REMERTON — Guidelines for just how loud the businesses in Remerton can be could be in place by Tuesday.

On Monday the Remerton City Council will vote on a noise regulation ordinance that will set decibel parameters and outline entertainment and residential districts in the city within a city.

Remerton began as a mill town and over the years has gone through several transformations, from a business district filled with antique shops to the key entertainment area for Valdosta State University students. The close proximity of residences and businesses, many of which are restaurants and bars, have had the city looking for ways for the two to cohabitate peacefully for almost a year.

“There are pros and cons with the bars and the residents,” Lydia Day, Remerton City Councilwoman said. “This is why the noise ordinance was being put in; we’ve go to find a happy medium so the bars can succeed and the residents can live.”

The current ordinance does not dictate acceptable decibel levels, but mandates musical instruments, speakers and/or singing performed outside of a house, dwelling or business to cease at 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight Friday and Saturday. The noise ordinance also requires musical instruments, speakers or singing from inside or outside a house, dwelling or business shall not be audible over 100 feet in any direction from the property.

Decibel levels were measured by Atlanta firm CDAI Innovative Design Solutions and presented to the council in early January.

The study was conducted the weekend before Thanksgiving on Nov. 21-23, a day after VSU had ceased classes for the holiday.

The study measured noise at a number of positions around and between the entertainment venues and residential dwellings in the block between West Gordon Street, Baytree Place, Myrtle Street and Plum Street.

On the Saturday and Sunday the study was conducted, 32 sets of measurement data were obtained between the hours of midnight and 2:30 a.m. Measurements were taken every one-tenth of a second for six minutes.

The consultants measured the sound using frequency weighting, which filters out sound that is below the range of human hearing.

The frequency weightings used were C-Weighting (dBC) and A-Weighting (dBA). C-Weighting is commonly used in noise ordinances, more accurately representing the problem noise, while filtering very low frequency energy so it does not skew results.

The study revealed that noise does increase as the hour gets later. When the study was conducted the sound measured between 72.1 dBC and 80.1 dBC at 16 locations within Remerton.

With the results of the study the firm suggested Remerton define property line noise levels, with an entertainment district being established.

In the proposed ordinance the entertainment district is defined as the area lying within the area bounded on the north by Baytree Road, on the west by West Gordon Street, on the east by Melody Lane and which also has frontage on either Baytree Road or Baytree Place.

The ordinance stipulates that upon application the ordinance may be amended to include additional properties within the district.