8B
Date: July 21, 2026
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Ted Stevens, Community Services Director
By: Glenn Harper, Management Aide | [email protected] Shirene Grant, Sr. Program Specialist | [email protected] Subject: Community Services - Approve a one-time exemption to Torrance Municipal Code (TMC) section 46.5.3b regarding an extension of amplified sound hours and Approve an Amplified Sound Permit for the Pakistan American Chamber of Commerce Event to be held at Charles H. Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw Boulevard.
Expenditure: None.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation of the Community Services Director that City Council:
1. Approve a one-time exemption to Torrance Municipal Code (TMC) section 46.5.3b regarding an extension of amplified sound hours; and
2. Approve an Amplified Sound Permit for the Pakistan American Chamber of Commerce Event to be held on August 8th, 2026 at Charles H. Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw Boulevard.
FUNDING
None required.
DISCUSSION
The Pakistan American Chamber of Commerce located at 1015 E. Chapman Ave, Suite C Fullerton, CA, has been an active part of the Los Angeles Pakistan community for several years.
On Thursday, March 25, a representative from Pakistan American Chamber of Commerce approached staff to obtain a special event and amplified sound permit for a Pakistan Independence Day Festival to be held on August 8, 2026, at Charles H. Wilson Park. This event is scheduled to take place beyond the hours specified in the Torrance Municipal Code (Attachment 1). The portion of the code that applies is in Section 46.5.3b, which states, "The operation of sound amplifying equipment shall only occur between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 9:00 P.M. each day except on Sundays and legal holidays." a Pakistan Independence Day Festival is expected to take place between the hours of 4:00 P.M. and 11:00 P.M., which falls outside of the hours allowed per the Municipal Code.
Staff have reviewed the special event and amplified sound permit applications and determined the following:
1 City Council
July 21, 2026
1. The applicant, Fatima Khan, has identified that amplified sound is a critical component of the event, as it ensures all attendees can clearly hear the proceedings.
2. The location in Charles H. Wilson Park at Fields 1 & 2 will help control the sound and limit disruption to surrounding neighborhoods.
3. A gathering of 2000-3000 people dictates that amplified sound be used to accommodate all guests in attendance.
4. If approved, staff will work with the applicant to ensure that measures are in place to reduce any impact from the amplified sound on the residents across Crenshaw Boulevard and Jefferson Street.
Therefore, it is the recommendation of the Community Services Director that City Council approve a one-time exemption to the TMC section regarding hours for amplified sound and issue an Amplified Sound Permit to Fatima Khan for the Pakistan Independence Day Festival to be held on August 8, 2026, from 4:00 P.M. to 11:00 P.M. at Charles H. Wilson Park
ATTACHMENTS
1. Torrance Municipal Code--Article 5—Amplified Sound
2. Pakistan Chamber of Commerce special event permit application
3. Pakistan Chamber of Commerce amplified sound permit application (Materials Available) 2 ARTICLE 5 - AMPLIFIED SOUND
(Amended by O-3360)
46.5.1 PURPOSE.
The Council enacts the provisions of this Article for the sole purpose of securing and promoting the public health, comfort, safety, and welfare for its citizenry. While recognizing that the use of sound amplifying equipment is protected by the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and assembly, the Council nevertheless feels obligated to reasonably regulate the use of sound amplifying equipment in order to protect the correlative constitutional rights of the citizens of this community to privacy and freedom from public nuisance of loud and unnecessary noise.
46.5.2 APPLICATION REQUIRED.
It shall be unlawful for any person, other than personnel of law enforcement or governmental agencies, to install, use or operate within the City a loudspeaker or sound amplifying equipment in a fixed or movable position or mounted upon any sound truck for the purposes of giving instructions, directions, talks, addresses, lectures or transmitting music to any persons or assemblages of persons in or upon any street, alley, sidewalk, park, place or public property without first filing an application and obtaining a permit therefor as set forth in Division 3 of this Code.
46.5.3 REGULATIONS.
The commercial and noncommercial use of sound amplifying equipment shall be subject to the following regulations:
a) The only sounds permitted shall be either music or human speech, or both. b) The operation of sound amplifying equipment shall only occur between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 9:00 P.M. each day except on Sundays and legal holidays. The operation of sound amplifying equipment for noncommercial purposes on Sundays and legal holidays shall only occur between the hours of 10:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. c) No sound emanating from sound amplifying equipment shall exceed fifteen (15) dBA above the ambient as measured at any property line.
d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection c) of this Section, sound amplifying equipment shall not be operated within two hundred (200) feet of churches, schools or hospitals. e) In any event, the volume of sound shall be so controlled that it will not be unreasonably loud, raucous, jarring, disturbing or a nuisance to reasonable persons of normal sensitiveness within the area of audibility.
The Torrance Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 3966, passed May 19, 2026.
Torrance Municipal Code
ARTICLE 5 - AMPLIFIED SOUND
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