Last month the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners approved a new Noise Ordinance. It contains provisions to prohibit unreasonably loud noises, with particular attention to prohibiting such noise after 10:00 pm. However, for Pensacola Beach the Ordinance left in place the current rule of not permitting noise above 70 decibels at any time, 24/7, in both the Core Area and residential areas. The County asked the SRIA to come back with a recommendation for a revised ordinance for Pensacola Beach which would differentiate between the needs of the Core Area and the residential areas.

PBA, who has been working on this issue for two years, met with SRIA staff and with SRIA Board members, and on August 29th the SRIA approved a recommendation to the County that the residential areas of Pensacola Beach adopt the County standards of “no unreasonable noise, especially after 10:00 pm”, but that the 70 decibel rule stay in effect in the Core Area, where many businesses have bands, etc. that perform after 10:00pm. We are pleased with this progress, and will now work with the BOCC to get it adopted by the County.