Neighbors Cry Foul Over School Noise

"Good Neighbors are quiet."

Milton, Georgia

By DOUG NURSE The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Anderson Lee of Magnolia Media, LLC contributed to this article.

Milton High School has been a source of noise complaints from neighbors. On Monday, its principal met with the Milton City Council to hammer out a noise ordinance.

Principal Ron Tesch requested the meeting to discuss the ordinance and how it might affect the school, a city official said.

"I wanted to show them the schedule and the operation so they could make an informed decision," Tesch said. "This isn't an effort to proselytize them. I want to ensure that our students are able to have a high school experience. We want to do the right thing and be good neighbors."

The city is considering an ordinance that would give the city great flexibility in trying to regulate noise. Unlike in some other cities, it would not set measurable limits on noise, but would leave it to police to decide what's too loud. The ordinance also could set limits on times of day certain noise-producing activities were allowed.

Many within close proximity of the school question the principal's efforts, "Being a good neighbor means being quiet. It also means not kicking folks out of their homes because you refused to plan ahead," commented thirty year resident Tim Enloe. "That, in effect, is what Principal Tesch and his Board of Education did. Funny that he claims to be worried about his students, but could care less about those families (who lost their homes) and how the ill-placement of that school would affect longtime residents. He simply didn't care. They didn't maintain the original facility so they twisted the system and spat in the face of Public Trust. One has to wonder if he'd be ok with a government entity kicking him out of his home...and how about noise so defening that you leave your residence on the weekends to get away from it?"

Councilman Rick Mohrig has said the ordinance is not directed specifically at the school and will have some exceptions for school gatherings. A draft ordinance produced by the city staff basically says it would be unlawful to make noise that would bother a reasonable person with normal hearing in his or her home.

"There should be no grey area to the law," continued Mr. Enloe. "It should apply evenly to all; citizen, business, and school alike. They should have thought about the noise factor before slamming that school in there. Everyone should have someone to answer to... even the Fulton County Board of Education."