Acoustical Noise Control

The area surrounding the Ellis Street Graded School district in Salisbury, NC is a historic area. There are dozens of incredible houses, many more than 100 years old – including the one in which Debra Brazee lives.

The problem? The nearby Shober Bridge is goign to be rebuilt and during the 18-24 months it takes to complete the project, Debra’s quiet neighborhood will be transformed into anything but.

And the real issue is that Debra’s property is historic. The City Council has NOT communicated with teh Historic Salisbury Foundation so homeowners with older homes have no idea what type of work will be done on their properties (near the bridge) and how it will affect the land values.

You can’t really soundproof a historic home and still call it historic. So what will the city do to make life easier on these people? Only time will tell.

The Citroen DS3 has an incredible new look. The stylish, classy design of the car is one of the most promising the Citroen company has released recently and forecasters expect it to become a very popular automobile.

The car is, unlike others, incredibly customizable, with a choice of more than 38 color and design combinations. Add some LED running lights, twin exhaust pipes, and extra wide silver rims and you’ve got a beautiful combination.

And, by the way – all models will  feature extra soundproofing inside the vehicle – making it one of the quietest cars on the road!

It’s not as big a deal as one might think – all of those generators surrounding B.C. Place, waiting to be used during the opening ceremonies at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics on February 12th.

The problem is that none of them are running yet. We take that back. One is now running – and it’s loud. So loud that neighbors living in nearby condos are complaining.

We give credit to the Olympic committee, though. They’re taking swift action to equip the generators with soundproofing materials. Now all neighbors will have to worry about are the events themselves!

The Zero Zero bar in Paris has a problem.

The neighbors complain about it constantly.

Why?

It’s sort of dingy looking. True.  There are a lot of young people going in and out. True as well. But those aren’t the problems.

It is, of course, the lack of soundproofing – and the subsequent noise.

And the neighbors do silly things – like pelt patrons with eggs or hose them down from their balconies. But it’s not the patrons at fault. Why won’t the owners just soundproof the club?

Paris already has problems. Hot DJ’s are looking to other large cities instead – claiming Paris isn’t the party town it used to be. Perhaps this is part of the cause!

Victims of The Station nightclub fire back in 2003 have finally seen their day in court. The judge ordered a settlement of over $176 million to the surviving family members of the 100+ people killed as well as other victims.

More than 300 people will get a portion of the money, allocated to a trust fund.

Those injured or killed became victims after pyrotechnics used by the band known as Great White caused illegal soundproofing materials used in the club to catch fire.

The trustee now has to determine how the funds will be distributed, based on the level of injury, the age of the surviving children, etc.

Right at the end of 2009, officials in France passed a new set of laws. Afraid of seeing party going patrons go to other cities, France officials changed their laws to allow clubs and bars to remain open until 7am.

Paris, once known as the “City of Light,” had been earning a nickname as the “Capital of Sleep.” Rules were so strict that some of the world’s hottest DJ’s were leaving for London, Berlin, and other major cities instead.

Now, cities throughout France, as long as they have some semblence of soundproofing, can entertain guests until the sun rises. Hopefully some of the lost business will return.

The city of Paceville enjoys a priveledge not many other cities have – the opportunity to keep their bars open until the wee hours of the morning. That is, until 4am.

Bar and club owners are required by law, and by permit, to stop playing music by 4am – a requirement you might think easy to abide by considering so many other places aren’t even open that long.

Sadly, though, neighbors have started to complain. The bars and clubs lack proper soundproofing, are disruptive to the surrounding neighborhoods, and play music well past 4am. Some argue they should have to shut down as early as 11pm.

The tourism board will convene on the issue early this new year and while the bars may not be forced to shut down at 11pm, they may not have the same priveledges they once had.