Appendices
APPENDIX D Noise Analysis
NOISE ANALYSIS FOR
EDUCARE FACILITY AT BARTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 1100 EAST DEL AMO BOULEVARD LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA Prepared for:
Long Beach Unified School District Facilities Development and Planning Branch 2425 Webster Avenue Long Beach, CA 90810 Attention: Edith Florence Prepared by:
UltraSystems Environmental Inc. 16431 Scientific Way Irvine, CA 92618 Telephone: 949.788.4900 Fax: 949.788.4901 Project: 5975
January 2016
Signatures SIGNATURES
NOISE ANALYSIS EDUCARE FACILITY AT BARTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 1100 EAST DEL AMO BOULEVARD LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA This noise analysis was prepared in accordance with Section 15063(d)(3) and Appendix G of the CEQA Statute and Guidelines to determine the potential significant noise effects on the physical environment that could result from the implementation of the proposed project.
REPORT PREPARER:
Signature
January 28, 2016 Date
Michael Rogozen Senior Principal Engineer
REVIEWED BY:
Signature
January 22, 2016 Date
Michael Lindsay Environmental Engineer
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Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Signatures.................................................................................................................................................................. i Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................. iv 1.0
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Permanent Facilities ........................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1.1 Outdoor Play Areas and Amenities ............................................................................... 1-1 1.1.2 Access, Parking, and Drop-off/Pick-up ....................................................................... 1-1 1.1.3 Project Design Features ..................................................................................................... 1-2 1.1.4 Lighting..................................................................................................................................... 1-2 1.1.5 Landscaping/Hardscaping ............................................................................................... 1-2 1.1.6 Utility Improvements ......................................................................................................... 1-2 1.1.7 Operation ................................................................................................................................. 1-3 1.1.8 Security..................................................................................................................................... 1-3 1.2 Construction Activities and Schedule .......................................................................................... 1-3
2.0
Background Information .................................................................................................................. 2-1 2.1 Characteristics of Sound ................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Noise Measurement Scales............................................................................................................... 2-2 2.3 Noise Attenuation ................................................................................................................................ 2-2
3.0
Environmental Setting....................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Existing Noise Environment ............................................................................................................ 3-1 3.2 Sensitive Receivers Near the Project ........................................................................................... 3-1 3.3 Ambient Noise Monitoring ............................................................................................................... 3-1
4.0
Applicable Regulations ..................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Federal ...................................................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.2 State of California ................................................................................................................................. 4-1 4.3 Local Standards..................................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.3.1 Sensitive Receptors ............................................................................................................. 4-2 4.3.2 Noise Limits ............................................................................................................................ 4-2 4.3.3 Construction Noise .............................................................................................................. 4-4 4.3.4 Long-Term (Operational) Noise..................................................................................... 4-5 4.4 Thresholds of Significance for this Analysis ............................................................................. 4-5
5.0
Project Impacts .................................................................................................................................... 5-1 5.1 Short-Term Noise Impacts ............................................................................................................... 5-1 5.2 Long-Term Noise Impacts ................................................................................................................ 5-3 5.2.1 Noise from Onsite Sources ............................................................................................... 5-3 5.2.2 Roadway Noise ...................................................................................................................... 5-4 5.3 Vibration Impacts ................................................................................................................................ 5-6 5.3.1 Construction Vibration ...................................................................................................... 5-6 5.3.2 Operational Vibration......................................................................................................... 5-7
6.0
Cumulative Impacts ............................................................................................................................ 6-1 6.1 Construction Noise .............................................................................................................................. 6-1 6.2 Operational Noise ................................................................................................................................ 6-1
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Table of Contents 7.0
Mitigation Measures........................................................................................................................... 7-1 7.1 Construction Mitigation Measures................................................................................................ 7-1 7.2 Operational Mitigation Measures .................................................................................................. 7-1
