The Fullerton City Council debated adopting new noise limits for commercial properties on Sept. 16. Fullerton currently relies on general “public nuisance” standards; there’s no numerical limit in the code for businesses. City staff, working with consultant Dudek since 2023, recommended a framework with time-of-day limits measured 25 feet from the business, using time-averaged readings.

Mayor Fred Jung instead moved to use the Fullerton Transportation Center standard citywide: stricter thresholds, measured at the property line, with only sustained levels. He also eliminated the 30 and 15 minute sustained-noise windows, keeping only the 5 and 1 minute limits.

Lastly, he requested higher fines ($500/$750/$1,000), which according to the City Attorney, are the highest possible amount without triggering additional legal requirements. We reviewed Code Enforcement’s Downtown activity logs from August-September.

The logs show most spot readings between 70-75 dB, with occasional spikes above 80–90 dB across multiple venues (e.g., Ziings, Revolucion, Back Alley, Mickey’s, Callahan’s, High Horse, Madero, Heroes, Kalaveras, Night Owl). Under the Mayor’s proposal, those levels would place nearly all of Downtown over the limit if sustained even briefly.

Noise ordinances in many neighboring cities measure sound from nearby residential properties, rather than commercial property lines. In Downtown Fullerton, many businesses subject to the proposed ordinance are not adjacent to housing, yet would be held to the same limits. Mayor Pro Tem Shana Charles requested input from Fullerton businesses to provide their perspective.

The Council is scheduled to vote again Oct. 7 at 5:30 PM at City Hall (303 W. Commonwealth Ave). Public comment is available in person, via Zoom, or by emailing CouncilMembers@cityoffullerton.com