Corrales is rewriting its noise ordinance after a municipal judge ruled the existing regulation unenforceable in a case involving an establishment cited for a violation. At an Oct. 27 council meeting, officials outlined a process to develop replacement rules before the spring patio-music season, saying the village needs a workable way to address disputes between neighbors and nightlife.
A Vague Rule Meets Its Limit
The current ordinance prohibits sound that annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers others' comfort, repose, health, peace or safety. But it sets no volume threshold and does not define what constitutes a disturbance or injury, as The Corrales Comment has reported. Village officials have acknowledged that the terms are too subjective to enforce consistently, according to nm.news. In the case that prompted the rewrite, a municipal judge ruled against the village after an establishment challenged its citation.
The Oct. 27 agenda item marked a step in a drafting process that draws on nearby municipalities' rules and a sound engineer's report, as nm.news reported. The village has worked with sound engineer Joshua Leasure of Colorado Analytics since at least earlier this year. In April, the firm indicated it would send recommendations within weeks, though no firm date was set at the time.
Decibels, Hours and Permits in the Draft
The village attorney and administration are redrafting the proposal. The draft is expected to set measurable daytime and nighttime decibel limits at the receiving property line, along with specific operating hours and a permitting process for amplified outdoor sound. The details remain subject to council review.
How Nearby Noise Rules Compare
Nearby cities use different measurement frameworks. Rio Rancho defines unreasonable noise through limits that vary by zoning designation and are measured at the source premises property line, according to the City of Rio Rancho. Corrales’ proposal, by contrast, is expected to measure sound at the receiving property line; its specific thresholds are still being drafted. Albuquerque’s Environmental Health Department describes residential limits as roughly 55 decibels during the day and 50 decibels after 10 p.m., according to the City of Albuquerque. These are Albuquerque residential standards, not Corrales rules. The cited city descriptions provide decibel standards but do not establish comparable outdoor-commercial-music permit requirements; Corrales’ draft is expected to address permits and operating hours.
A staff proposal reviewed earlier this year called for different decibel measures by day and night, an approach The Corrales Comment reported officials had been refining for months. Once finalized, the village plans to return the revised ordinance to the council for publication and a formal public hearing, where residents and business owners can weigh in before a vote. Nm.news reported that a new ordinance would most likely take effect 30 days after passage. Mayor Fred Hashimoto has said it will be at least a few months before Corrales has a new ordinance in hand.
Residents Describe Sleepless Weekends
Residents near Corrales Road music venues have described weekend performances as disruptive to sleep, reading and other evening activities. Sabine Shurter has argued that neighbors are entitled to quiet enjoyment of their properties and said low-frequency outdoor music can be heard from Corrales Road to the bosque. The Corrales Comment also reported Shurter's account that the Territorial House was fined in 1986 after complaints about musical performances—an earlier dispute, distinct from the current court case. The publication has reported that noise complaints tied to Corrales Road establishments have persisted for decades.
Not every resident is on board. Sybil Keyser has opposed the proposed ordinance, arguing that most of the village's roughly 9,000 residents are happy with the status quo. Keyser has said the proposal focuses narrowly on music while ignoring other noise sources like weed whackers, leaf blowers, traffic and dogs, and that the rules as drafted would really only affect three businesses, three nights a week, for three months out of the year. One resident, separately, suggested the village instead consider phasing out gas-powered maintenance equipment such as mowers and leaf blowers.
A Councilor's Verdict: Better, Not Perfect
Councilor Zachary Burkett has said the draft draws on nearby municipalities' rules and the sound engineer's report. He considers it a substantial improvement over the current ordinance, while cautioning that enforcement could still pose challenges.
The proposal must address competing interests: residents living near Corrales Road restaurants and bars want relief from noise, while some business owners say live music is not unreasonably loud and helps keep their businesses open, nm.news has reported. Local reporting cited Casa Vieja, which hosts live bands on its patio for five hours a week. The draft remains subject to publication, a public hearing and council action.