8.0
Impacts after Mitigation ................................................................................................................... 8-1
LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1-1 – Proposed Permanent Facilities ........................................................................................................ 1-1 Table 2.1-1 – Typical Sound Levels ............................................................................................................................ 2-1 Table 3.2-1 – Sensitive Land Uses Near Project Site ........................................................................................... 3-1 Table 3.3-1 – Characteristics of Ambient Noise Measurement Locations .................................................. 3-3 Table 3.3-2 – Measured Ambient Noise Levels ..................................................................................................... 3-4 Table 4.2-1 – Land Use Compatibility for Community Noise Sources ......................................................... 4-3 Table 4.3-1 – Maximum Allowed Exterior Noise Levels for Various Exposure Periods....................... 4-4 Table 4.3-2 – Recommended Criteria for Maximum Acceptable Noise Levels......................................... 4-5 Table 5.1-1 – Construction Equipment Noise Characteristics ........................................................................ 5-2 Table 5.1-2 – Estimated One-Hour Construction Noise Exposures at Nearest Sensitive Receivers ................................................................................................................................................................. 5-3 Table 5.2-1 – 2017 Average Daily Traffic Volumes On Three Roadway Segments With and Without The Proposed Project .............................................................................................................. 5-4 Table 5.2-2 – 2017 Peak-Hour Residential Noise Exposure With and Without The Project ...................................................................................................................................................................... 5-5 Table 5.2-3 – 2017 Residential CNEL Values With and Without The Project ........................................... 5-6 Table 5.3-1 – Vibration Levels of Construction Equipment ............................................................................. 5-7
LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1-1 – Long Beach Unified School District Map (Draft) ..................................................................... 1-2 Figure 1.1-2 – Project Boundary.................................................................................................................................. 1-3 Figure 1.1-3 – Proposed Educare Facility ................................................................................................................ 1-4
APPENDICES APPENDIX A Noise Measurement Output Files
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Executive Summary EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD/District) proposes to construct and operate a new 30,000-square-foot Educare facility within approximately 2.6 acres in the west portion of the existing Barton Elementary School campus (project site). Educare is a preschool program serving at-risk children from birth to five years old within the community. The proposed project includes the following elements.
Construct an approximately 30,000-square-foot facility with one two-story Administration Building, and three single-story buildings (total 16 permanent classrooms) surrounding a central open space near the south boundary.
Demolish nine of 17 existing portable classrooms.
Accommodate 191 Educare students consisting of infants, toddlers and preschoolers, and 48 Educare staff.
Replace the existing 25-space parking lot in the southwest portion of the project site with a 68-space parking lot to be shared by the Educare facility and Barton Elementary school staff, and an 18-space visitor and student drop-off parking lot for the Educare facility in the northwest portion of the project site.
The project would become operational in September 2017, although some of the construction would not be completed until December of that year. The 7.3-acre Barton Elementary School campus occupies one city block in a residential area. The school is surrounded on the north, west and south by single and multifamily residences. The predominant noise source is automobile and truck traffic on East Del Amo Boulevard, which bounds the school on the north, and on neighborhood streets. Measured 15-minute average noise levels in this neighborhood and on the school campus ranged from 53.2 dBA to 68.3 dBA; the maximum was in front of a residence on East Del Amo Boulevard. Project construction activities, which will last about 12 months, will include demolishing the existing parking lot, fine grading, utility trenching, erecting prefabricated buildings, paving of parking lots and playgrounds, applying architectural coatings, and demolishing old portable classrooms. For all construction phases except architectural coating, construction alone will add 64.5 to 79.9 dBA Leq to the neighborhood, without taking into account sound attenuation by existing walls in front of some houses. Short-term noise increases over ambient levels will range from 5.0 to 21.5 dBA Leq. The Long Beach Municipal Code limits construction activities to the hours of 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Friday, and 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Saturdays. This would preclude construction noise exposures during the evening and nighttime hours, when people are most sensitive to noise. Except for building construction, construction phases will be less than or equal to 15 working days. Short-term noise exposures due to the project would be less than significant. Nevertheless, we propose several measures to lessen the construction impacts. Using the findings of a traffic study performed for this project, we analyzed the noise impacts of the net increase in school traffic. (The project will eliminate some traffic while creating more.) The increase in peak-hour residential noise exposure due to the project would range from 0.2 to 1.9 dBA Leq, an amount that would not be noticeable. The increase in the community noise equivalent level (CNEL), which is a weighted 24-hour average, would be less than or equal to 0.06 dBA, which 5978/ Educare Facility at Barton Elementary School Noise Analysis
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Executive Summary would not be detectable. The resulting increase in traffic noise would therefore be less than significant and no mitigation is necessary. Long Beach has no discretionary development projects under review that are in the general vicinity of the school project site. Permanent increases in traffic from the proposed school project will result in an essentially undetectable increase in noise exposure to sensitive receivers on local roadways. Therefore, cumulative impacts from the proposed project operations would be less than significant.
