Holden Beach is famous for quiet evenings but raucous parties can spoil the tranquility.  There have been complaints that the current noise ordinance is too vague and is not being enforced.

Brunswick County recognized the impacts of noise on residents’ health and wellbeing and the need for an enforceable, objective ordinance.  After much research, they adopted a new noise ordinance.  You can view a Powerpoint slide show to learn more about it.

Because Holden Beach is an incorporated municipality, the County’s new noise ordinance would not apply to us unless it is adopted by our Board of Commissioners.  The current noise ordinance for Holden Beach is much less specific and is based only on the police officers discretion. The County’s ordinance calls for measuring noise decibel levels to determine if there is excessive noise.  The decibel thresholds are based on the time of day.

At the Easter HBPOA meeting members voted unanimously to recommend the Town consider adopting the County’s ordinance.  A letter to Town Commissioners was sent asking for the adoption.  While Commissioner Young thanked the HBPOA for sending the letter, the Commissioners have not placed the issue on their meeting agendas.

At the Memorial Day meeting, the members voted to ask the Board of Commissioners to adopt an ordinance similar to the rules the Holden Beach West Phase II Homeowners’ Association put in place.  You can read the letter to the BOC here.

UPDATES:

At the September Board of Commissioners’ Meeting the County’s Noise Ordinance was sent to the Planning and Zoning Board for “their review and adoption of what we can use for our community from that ordinance”.

At the December Board of Commissioners meetings, the commissioners passed a new noise ordinance with objective noise standards.  You can read it here.