Santa Barbara residents who violate the city’s noise ordinance will have to pay $350 for the first violation and up to $1,000 if they break the rules more than three times within a nine-month period.

The three-member Santa Barbara City Council Ordinance Committee on Tuesday voted 3-0 to revise the existing ordinance, designed to crack down on noisy neighborhoods. 

“The intent is for this to be an escalating fine so that if you have repeat violators, it gets more expensive as you go along,” project planner Andrew Bermond said.

The city plans to move away from decibel-based noise standards to “practical experiences” of those adversely impacted by noise. 

According to the proposed ordinance change, a violation would occur “when noise is plainly audible by a person of ordinary sensitivity at a distance of 50 feet from the noise source.”

Bermond said noise from televisions, music players, loud speakers, amplification, or musical instruments that create a disturbance across a property line between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. would constitute a violation. 

Loud dogs barking or other animals making noise would also constitute a violation.

The city, however, excluded itself in the ordinance. Violations would not be issued to events sponsored or permitted by the city, the county or any school.

The issue arose as a result of noise problems stemming from loud parties in the Mesa neighborhood near Santa Barbara City College.

As it stands right now, the ordinance will only apply to residential neighborhoods where noises cross property lines. 

Some members of the public, however, want the noise ordinance to including other areas of town, such as noise coming from Elings Park, Earl Warren Showgrounds, the Eagles Lodge and the downtown bar nightclub area.

“There are real issues downtown with noise,” said Tamara Erickson, general manager of Hotel Santa Barbara.

City Council members on the Ordinance Committee — Randy Rowse, Frank Hotchkiss and Cathy Murillo — said the city would look to address those issues separately.

The proposed ordinance changes will now go before the full City Council for consideration. 

— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.