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Introduction 1.0
INTRODUCTION
The Long Beach Unified School District (District) proposes to construct and operate a new 30,000square-foot Educare facility within approximately 2.6 acres in the west portion of the existing Barton Elementary School campus (project site). Educare is a preschool program serving at-risk children from birth to five years old within the community. The Barton Elementary School occupies approximately 7.3 acres within one city block in Area 1 of the District (Figure 1.1-1). The school is bounded by Del Amo Boulevard to the north, Ridgewood Street to the south, Bentree Avenue to the east and Lemon Avenue to the west in the City of Long Beach, California (Figure 1.1-2).1 Currently, direct access to the Barton Elementary School is from East Ridgewood Street. Upon completion, the Educare facility site access will be from Lemon Avenue. The Barton Elementary School currently serves approximately 600 kindergarten to fifth grade students, and employs 29 administrators and 27 teachers. The school has four permanent buildings constructed in 1948, 1950 and 1969; and 17 portable classroom units that include 32 classrooms. The proposed project will not impact permanent structures, or displace teachers or students. It includes the following actions:
Construct an approximately 30,000-square-foot facility with one two-story Administration Building, and three single-story buildings (total 16 permanent classrooms) surrounding a central open space near the south boundary.
Demolish nine of 17 existing portable classrooms.
Accommodate 191 Educare students consisting of infants, toddlers and preschoolers, and 48 Educare staff.
Replace the existing 25-space parking lot in the southwest portion of the project site with a 68-space parking lot to be shared by the Educare facility and Barton Elementary school staff, and an 18-space visitor and student drop-off parking lot for the Educare facility in the northwest portion of the project site.
The proposed project will be consistent with the Facility Master Plan by replacing “portables and bungalows” with permanent construction and “provide facility equity.” Proposed buildings will not exceed the City’s allowable maximum building height of 30 feet. 1.1
Permanent Facilities
The proposed Educare facility will occupy the west portion of the Barton Elementary School campus (Figure 1.1-3). The structures associated with the Educare facility are as follows.
1
The project site includes areas to be disturbed during construction outside the Educare Facility Boundary.
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Introduction Figure 1.1-1 LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT MAP (DRAFT)
Modified from: http://www.longbeach.gov/uploadedImages/Pages/Departments/TI/media_library/Images/GIS_Map_Previews/LBUnifiedSchoolDistrictMap.jpg. Accessed October 15, 2015.
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Introduction Figure 1.1-2 PROJECT BOUNDARY
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Introduction Figure 1.1-3 PROPOSED EDUCARE FACILITY
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Introduction
The administration and training center will share a single two-story building (Building A) near the corner of Lemon Avenue and Ridgewood Street, within the southwest portion of the Educare facility. The amenities for Building A will include reception and lobby, teachers and parents resources rooms, training room, offices for family support supervisor and nurses, a conference room, a gross motor and multipurpose room, restrooms, custodial closet, and a kitchen facility.
Three one-story classroom buildings (Building B, C, and D) will be located south of the administration building on the southwest corner of the Educare facility. These three buildings will include three classrooms for infants; six classrooms for toddlers; five classrooms for preschoolers; and two flexible classrooms that can be used for a variety of purposes.
Table 1.1-1 summarizes permanent building facilities and their functions. Table 1.1-1 PROPOSED PERMANENT FACILITIES Use Administration, Training Center, Motor Skills/Multipurpose Room, and Kitchen (two stories) Flexible, Toddler, Preschool and Infant Classrooms, and Ancillary services Toddler, Preschool and Infant Classrooms Toddler, Preschool and Infant Classrooms TOTAL
1.1.1
Building
Number of Classrooms
Approximate Floor Area (Square Feet)
A
No dedicated classrooms
6,578 (1st Floor) 5,457 (2nd Floor)
B
6
8,086
C
4
4,741
D
6
7,138
16
26,543
Outdoor Play Areas and Amenities
The administration and three classroom buildings will surround a central open-space outdoor play area for Educare facility students. The central open space will be a play area for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Additional green open space including the Educare garden will be located at the southwestern corner of the Educare facility adjacent to classroom Buildings C and D. 1.1.2
Access, Parking, and Drop-off/Pick-up
One 25-space parking lot is currently located along Ridgewood Street in the southwest portion of the Barton Elementary School campus. This parking lot will be demolished and a new parking lot will be constructed at the corner of Del Amo Boulevard and Lemon Avenue in the northwest portion of the Barton Elementary School campus. The proposed parking lot will include 68 (90-degree) parking stalls to be shared by Educare facility and Barton Elementary school staff, and will have a single point of vehicle access from Lemon Avenue. An additional visitor and student drop-off parking lot with 18 (90-degree) parking stalls for the Educare facility will also be accessible from the same access point along Lemon Avenue (see Figure 1.1-1). 5978/ Educare Facility at Barton Elementary School Noise Analysis
