QuietMountains.org
Get the Facts
"Noise Disturbance" means any sound which is or may be:
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Harmful or injurious to the health, safety or welfare of any individual; or
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Of such a volume, frequency and/or intensity that it unreasonably interferes with the enjoyment of life, quiet, comfort or outdoor recreation of an individual of ordinary sensitivity and habits; or
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Endangers or injures real or personal property or the conduct of business.
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The majority of neighbors to the proposed property have expressed that howling and barking at all times of the day will be harmful to their welfare and unreasonably interfere with their enjoyment of life. This should then be defined as a "Noise Disturbance" under the noise ordinance.
Larimer County Special Review Criteria
To approve a Special Review application, the Board of County Commissioners must consider the following review criteria and find that each criterion has been met or does not apply:
A. The proposed use will be compatible with existing and allowed uses in the surrounding area and be in harmony with the neighborhood;
B. Outside a GMA district, the proposed use is consistent with the county master plan. Within a GMA district, the proposed use is consistent with the applicable supplementary regulations to the GMA district, or if none, with the county master plan or county adopted sub-area plan;
C. The applicant has demonstrated that this project can and will comply with all applicable requirements of this code;
D. The proposed use will not result in a substantial adverse impact on property in the vicinity of the subject property; and
E. The recommendations of referral agencies have been considered.
F. The applicant has demonstrated that this project can meet applicable additional criteria listed in the section 4.3 use descriptions
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Under certain conditions a howl can be heard as far as six miles away in the forest and ten miles away in the open. Residents within 1 or 2 miles will most certainly hear barking and howling at all times of the day. This cannot possibly meet criterion A in the above Special Review Criteria. No dog kennel or wolf/dog zoo can be in harmony with the surrounding neighborhoods.
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What's in a Name?
The W.O.L.F. acronym stands for "Wolves Offered Life and Friendship". This is very deceiving since there are no wolves being held at the current W.O.L.F. facility. Only wolf hybrids. It seems they are trying to benefit from the emotions the word "Wolf" brings out in their donors. It appears as if donor intent is not in line with the actual use of the donations.
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Many dogs are capable of barking at a sound intensity level in the 100-decibel range. In rough comparison, starting at 0 as a baseline, 80 dB s a person shouting loudly and about 110 dB is a pneumatic drill nearby. A dog barking from four feet way can be as loud as 95 decibels. If the dog is closer up, the number could be much higher; two or more dogs barking together, higher yet!
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According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) noises louder than 85 decibels can cause people to suffer hearing damage leading to hearing loss or persistent ringing of the ears (tinnitus). Furthermore, widespread noise control bylaws make it unlawful for a dog owner to allow a dog to bark or howl to the annoyance of neighbors or the public. For these reasons it follows that dog-owners must accept the responsibility that comes with owning a dog and control any objectionable barking behavior that their dog may have.