Council sends noise ordinance to committee

Culpeper Town Council is thinking twice about enacting a proposed noise ordinance targeting business and industry because of the potential negative impact on local commerce.

Council killed the item from the agenda altogether before its regular meeting Thursday night, referring the issue back to committee for further study.

As far as Councilman Steve Jenkins is concerned, that’s where it can stay.

“I told them I don’t want to see it again,” he said after the meeting. “I don’t want to do anything that might injure our businesses, especially in this economy.”

However, the proposed noise ordinance sought to bring relief to local residents who’ve complained at numerous council meetings of excessive industry-related noise after normal business hours at a business on the northern tip of town.

As written, the proposal prohibits “any noise disturbance by business or commercial use or activity between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. … of such frequency or volume so as to annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of any person in … (any) type of dwelling.”

It also names types of businesses to which the new law would apply: “garage, filling station, auto or other motor equipment repair business, (cabstand), plant, store, factory” and any other type of for-profit or nonprofit business operating late.

But Jenkins said it’s not a fair proposal, naming Pullen’s Tractor, Cintas and the Culpeper Star Exponent production facility as examples of town businesses targeted under the new ordinance. Such entities have operated in town for 25 to 30 years or more, he said, while some of the housing developments around them sprung up in recent years.

Jenkins encouraged affected residents to work with business owners to resolve the issue.

So far this year, the Culpeper Police Department received more than 625 noise complaints all told, but that total includes the standard, non-business related complaint of loud music, parties, etc., according to public information officer Wally Bunker.

“The current (noise) ordinance is difficult to interpret and in need of clarification,” he said of the reason for the proposed change.

In other news from Thursday’s meeting, Town Council unanimously approved extra funding in the amount of $6,648 to maintain the regular schedule of the Culpeper Trolleys. The town already funds significantly more for the two trolleys in partnership with Culpeper Human Service.

The CHS board considers the same add-on funding request at its meeting Wednesday in response to dwindling state contributions to the public transit system operated by Purcellville-based Virginia Regional Transit, a nonprofit.

Town Councilman Chip Coleman, who also heads up Human Services, warned of deeper state and federal government cuts come July, the beginning of the new fiscal year. This will mean a greater local share is required to keep the trolleys running.

He urged the town’s public transportation advisory board to work with VRT to come up “with as many different options (for transit funding) as quickly as possible.”

Finally, Town Council heard from West Street resident Keith Price about unattended gang graffiti on a small building in sight distance to the Yowell Meadow Skatepark on Blue Ridge Avenue. Price, a retired Army officer, said the four-month-old graffiti bears markings of the “Gangster Disciples,” a national crime gang.

“I don’t have to tell you why it’s a bad thing,” he said, adding the people responsible for the graffiti might think, “Maybe we are tolerant of that type of activity.”

Police Chief Scott Barlow said his department was aware of the gang markings and that it had been “photographed and documented.”

Director of Planning Chuck Stephenson said he personally called the building’s owner, Columbia Gas, twice about the graffiti and he was assured “it would be taken care of.”

Barlow said he and the town attorney are looking into developing a new ordinance that would require gang graffiti to be cleaned from private property, like the town has had to do from park equipment.

Councilmen Duke duFrane and Chris Snider were absent from Thursday’s meeting.

Allison Brophy Champion can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 101 or