The La Conner City Council is considering revamping its sound system and hiring a sound engineer for musical performances after public outcry over a noise ordinance.
LA CONNER, Wash. — The La Conner City Council is rethinking an ordinance that created a 55-decibel noise limit in the town.
The reconsideration comes after public outcry over the restriction.
Complaints from some local businesses prompted the council to pass the measure, but at Tuesday night’s council meeting, every public comment was against the noise ordinance.
One resident called 55 decibels “a ridiculous number for music outside,” during the public comment period.
For more than a decade, local businesses have invited musicians to La Conner’s Gilkey Square on Sundays during the summer to encourage visitors and locals to visit the town and frequent local shops.
When KING 5 visited in May after the limit was passed, the sound of a guitar player performing in the square hit more than 70 decibels, well over the new legal threshold.
Prior to Tuesday’s meeting, La Conner Mayor Marna Hanneman said the limit was in line with state law for areas with residential units, but that city has a history of working together to come up with solutions.
“Council will discuss and deliberate what is best for the community as a whole,” said Hanneman. “This is who we are and what I support. And that’s what makes La Conner so special.”
Now, the council is proposing revamping the sound system used for musical performances and hiring a sound engineer, instead of having a decibel limit.
They plan to vote on the new resolution at their next meeting on Tuesday, May 26.
KING 5’s Eric Wilkinson contributed to this report.
To ensure diverse coverage and expert insight across a wide range of topics, our publication features contributions from multiple staff writers with varied areas of expertise.