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Introduction Northbound vehicles on Lemon Avenue will make a right turn into the parking lot and southbound vehicles will make a left turn to enter the parking lot. Exiting vehicles from the parking lot will make a right turn only and merge into northbound traffic on Lemon Avenue to exit the parking lot. Parents or guardians will escort Educare students from the visitor and student drop-off parking lot to classroom facilities in the south portion of the campus. 1.1.3
Project Design Features
The proposed facilities will be designed and constructed in accordance with specifications in the current California Building Code (CBC) for the construction of public school buildings with paths and ramps to accommodate handicap access to buildings and between facilities in compliance with American with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Construction of school facilities will also follow the recommendations outlined in the Division of the State Architect (DSA)’s Interpretation of Regulations (IR). The IRs were created by DSA as an acceptable method for achieving compliance with applicable building codes and regulations including structural design, relocatable buildings, fire resistive building materials, fire alarms, fire suppression equipment, safe occupant egress, and firefighting equipment access. The proposed project will comply with the building standards applicable to public school buildings in Title 24 of California Code of Regulations (CCR), Part 2 Building Code, Part 3 Electrical Code, Part 4 Mechanical Code, Part 5 Plumbing Code, Part 6 Energy Code, Part 11 Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen Code), and Part 12 Reference Standards Code requirements. Satisfying these standards and code requirements will ensure implementation of structural safety, fire protection, energy efficient design, and water conservation measures, and will aid in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. 1.1.4
Lighting
Standard school lighting is planned for the interior and exterior of classrooms, administration, training center, kitchen, and corridors. Exterior lighting for parking lots, walkways and playgrounds will comply with requirements of the City of Long Beach Municipal Code. Outdoor lighting will be designed and installed to confine lighting to the Educare facility, and will not illuminate adjacent properties. 1.1.5
Landscaping/Hardscaping
The Educare facility will be largely hardscaped, except for selected areas for planters. Landscaping will be provided along the western, northern and southern boundaries of the facility. After construction, the impervious area within the Educare facility area will be reduced by approximately four percent from the current 286,959 to 274,579 square feet.2 1.1.6
Utility Improvements
Underground water and sewer utilities point of connection will be along Lemon Avenue between Buildings A and D. Electrical power is available only from Del Amo Boulevard.2
2
Email from Edith Florence (LBUSD) to Dan Herlihy (UltraSystems) dated November 11, 2015.
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Introduction 1.1.7
Operation
The Educare facility will operate throughout the year. Standard hours of operation will be from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday for students. Peak-hour drop-off and pickup time will be from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 to 4:00 p.m., respectively. The administration staff, custodial staff and teachers will be onsite from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 1.1.8
Security
The Educare security policies will require parents, guardians or preapproved persons to sign-in students. For security and circulation, a receptionist in the lobby will direct persons to the facility, stairs or elevator to the second floor, where the training and Parent Resource Rooms are located. Other site security features include fencing between buildings, security cameras, emergency communication systems, evacuation plan and ability to lock down the campus in case of an emergency. 1.2
Construction Activities and Schedule
During the summer of 2016, the Barton Elementary School playground will be reconfigured to a new layout to make room for the construction of the Educare facility by relocating a lunch shelter, kickball backstop, tetherball posts, playground climbing apparatus and basketball hoops. Demolition of the existing parking lot is scheduled for January 2017. Following demolition activities, building pads, utility trenches, precise grading for drainage contours, landscaped areas and amenities for the project site will be prepared. After grading, infrastructure improvements such as water, sewer and drainage lines will be installed, and foundations will be poured. Prefabricated modular building components will be delivered to the site. Interior furnishings and detail work, playground and landscaping will then be completed. Following construction, nine portable buildings will be demolished and the new parking lots will be constructed in the same area. As currently planned, building construction will be completed before October 2017, and the new parking areas and other outside construction will be completed by December 2017. The scheduled start date for construction will depend on approvals from the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and Division of the State Architect (DSA). The proposed Educare facility is scheduled to begin operations for the 2017–2018 school year.
