NEW YORK CITY — After numerous noise violations, a carwash owner here has enclosed his dryers in three layers of commercial-grade insulation and an inch-thick layer of wood, according to Brooklyn Daily.
The Aug. 2 story stated that Z Best Car Wash’s owner, Russel Shern, feels his business has been targeted by local Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz. “He’s been doing everything he can to shut us down, and it’s not for the noise,” Shern said in the story. “It’s been since day one. We were hit with a stop work order for loading and unloading in the back, which we weren’t doing.”
Cymbrowitz called the city and reported the carwash after residents complained about the noise from the dryers. Residents claimed the blowers were deafening and unnerving.
The city’s Department of Environmental Protection investigated and found that the wash’s blowers were operating at 59 decibels, 17 decibels above the legal limit. The wash was hit with an $860 fine, and the business was threatened with a cease-and-desist order if the dryers were not quieted.
Reporters visited the wash and measured the insulated dryer’s noise output. Using an iPhone app, the reporter measured the dryers at 40 decibels, two decibels below the legal limit.
As for the owner’s accusation that the carwash is being targeted, Cymbrowitz denied the allegations. “I’m protecting my constituents who live around the carwash, who are really being affected by the noise,” he said in the story.
