On the worst nights, when the thudding bass from a nearby nightclub rattled his windows and drowned out the sound on his TV, the noise in John Heaney’s home in Providence felt more like an intruder than a nuisance.
“It’s a true violation because you can’t stop it,” he said.
“It’s like someone has a key to your house, and they can come in whenever they want.”Driven to activism, Mr. Heaney, a retired software engineer, joined a small group of residents in the Rhode Island capital who have lobbied city officials in recent years to crack down on excessive noise.
Their campaign, known as the Providence Noise Project, has won vocal support from Mayor Brett Smiley, a Democrat who took office last year.
But it has also raised complicated questions about noise, including what to do when not everyone agrees it’s a problem, and how to fairly enforce limits.
Persons:
John Heaney’s, ”, “, Heaney, Brett Smiley
Organizations:
Providence Noise, Democrat
Locations:
Providence, Rhode