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Background Information 2.0
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
2.1
Characteristics of Sound
Sound is a pressure wave transmitted through the air. It is described in terms of loudness or amplitude (measured in decibels), frequency or pitch (measured in hertz [Hz] or cycles per second), and duration (measured in seconds or minutes). The decibel (dB) scale is a logarithmic scale that describes the physical intensity of the pressure vibrations that make up any sound. The pitch of the sound is related to the frequency of the pressure vibration. Because the human ear is not equally sensitive to all frequencies, a special frequency-dependent rating scale is used to relate noise to human sensitivity. The A-weighted decibel scale (dBA) provides this compensation by discriminating against upper and lower frequencies in a manner approximating the sensitivity of the human ear. The scale is based on a reference pressure level of 20 micropascals (zero dBA). The scale ranges from zero (for the average least perceptible sound) to about 130 (for the average human pain level). The normal range of conversation is between 34 and 66 dBA. Between 70 and 90 dBA, sound is distracting and presents an obstacle to conversation, thinking, or learning. Above 90 dBA, sound can cause permanent hearing loss. Examples of various sound levels in different environments are shown in Table 2.1-1. Table 2.1-1 TYPICAL SOUND LEVELS Common Sounds Oxygen Torch Rock Band Pile Driver at 50 feet Ambulance Siren at 100 feet Garbage disposal Vacuum Cleaner at 10 feet Air Conditioner at 100 feet Quiet Urban Daytime Quiet Urban Nighttime Bedroom at Night Recording Studio
A-Weighted Sound Level in Decibels 120 110 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Subjective Impression Pain Threshold Very Loud Moderately Loud
Quiet Just Audible Threshold of Hearing
Source: Aviation Planning Associates. 1978. Calculations of Maximum A-weighted Sound Levels (dBA) Resulting from Civil Aircraft Operations.
A noise environment consists of a base of steady “background” noise that is the sum of many distant and indistinguishable noise sources. Superimposed on this background noise is the sound from individual local sources. These can vary from an occasional aircraft or train passing by to virtually continuous noise from, for example, traffic on a major highway. To the human ear, a sound 10 dBA higher than another is judged to be twice as loud; 20 dBA higher is four times as loud; and so forth. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), 5978/ Educare Facility at Barton Elementary School Noise Analysis
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Background Information a difference of more than 3 dBA is a perceptible change in environmental noise, while a 5 dBA difference typically causes a change in community reaction, and an increase of 10 dBA is perceived by people as doubling of loudness.3
2.2
Noise Measurement Scales
Several rating scales have been developed to analyze adverse effects of community noise on people. Since environmental noise fluctuates over time, these scales consider that the effect of noise on people depends largely upon the total acoustical energy content of the noise, as well as the time of day when the noise occurs. Those that are applicable to this analysis are as follows:
2.3
Leq, the equivalent noise level, is an average of sound level over a defined time period (such as 1 minute, 15 minutes, 1 hour or 24 hours). Thus, the Leq of a time-varying noise and that of a steady noise are the same if they deliver the same acoustic energy to the ear during exposure.
L90 is a noise level that is exceeded 90 percent of the time at a given location; it is often used as a measure of “background” noise.
CNEL, the Community Noise Equivalent Level, is a 24-hour average Leq with a 4.77-dBA “penalty” added to noise during the hours of 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and a 10-dBA penalty added to noise during the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. to account for noise sensitivity in the evening and nighttime.4 The logarithmic effect of these additions is that a 60-dBA 24hour Leq would result in a calculation of 66.7 dBA CNEL.
Ldn, the day-night average noise, is a 24-hour average Leq with an additional 10-dBA “penalty” added to noise that occurs between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The Ldn metric yields values within 1 dBA of the CNEL metric. As a matter of practice, Ldn and CNEL values are considered to be equivalent and are treated as such in this assessment.
Noise Attenuation
The noise level from a particular source generally declines as the distance to the receiver increases. Other factors such as the weather and reflecting or shielding also intensify or reduce the noise level at any given location. Typically, a single row of buildings between the receiver and the noise source reduces the noise level by about 5 dBA. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has stated that exterior noise levels can normally be reduced by 15 dBA inside buildings constructed with no special noise insulation.5 The USEPA estimates that residences in “warm” climates provide at least 12 dBA of exterior-to-interior noise attenuation with windows open and 24 dBA with windows closed.6 Noise from traffic on roads depends on the volume and speed of traffic and the distance from the traffic. A commonly used rule of thumb for traffic noise is that for every doubling of distance from 3 4 5 6
Information on Levels of Environmental Noise Requisite to Protect Public Health and Welfare with an Adequate Margin of Safety. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). (March 1974). Technical Noise Supplement. California Department of Transportation, Division of Environmental Analysis, Sacramento, California (November 2009), p. 2-57. Noise Guidebook. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (1985). Protective Noise Levels. Condensed Version of EPA Levels Document. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Noise Abatement and Control, Washington, DC, EPA-550/9-79-100 (November 1978).
