Mowers and other lawn maintenance equipment will now be allowed to start at 7 a.m. on weekends during the fall and winter, two hours earlier than a previous ordinance, and at 6 a.m. in the spring and summer. The issue became controversial after a resident claimed he was harassed for speaking out against the change, a charge that Prestonwood CC denied.
Officials of the town of Cary, N.C. approved a controversial ordinance on July 9 that relaxes noise restrictions for golf courses, WRAL-TV of Raleigh, N.C. reported.
In a 4-2 vote, the Cary Town Council put into place new rules that allow mowing and other lawn maintenance to start at 7 a.m. on the weekends during the fall and winter months, two hours earlier than a previous ordinance, WRAL-TV reported. During the spring and summer, the ordinance will allow golf course greens keepers to begin mowing, weed trimming and leaf blowing as early as 6 a.m.
Bob Butler, a resident of the Prestonwood Country Club community in Cary, had said he was harassed in June after speaking out against the new ordinance. (http://clubandresortbusiness.com/2015/07/01/resident-claims-harassment-over-golf-course-noise-issue/). As part of stating his objection to the ordinance, Butler had shown a cellphone video, with a timestamp of 6:15 a.m., that showed five mowers circling a tee outside his bedroom.
Prestonwood’s General Manager denied any harassment ever took place, WRAL-TV reported, and said he wasn’t looking for a fight, but that the regulations needed to be changed to properly maintain the course for the club’s members.
Deputy Cary Police Chief Tony Godwin studied the issue and recommended that the council change the law to reflect a widespread practice that was already in place, WRAL-TV reported. Golf course officials said the new law would clarify what’s allowed and when, WRAL-TV noted, but insisted it wouldn’t change daily maintenance practices.
After taking the vote to pass the new ordinance, WRAL-TV reported, the Cary Town Council members said they plan to ask for a report next year that would document any complaints they might get about the ordinance change.
A discussion last year within C&RB‘s LinkedIn community revolved around a similar issue that also arose for another club in North Carolina: https://www.linkedin.com/grp/post/3244121-5935494001057632259?goback=%2Egna_3244121
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