Subtitle 4 – Amplified Sounds in Market Center

electronically produces, reproduces, or amplifies the human voice or other sound; and

is located:

The Mayor and City Council finds that the Market Center Urban Renewal Area serves the City in many important and irreplaceable ways. Most obviously, the area is a heavily used and essential retail and office district, providing job and shopping opportunities for countless thousands of City residents.

Equally important, however, is the traditional role that the area serves as a public forum for many diverse kinds of City residents. On any given day, dozens of people come to the district to promote their ideas on a wide variety of topics.

The Mayor and City Council further finds that publicly amplified sounds have hindered the use of the Market Center Urban Renewal Area, both as a shopping, office, and employment center and as a marketplace for the exchange of ideas.

While recognizing that, in some instances, the reasonable use of amplification equipment facilitates the exchange of ideas, the Mayor and City Council finds that the indiscriminate use of this equipment in the Market Center has created a condition demonstrably injurious to the health, welfare, and safety of the citizens of Baltimore.

Specifically, the Mayor and City Council finds that publicly amplified sound:

to promote the use of the retail district both as a shopping, office, and employment center and as a marketplace for the exchange of ideas; and

to control the negative effects of publicly amplified sounds while allowing reasonable use of electronic amplification equipment.

the name of the applicant;

the location of the property for which the permit is requested;

the dates and hours for which the exemption is requested;

the equipment that will be used to amplify sound; and

a statement as to whether the sound will contain commercial speech.

review each application for a permit within 3 days of its submission; and

on a reasonable showing that the amplifying equipment will not be used to produce loud and raucous sounds, promptly issue the permit to the applicant.

is valid for 60 days; and

may be renewed an indefinite number of times.

apply to the Circuit Court for Baltimore City for a review of the denial; and

notify the applicant by first class mail of this action.

the same restrictions and obligations that apply to permits issued under this subtitle; and

immediate termination of all electronic amplification if the Court later affirms the Commissioner’s denial.

an environmental citation under City Code <cite data-path="|1">Article 1</cite>, Subtitle 40 {“Environmental Control Board”}; or

a civil citation under City Code <cite data-path="|1">Article 1</cite>, Subtitle 41 {“Civil Citations”}.