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Background Information the road, atmospheric spreading over “hard” or “soft” sites reduces the noise level by about 3 or 4.5 dBA, respectively. For a stationary source, the noise is reduced by at least 6 dBA for each doubling of distance. Further, because of the logarithmic nature of the decibel scale, a doubling of traffic on any given roadway or doubling a stationary source would cause a noise increase of approximately 3 dBA.
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Environmental Setting 3.0
ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
3.1
Existing Noise Environment
The project site is located in a highly urbanized area and is surrounded by single and multifamily residential land uses. The predominant noise source is automobile and truck traffic on East Del Amo Boulevard, which bounds the school on the north, and on neighborhood streets. Measured ambient noise levels are discussed in Section 3.3.
3.2
Sensitive Receivers Near the Project
Table 3.2-1 shows the types of noise-sensitive land uses in the project area, during both construction and operation. Table 3.2-1 SENSITIVE LAND USES NEAR PROJECT SITE Sensitive Land Use
Location With Respect to Project Features
Smallest Distance from Proposed Project (Feet)
Residential Neighborhoods
On the north, west and south
50
Barton Elementary School
Adjacent on the east and southeast
0
The Church in Long Beach
The Church in Long Beach 4911 Orange Ave. Long Beach, CA 90807 (East of Barton Elementary School)
400
Source: UltraSystems with Google Earth. 2015.
3.3
Ambient Noise Monitoring
On November 3, 2015, UltraSystems conducted ambient noise sampling at eight locations in the general project area; these are shown in Figure 3.3-1 (Ambient Noise Measurement Locations). Table 3.3-1 (Characteristics of Ambient Noise Measurement Locations) lists the measurement points, sampling date and times, and why the sites were chosen.
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Environmental Setting Figure 1.1-33.3-1 AMBIENT NOISE SAMPLING LOCATIONS
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Environmental Setting Table 3.3-1 CHARACTERISTICS OF AMBIENT NOISE MEASUREMENT LOCATIONS Point 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Sampling Location On the north side of the campus, near eastern edge of future parking lot. On the southern part of the campus, near East Ridgewood Avenue, between a 14-foothigh building and a parking lot. On the northeast part of the campus, near southwestern leg of future parking lot. 45 feet from existing preschool. 1124 East Ridgewood Avenue, across street from campus. 1092 Terrace Drive, at southwest corner of Terrace Drive and Lemon Avenue, across street from campus. 1090 East Luray Street, at southwest corner of East Luray Street and Lemon Avenue, across street from campus. 1085 East Luray Street, at northwest corner of East Luray Street and Lemon Avenue, across street from campus. On sidewalk, north side of East Del Amo Boulevard, across street from campus.
Date
Time Interval
11-3-2015 Tuesday
08:55–09:10
Measure ambient noise levels on campus during school hours.
11-3-2015 Tuesday
09:25–09:40
Measure ambient noise levels on campus during school hours.
11-3-2015 Tuesday
09:47–10:02
Measure ambient noise levels on campus during school hours.
11-3-2015 Tuesday
10:25–10:40
Measure ambient noise levels near existing residence near future construction area.
11-3-2015 Tuesday
11:02–11:17
Measure ambient noise levels at existing residence near future construction area.
11-3-2015 Tuesday
15:51–15:56
Measure ambient noise levels at existing residence near future construction area.
11-3-2015 Tuesday
11:44–11:59
Measure ambient noise levels at existing residence near future construction area.
11-3-2015 Tuesday
12:11–12:26
Measure ambient noise levels at existing residence near future construction area.
