Brampton councillors are looking for ways to tackle noise complaints from residents who say loud music coming from vehicles is becoming a problem along Kennedy Road, particularly late at night.
The issue was raised at Wednesday’s Brampton council meeting, where Regional Councillors Martin Medeiros and Dennis Keenan discussed ongoing complaints involving Kennedy Road South and Gage Park.
Medeiros said he and Keenan had received numerous messages from residents about noise over the past several months.
While the city has issued tickets to some local businesses, the councillors said visits to those businesses found they were generally cooperative and complying with the rules.
The problem, Medeiros said, appears to be coming from vehicles.
“Cars going back and forth on Kennedy, loudspeaker systems, they go to the parking lots, they play their music loud,” he told council.
Medeiros said the problem appears to be particularly noticeable after people leave bars or during certain festivals, when vehicles can travel up and down Kennedy Road with loud music playing.
The councillor acknowledged that it can be difficult to address because there isn’t necessarily one identifiable person or business responsible for the noise.
Residents have reportedly been dealing with the issue late into the night, with Medeiros saying some people have been contacting him and Keenan at late hours.
He suggested the matter could require the involvement of Peel Regional Police, given that the noise is associated with vehicles rather than individual businesses.
It was noted that the city’s bylaw director would speak with Peel Police about the concerns.
Keenan agreed that the vehicle-related complaints appeared to be more of a police matter than something the city’s bylaw officers could easily address.
But the councillors also raised a separate noise issue involving events at Gage Park.
Keenan said residents have continued to complain about noise from festivals at the downtown park, although he noted that the number of complaints has declined following changes made by the city to event timelines and procedures.
This time, however, it wasn’t necessarily the overall volume that generated the complaints.
“It’s not necessarily the sound they’re complaining about; it’s the bass,” Keenan said, explaining that residents had reported their windows rattling.
Keenan questioned whether anything could be done to reduce bass levels during festivals.
City staff said they have updated event guidelines to include references to decibel levels as well as restrictions on bass noise, unusual noise and noise likely to disturb.
Staff acknowledged that enforcing those rules can be challenging because volume levels can fluctuate while an event is taking place.
The city said it will continue working with bylaw, security and event staff to address the issue.
Keenan also singled out the organizers of the recent Brampton Fiesta Extravaganza at Gage Park for taking what he described as an effective approach to communicating with nearby residents.
He said organizers sent a letter to residents before the event outlining when it would take place and providing contact information for anyone with concerns.
Keenan said the approach was particularly useful because residents knew exactly when the event was happening and who to contact if problems arose.
He suggested making that type of notification part of the city’s procedures for events held downtown, with organizers responsible for distributing the information to residents in an appropriate area around the event.
For residents along Kennedy Road, however, the bigger challenge may be harder to solve.
While the city can address noise coming from businesses and events, councillors said vehicles gathering in parking lots and blasting music late at night present a more complicated enforcement problem.
For now, the City plans to raise those concerns with Peel Regional Police as officials look for a way to quiet the late-night noise.
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