Community Corner

General Assembly Passes Merriweather Noise Bill

The bill will allow the concert venue to amplify sound up to 95 decibels from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

 

Maryland legislators passed a locally controversial bill during the 2013 session that codifies the level of noise coming from Merriweather Post Pavilion.

The bill allows Merriweather to produce sound up to 95 decibels from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. It was submitted by the Howard County delegation.

Find out what's happening in Columbiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Some neighbors of the concert venue argued in letters to the editor to Explore Howard and on Columbia Patch that the legislation will make their living experience, which is affected by noise from Merriweather, worse.

"It is nearly impossible to have peace and quiet in our home from May thru late October due to current levels and time restrictions," wrote Jane Hanfman in a comment on Patch.

Find out what's happening in Columbiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But government officials and Merriweather staff said this legislation would simply make the current sound levels at the venue law, according to an Explore Howard article.

"It's certainly not going to get any louder," said Merriweather General Manager Jean Parker, in an Explore Howard report.

The bill allows the venue to produce sound up to 95 decibels within a quarter mile radius, which includes Symphony Woods and the concert venue. To put 95 decibels into perspective, that number is comparable to the sound of a lawn mower and continued exposure for longer than 8 hours could lead to hearing damage, according to a Washington state labor study.

When the bill was being discussed by the county delegation last year, Delegate Liz Bobo was the only one opposed to it, according to her blog.

"I said that a change in the law may be necessary, though I believe it would be better for everyone involved if the county, rather than the state, set and enforced the limit," wrote Bobo. "The state has no ability to monitor noise regulation due to budget cuts several years ago."

What do you think of the recently passed legislation?


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here