Sound plan
Your sound plan should consider the impact of sound on the community near your business.
Topics to consider
We list things to consider when building your sound plan. Disregard topics that don't fit your business.
Speakers
Tell us:
- The position of speakers to deflect or absorb excessive noise.
- How you will minimize low-frequency music beats.
- What time you will:
- Turn down the music
- Turn off the speakers
Equipment
Tell us about:
- Your sound metering equipment
- Your music systems with self-regulators
- Your plan to use the above
Closing time
Tell us:
- What time you will:
- Stop serving alcohol
- Turn up lights
- Turn down the music
- Seat your last customers
- How you will tell customers:
- It is closing time
- It is time to leave
- How you will manage noisy customers.
- How you will remind customers to lower their voices to respect residents. This includes customers who park on residential streets.
Staff
Tell us about:
- Sound management training (including a list of their duties, including the frequency of rounds) for:
- Managers and Supervisors
- Bartenders, hosts and servers
- Security staff
- Job duties and frequency of rounds for:
- Managers and Supervisors
- Bartenders, hosts and servers
- Security staff
- Your plan to remind, relocate and remove noisy customers
- Your community outreach, such as:
- Neighborhood association meetings
- Liquor Industry and the City meetings
Architectural design or enhancements
Tell us about:
- The use of sound blocking walls, fences and landscape
- Your plan to direct sound away from occupied buildings
Outdoor capacity
Tell us about:
- The capacity of your outdoor area
- Your plan to manage the area to prevent over occupancy
- How the seating design will minimize or deflect excessive sound
Special events
Describe your plans for special events in the city.
Complaints
Tell us how you will address sound complaints. You may want to provide a telephone number other than your business number for residents to call for sound concerns.
Common concerns
- Plans to use an outdoor area
- Seating capacity of more 200 people
- Amplified sound
- Business located in a residential area
- All customers leaving at closing time
- Customers parking in residential areas
- Mechanical equipment located within 100 feet of a residential area
- Routine maintenance schedule for mechanical equipment
- Sound complaints