Everyone is entitled to peace and quiet during night time hours without dog barking or neighbor noise.  But to pass a noise ordinance that states a violation is; “if a dog barks more than 1 time during a 60 second period for 10 consecutive minutes at anytime during the day or night”, is ridiculous.  Dogs bark, that’s what they do, deer and strange visiting dogs make sure of it….Watch the shelters grow if this passes!

I don’t need anyone to come sit near my house with barking dogs or loud music. I have plently of my own dogs that know how to bark and I have a loud enough stero system that I can blast my own music and enjoy every second of it.  This is a county ( use to be a country setting) not the city. I love barking dogs and loud music. So it wouldn’t bother me. People that have nothing else to do other than complain about noise when we obviously have way bigger problems in this county, state, country we live in need to get a grip!  Try worrying about something more important for once! Instead of going to the BOS meeting about noise, lets discuss budget shortfalls etc that VA will be going thru. That’s a WAY bigger problem dont you think?

Dear Bob,
Light pollution: a 2.00 window shade will keep out the breeze but allow light to shine through. What about looking at the stars at night? What about the nocturnal animals that need nighttime hours? What our county lighting ordinance states is that anyone may have night lighting, but it must, through proper shielding covering the light source, stop at the property line. Seems fair and reasonable to me.

Maybe I’m just lucky and don’t live near loud neighbors.  I do get the occassional drive by loud car radio but that lasts about 5 seconds.  This seems more a city/suburbs issue to me, a law to avoid a problem that might occur rather than one to solve a problem.  My two thoughts:  First, meet with your neighbor to try and resolve a noise issue.  (I realize will not always work)  If not, don’t current laws allow for registering complaints?  Call the local law enforcement to intervene?  Or have we just gotten too big for this? 

Light pollution - Invest in a 2.00 shade!

Isn’t it funny that people like
“sad stories” don’t have the courage to type their name when they reply with such stupidity. I’ve lived here a long time and just in the last few years have the noise problems started. I wish Dave knew where you lived so I could pay him to set near your house and keep you from having any peace and quiet. It’s people like you that are causing all the problems in our wonderful county anyway. Come to the next B.O.S. meeting and make your statement and see what kind of response you’ll receive.

I am glad I dont have neighbors like Sad.  What ever happend to being considerate of the people you live next to?
If I am going to be loud for a special event I invite my neighbors and if they tell me I am disturbing their sleep, I turn it down. 
What right do I have to disturb others?
Let me know where you live and I will bring my dogs and loud truck over and play you some music til 4 am and I am sure you will not complain.  Then I will do it every night for a week or maybe a month.  After a while you will get sick of it too; but don’t complain after all this is Powhatan and we do what ever we want no matter who it bothers.
Who gave you the right to tell me or anyone else that they should move? If you don’t like your new neighbors then you should take your own advice and move.

Never in my life have I heard people complain about such little things.  The cars will come and go, not like they are parked in front of your house playing the music.  Dogs bark, get over it. If you don’t like it move away, all these people moving here for the peace and quiet have destroyed the peace and quiet.  If you would have stayed away we wouldn’t have all these houses so close to each other to where you can hear the neighbors barking dog. As long as you are on your property or in your car you should have the right to do as you wish. That’s why we fight for a free country!!!  Don’t like noise, move back to where you came from to free up that space. No one ever complained about this stuff years ago. It’s unheard of to me that the county will say/put into law that if you have music/dogs that make noise you would be fined or ticketed.  That’s just CRAZY…

Dear Very Upset,
Powhatan has had a lighting ordinance since December 2008. If your neighbor put up the lights since then, you can legally have him direct them away from your property. Also, it’s 180 watts maximum for residential property. If they came before, when time comes to replace or move them, they must comply to the ordinance. The solution is very simple: a $20-50 cover for the light to have it shine down on his yard where he wants it, and not in your windows.

I think I’m the person quoted from the Dec. B.O.S. meeting about dogs barking. I have read all the responses from this news clip and I plead with the good citizens of Powhatan to please, please attend the next board meeting and state your case. Our supervisors want to hear from you and now is your chance to stop this annoyance for good.

I moved to Powhatan to get away from noise but that has been a mistake.I love the night air,to sleep with the windors up,but the noise from the dogs will not allow it.Also dont forget the polluton of light.I have a neighbor next door who shines his flood lights on my home.I can read a newespaper without tuning a light on.I ask him to do something about it, so he put it on a timer so it goes off at dawn.