Purpose of Selection
The sampling locations were chosen to provide ambient noise data to compare with the results of construction noise projections. (See Section 5.1.) A Quest SoundPro Model DL-1-1/3 ANSI Type 1 sound level meter was used in the “slow” mode at each site to obtain a 15-minute average sound level (Leq), as well as other metrics. The meter’s microphone was maintained five feet above the ground. The samples were taken in the morning on a Tuesday, on a day in which Barton Elementary School was in session. Noise meter output records and observations during sampling are in Appendix A. Table 3.3-2 (Measured Ambient Noise Levels) shows the results of the ambient noise sampling. Ambient noise levels for the seven sampling points not on East Del Amo Boulevard averaged 59.7 dBA. Those points’ L90 values averaged 51.8 dBA. Noise levels at Point 8 appear to be heavily influenced by traffic on East Del Amo Boulevard. The Leq at that location was almost 9 dBA higher than the average for the remaining points. 5978/ Educare Facility at Barton Elementary School Noise Analysis
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Environmental Setting Table 3.3-2 MEASURED AMBIENT NOISE LEVELS Measurement Results (dBA) Point 1
Notes
15-Minute Leq
Lmax
L90
53.2
64.2
48.4
2
60.8
81.3
50.3
3
63.2
75.6
53.4
4
58.0
75.7
49.5
5
59.5
75.1
52.3
6
58.4
71.2
53.3
7
59.4
73.2
53.0
8
68.3
78.6
51.2
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Recess in progress for about 50% of time Recess in progress Recess in progress Recess in progress Recess in progress; some preschool pickup and drop-off Heavy traffic on East Del Amo Boulevard
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Environmental Setting 4.0
APPLICABLE REGULATIONS
To limit population exposure to noise levels that are physically and/or psychologically damaging or intrusive, the federal government, the State of California, various county governments and most municipalities in the state have established noise policies, standards and ordinances.
4.1
Federal
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has set a goal of 45 dBA Ldn as a desirable maximum interior standard for residential units developed under HUD funding (HUD, 1985). While HUD does not specify acceptable exterior noise levels, standard construction of residential dwellings constructed under Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations typically provides 20 dBA of acoustical attenuation with the windows closed and 10 dBA with the windows open. Based on this assumption, the exterior Ldn or CNEL should not exceed 65 dBA under normal conditions.
4.2
State of California
The California Department of Health Services (DHS) Office of Noise Control has studied the correlation of noise levels with effects on various land uses. (The Office of Noise Control no longer exists.) The most current guidelines prepared by the state noise officer are contained in the “General Plan Guidelines” issued by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research in 2003.7 These guidelines establish four categories for judging the severity of noise intrusion on specified land uses:
Normally Acceptable: Is generally acceptable, with no mitigation necessary.
Conditionally Acceptable: May require some mitigation, as established through a noise study.
Normally Unacceptable: Requires substantial mitigation.
Clearly unacceptable: Probably cannot be mitigated to a less-than-significant level.
The types of land uses addressed by the state standards, and the acceptable noise categories for each, are presented in Table 4.2-1. There is some overlap between categories, which indicates that some judgment is required in determining the applicability of the numbers in every situation. Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations requires performing acoustical studies before constructing dwelling units in areas that exceed 60 dBA Ldn. In addition, the California Noise Insulation Standards identify an interior noise standard of 45 dBA CNEL for new multi-family residential units. (Local governments frequently extend this requirement to single-family housing.)
4.3
Local Standards
The primary regulatory documents that establish noise standards in the City of Long Beach are the General Plan Noise Element8 and the Municipal Code. The Noise Element was adopted in 1975 and has not been updated since. The element’s information on the existing noise environment is obsolete and was not considered in this analysis. However the goals and objectives of the noise 7 8
State of California, General Plan Guidelines. Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, Sacramento, California (2003). Long Beach General Plan, Noise Element. City of Long Beach, Planning Department. March 25, 1975.
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Environmental Setting element have served as guidance for noise controls established through the Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC). Finally, the Noise Element lists noise control techniques for all the major types of noise sources affecting the city. 4.3.1
Sensitive Receptors
The City of Long Beach General Plan, Noise Element explicitly defines only four land uses that are especially sensitive to noise: residential, hospitals, libraries and schools.9 4.3.2
Noise Limits
Most of the noise-related provisions of the LBMC are in Chapter 8.80, Noise. Only those provisions relevant to the present noise analysis will be discussed here. Sections 8.80.50 and 8.80.60 set limits on exterior noise exposure in five “districts,” each with a predominant type of noise receiver.10 The project site is in District One, which is “predominantly residential with other land use types also present.”11 Table 4.3-1 summarizes the limits, which apply to noise generated on one property (or in a public area) and received on another property. The Municipal Code allows an upward adjustment in the permissible noise exposures when normal ambient levels exceed the limits shown.12 Both original and adjusted limits for daytime residential exposure are shown in Table 4.3-1.
