Sorensen Neighborhood

(Quiet!) (archive)

Sep 03, 2005

By Erin Hynes,
Sorensen Association president

It?’s a delicate thing, balancing individual freedom and community good. Laws govern some matters that can create irritation between neighbors, but they can?’t cover everything. And besides, few people want to have to resort to calling the police to handle a problem with a neighbor.

Noise is a common source of tension, especially when the noise happens often. It doesn?’t take long for a cranked stereo, incessantly barking dog, or loud leaf blower to become annoying.
City ordinance bans any noise that?’s ?“a nuisance or potential health hazard.?” That?’s general enough to require police and judges to make a judgment call.

But parts of the law are very
specific:
- A loud party is a nuisance from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from midnight to 7 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

- Power equipment?—such as lawn equipment and power tools used outdoors?—cannot be operated from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays and from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends and holidays. Snowblowers are an exception to these times, if used within 12 hours of a snowfall.

Ideally, neighbors should be able to discuss a noise problem. But, c?’mon, this is Minnesota?—most of us would rather move to another state than risk an unpleasant confrontation. So please, spare your neighbors the horrific experience of having to ask you to keep it down, by not putting them in the position of having to ask.