Sandy Council to study noise ordinance

SANDY — Sandy leaders are studying tightening the city's noise ordinance after residents complained about the bustle at two mega-developments.

Sandy city staff have made recommendations to the City Council regarding the ordinance, which neighbors of shopping areas Little Cottonwood Center and Quarry Bend think is lax and badly enforced.

Residents such as Rob Watkins complain of late-night truck deliveries.

"I would hope we can maybe put some better measures in place to enforce the noise ordinances we've already got," Watkins, a Quarry Bend neighbor, told the council Tuesday. "If you lived behind one of these developments ... that are in direct violations of these noise ordinances, you would be more understanding."

Watkins said a "major flaw" of the ordinance is that by the time police respond to a loud truck, if it isn't running the engine, loading or unloading, police can't do anything about it.

Local activist and former mayoral candidate Gary Forbush helped form the group Neighborhood Peace & Quiet Coalition of Sandy after being approached to do so by a group of residents fed up with the noise.

"The store owners have certainly tried to do what they can," Forbush said. "But bottom line is their truck drivers come from all over the country and most don't pay attention to noise ordinances in various cities."

Community leaders and members of the coalition pitched five recommendations to strengthen the ordinance. Sandy staff responded to the items, but in the end, the city did not take any action Tuesday.

Instead, officials decided to study the matter with the Salt Lake Valley Department of Health, which is currently studying new provisions for noise pollution.

Pat Russell, a retired teacher who lives on Tramway Drive directly behind Home Depot at the Little Cottonwood Center, said she was satisfied with the city's response.

"I'm just glad to see they're finally talking about it," she said. "There's enough real honest to goodness (noise, light intrusion) to my peace of mind and serenity and my house, enough that it needs to be addressed ... It kind of wears on you like Chinese water torture after a while."

However, at the center of the noise issue has been Gary Ricci, another Tramway Drive resident who has made hundreds of calls to the police and respective stores regarding noise violations. He has even filmed trucks and their drivers breaking the rules and says he has about 10 hours of video footage.