Study Session
Agenda Report

Erika Ramirez, Community Development Director

Stephen Peterson, Senior Planner

Andrew Rodriguez, Lead Code Enforcement Officer

This supplemental report responds to City Council questions from the September 22, 2026 study session regarding noise standards at boundaries between noise zones, daytime and nighttime hours, noise levels at parks near residences, and the relationship between noise regulations and Conditional Use Permits (CUPs). Council feedback will guide preparation of a draft ordinance for future consideration.

Staff recommends Noise Map Option 2, which classifies commercial areas by street classification; daytime hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and nighttime hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.; and the noise limits presented below. Staff also recommends developing a midpoint standard for abutting properties in different noise zones. Council direction is requested on these recommendations before staff returns with a draft ordinance.

• On October 21, 1970, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1582 amending the South Pasadena Municipal Code (SPMC) to add Chapter 19A (Noise Regulations).
• On April 17, 1991, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1996 amending SPMC Chapter 19A (Noise Regulations) to address power yard maintenance equipment.
• On September 27, 2023, the Council adopted the General Plan, including the Noise section within Part B, Chapter 6 (Our Healthy Community). Chapter 19A (Noise Regulations) was not amended as part of that action.
• On September 3, 2025, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2402 amending SPMC Chapter 19A (Noise Regulations) to address unruly gatherings.
• On February 10, 2026, the City entered into a contract with Rincon Consultants to assist with a comprehensive update to SPMC Chapter 19A (Noise Regulations).
• On May 20, 2026, the City Council conducted a public hearing on a preliminary draft of the updated regulations, received public comment and directed staff to conduct additional analysis and prepare revisions.
• On September 22, 2026, the City Council held a study session on the proposed amendments and requested additional information. This report supplements that discussion and identifies the policy direction needed to prepare the draft ordinance.

The proposed municipal code update would establish measurable noise standards by noise zone and time of day to support consistent application across comparable land use settings. The following responses address the questions raised at the study session.

1. Noise standards between abutting zones

Council asked how a complaint would be handled when a Zone 3 property abuts a Zone 1 property. The proposed limits increase by 5 dBA from one zone to the next, resulting in a 10 dBA difference between Zones 1 and 3. Staff recommends developing a provision that applies the midpoint of the two zones’ limits when properties in different zones abut. For example, the midpoint between the proposed daytime Leq limits of 65 dBA in Zone 1 and 75 dBA in Zone 3 would be 70 dBA.

If Council supports this approach, the draft ordinance would need to specify when the midpoint standard applies and where and how noise is measured. Those provisions would guide evaluation of complaints involving abutting zones.

2. Daytime and nighttime hours

Council asked whether other cities use the proposed daytime hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and nighttime hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Staff reviewed seven jurisdictions and found that five use these hours. The results are listed in Table 1 below. Monrovia uses daytime hours of 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and nighttime hours of 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. San Gabriel regulates nighttime noise from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

Table 1

The proposed 10:00 p.m. transition also reflects the extended hours permit requirement previously applicable to businesses in the Mission Street Specific Plan area that sought to remain open after 10:00 p.m. Staff recommends retaining the proposed hours and requests Council feedback on whether a different transition time should be included in the draft ordinance.

3. Noise levels at parks near residential properties

Council requested noise readings for parks surrounded by residential properties. The reported average of 11 readings at Garfield Park and South Pawsadena was 56 dBA. The highest reported readings were 79.9 dBA at Garfield Park during the 8:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. period and 80.1 dBA at South Pawsadena during the 1:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. period.

At the time this report was prepared, staff had not completed readings at other parks. Staff anticipates providing additional information at the Council meeting. The proposed Zone 2 Leq limits are 70 dBA during the day and 60 dBA at night. The reported average and highest readings describe different aspects of noise; evaluating them against the proposed standards requires confirmation of the measurement metric, duration, and location.

4. Conditional Use Permits and specific plans

Council asked how CUP conditions interact with the noise ordinance. Under the approach described in the proposed update, uses would be subject to Chapter 19A unless an applicable CUP or specific plan establishes alternative noise standards. Staff reports that existing CUP conditions regulating noise are more restrictive than the current and proposed general noise limits.

The draft ordinance should clarify the relationship among Chapter 19A, CUP conditions, and specific plan provisions so that applicable standards can be identified consistently.

Staff Recommendation and Requested Direction

Staff requests Council feedback on the following recommendations to guide preparation of the draft ordinance.

Noise zone map

Use Noise Map Option 2, which classifies commercial properties according to the street classification on which they are located. This approach would apply different standards within commercial areas based on location and street context. The proposed zones are:

• Zone 1: All residential zones (RE, RS, RM, RH, and AM).
• Zone 2: Open Space (OS), Community Facility and commercial zones (CF, CG, CO, and BP), and Downtown and Huntington Drive Specific Plan areas (DTSP and HFSP) on Access Streets.
• Zone 3: Community Facility and commercial zones (CF, CG, CO, and BP), and DTSP and HFSP areas on Thoroughfare, Main, or Connector Streets.

Standards for abutting zones

Develop a midpoint standard for abutting properties in different noise zones, with clear provisions defining its application and measurement procedures.

Noise limits and hours

Use the following proposed limits and hours as identified in Table 2 below. Leq describes the equivalent average sound level over a measurement period; Lmax describes the maximum sound level. Both are expressed in A-weighted decibels (dBA).

Table 2

If City Council is agreeable to this approach, staff will provide a status report to Council in May, 2027 pertaining to implementation, complaints, cases, administrative citations and other relevant information. 

There is no fiscal impact associated with receiving this report and providing direction to staff. Any future ordinance amendments would be prepared using existing budgeted resources.

The noise standards utilized in the updated Chapter 19A Noise Regulations are within a range established in the General Plan (Table B6.5, City of South Pasadena Land Use/Noise Compatibility Matrix) and were analyzed previously in the General Plan EIR.

Further, the proposed amendment is routine, clarifies existing City regulations, does not include any development proposal, and can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. Therefore, the amendments qualify for the common sense exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), as found in CEQA Section 15061(b)(3).