Politics & Government

Township Board Reconsiders Noise Ordinance

Concerns from a local resident caused the West Bloomfield Township Board to delay a permit for the annual Relay for Life event.

A resident voiced concern for a limitation on what is allowed by a noise ordinance for the annual West Bloomfield Relay for Life event at .

The West Bloomfield Township Board will have to go back to the drawing board with the noise ordinance amended last September after resident Larry Balan said that an approved outdoor gathering permit for the event scheduled for June 2-3 would exempt it from the law.

"I don’t see any reference to a quiet period," Balan said at the March 5 meeting in Town Hall.

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The ordinance was amended in part to exempt activities on school property based on the assumption that schools should be trusted to conduct business accordingly, with respect to its neighbors. At that time, several representatives of the West Bloomfield School District were present to speak on the subjects of band and sports activities at the schools.

School events do not require outdoor gathering permits.

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"We’ve made a mistake. We should have included events that required outdoor gathering permits," Clerk Catherine Shaughnessy said.

The board unanimously voted to delay approval to allow for time to ensure that the Relay's organizers will restrict amplification between the late night hour of 10 p.m. Saturday night and 8 a.m. Sunday morning. Relay volunteer organizer Jeff Bennett told the board that it would do so.

"I wish we could come up with a standard so that as whoever’s running the event from year to year changes, everyone knows what’s going to happen," Balan said.

Representatives from the American Cancer Society said the was the bigger fundraiser in Oakland County at a fundraiser in on Tuesday.

Action on the permit is expected to be taken again March 26.


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