It is the policy of Thurston County to minimize the exposure of citizens to the physiological
and psychological dangers of excessive noise and to protect, promote and preserve
the health, safety and welfare of the general public. It is the express intent of
the board of county commissioners to control the level of noise in a manner which
promotes commerce; the use, value and enjoyment of property; sleep and repose; and
the quality of the environment. The Thurston County commissioners recognize the preferred
position of the guarantees of freedom of speech in our society. If those guarantees
are to be truly effective, it is necessary that each citizen tolerate unwelcome speech
and ideas. Without that, the guarantees of free speech cannot serve their critical
role of fostering the exchange of ideas. The commissioners also recognize the vital
role of the right to privacy, the right to be let alone, in an increasingly clamorous
world. Nowhere is that more insistent than in the sanctuary of the home and upon one's
real property.
Sound is a principal medium of communication. By its nature, however, it is a potentially
intrusive medium to those who do not wish to hear the specific noise or message. The
purpose of this chapter is to protect to the greatest extent possible both the right
of free speech and the right to privacy within the home and upon real property. Its
purpose is to guarantee ample channels of communication for all ideas, whether welcome
or unwelcome by recipients, yet also secure the private property as a refuge from
unwelcome noise.
