FRUITLAND, Md. - The Fruitland City Council is debating a change to the city's noise ordinance. Some of the concerns Fruitland residents have raised include loud traffic, college parties and youth sports that are played in the evenings at the recreational park.
The proximity of the sports fields at the Fruitland Recreational Park and the games played in the evening has prompted some neighbors to ask the city council to shift the city's noise ordinance time frame. John Romanowski lives just down the street from the park and is in favor of a change.
"We have grandchildren and sometimes they spend the night here with us and normally around 8 o'clock or so we are putting them to bed and we do hear the noise at times from the fields. The whistles blowing, that type of thing," Romanowski said.
Currently, the ordinance prohibits loud noise after 10pm and until 7am in the morning. The change the city council is considering would move that time frame to 9pm and 8am. Other neighbors WBOC spoke with said along with the referee whistles, the public address system is another source of the loud noises from the park. Jocelin Maminski lives just feet from the fields and believes there is no need for a change and everyone should just let the kids play.
"Doesn't bother me at all. It is just temporary on the weekend, and that's it," said Maminski.
However, the change is not just about sports. Loud traffic and college parties are other issues neighbors have brought up. However, Maminski believes 9pm is a bit early, particularly in the summer months.
"People want to have Memorial Day parties, 4th of July parties whatever. And the do commonly go past 9 o'clock. And as long as it is not a ridiculous amount of noise, I don't see why that would be a bother."
There will be a special session of the city council Tuesday evening where the council will continue their discussion but there is no official vote scheduled yet on a change in the noise ordinance.
