientific studies reveal that excessive noise can not only impact one’s hearing, but these studies show that there is a correlation between excessive noise and high blood pressure, low birth weight, gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, and cardiovascular ailments such as heart disease.”
The ordinance levies a $500 per day fine for events that generate complaints.
Ighodaro wants to fine Formula One per car because the Grand Prix, if it happens, is not a city-sanctioned event.
“Every violation for every car should be treated like its own citation,” Ighodaro said. “I don’t give a crap what they think; we don’t want them here. You cannot force an idea on a city. We should determine what is good for our interests.”
Upset Miami Gardens residents founded the Unrepresented People’s Positive Action Council because the group believes the Dolphins wants to determine the stadium’s interest in their neighborhoods.
Betty T. Ferguson, one of the founders of UPPAC, supports the idea of reducing the noise level from the stadium by enforcing the ordinance.
“They have been breaking that noise ordinance forever, it’s all a matter of enforcement. The problem is making the stadium apply [to the Stadium Zoning District],” she said. If it would apply, would the Dolphins honor the decibel level?”