9 10 11 12
Long Beach General Plan, Noise Element, p. 136. A map of the districts is in § 8.80.150 of the Municipal Code. City of Long Beach Municipal Code § 8.80.150 – Exterior Noise limits—Sound Levels by Receiving Land Use District. Table A, Exterior Noise Limits. City of Long Beach Municipal Code, § 8.80.150(C).
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Environmental Setting Table 4.2-1 LAND USE COMPATIBILITY FOR COMMUNITY NOISE SOURCES Land Use Category
Noise Exposure (dBA, CNEL) 55
60
65
70
75
80
Residential – Low-Density Single-Family, Duplex, Mobile Homes Residential – Multiple Family Transient Lodging – Motel, Hotels Schools, Libraries, Churches, Hospitals, Nursing Homes Auditoriums, Concert Halls, Amphitheaters Sports Arena, Outdoor Spectator Sports Playgrounds, Neighborhood Parks Golf Courses, Riding Stables, Water Recreation, Cemeteries Office Buildings, Professional
Business
Commercial
and
Industrial, Manufacturing, Utilities, Agriculture Normally Acceptable: Specified land use is satisfactory, based upon the assumption that any buildings involved are of normal conventional construction without any special noise insulation requirements. Conditionally Acceptable: New construction or development should be undertaken only after a detailed analysis of the noise reduction requirements is made and needed noise insulation features included in the design. Conventional construction, but with closed windows and fresh air supply system or air conditioning will normally suffice. Normally Unacceptable: New construction or development should generally be discouraged. If new construction or development does proceed, a detailed analysis of the noise reduction requirements must be made and needed noise insulation features included in the design. Clearly Unacceptable: New construction or development should generally not be undertaken. Source: State of California, 2003.
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Environmental Setting Table 4.3-1 MAXIMUM ALLOWED EXTERIOR NOISE LEVELS FOR VARIOUS EXPOSURE PERIODS dBA, for Periods Exceeding: Receiving Land Use District District One: Predominantly residential with other land use types also present District Two: Predominantly commercial with other land use types also present District Three: Predominantly industrial with other land use types also present District Four: Predominantly industrial with other land use types also present District Five: Airport, freeways and waterways regulated by other agencies
Time Period 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM (Unadjusted to Ambient Values) 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM(Adjusted to Ambient Values)
30 min.
15 min.
5 min.
1 min.
Anytimea
50
55
60
65
70
60
60
60
65
70
10:00 PM to 7:00 AM
45
50
55
60
65
7:00 AM to 10:00 PM
60
65
70
75
80
10:00 PM to 7:00 AM
55
60
65
70
75
Exterior
Anytime
65
70
75
80
85
Exterior
Anytime
70
75
80
85
90
Exterior
Exterior
Not subject to Long Beach Municipal Code Noise Limits
Source: City of Long Beach Municipal Code §§ 8.80.150 and 8.80.160. a Or the maximum measured ambient level, for any period of time.
4.3.3
Construction Noise
The General Plan, Noise Element suggests that, during daytime construction activities, “average maximum noise levels outside the nearest building, at the window of the occupied room closest to the site boundary, should not exceed 70 dBA in areas away from main roads and sources of industrial noise.”13 This is not, however, a provision of the Municipal Code. Section 8.80.202 of the LBMC addresses construction noise. Noise-producing construction activity is limited to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. No construction equipment of any type may be used on Sundays. Federal holidays are considered weekdays. The LBMC provides for Sunday work permits, which allow construction activities from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are no noise limit relaxations or exemptions for construction.
13
Long Beach General Plan, Noise Element, p. 95.
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Environmental Setting 4.3.4
Long-Term (Operational) Noise
Neither the City of Long Beach General Plan Noise Element nor the Municipal Code contains a chart of acceptable exposure levels similar to the statewide one shown in Table 4.2-1. Instead, the Noise Element recommends the limits shown in Table 4.3-2. Note that specifying separate Ldn values for daytime and nighttime contradicts the definition of Ldn, which is a 24-hour weighted average. Table 4.3-2 RECOMMENDED CRITERIA FOR MAXIMUM ACCEPTABLE NOISE LEVELS Major Land Use Type
Outdoor Lmax
L10
Indoor L50
Residential (7 a.m. – 10 p.m.) 70 55 45 Residential (10 p.m. – 7 a.m.) 60 45 35 Commercial (Anytime) 75 65 55 Industrial (Anytime) 85 70 60 Source: City of Long Beach General Plan, Noise Element, p.137. 1975.
Ldn 45 35 None None
For ambient measurement sites in the residential areas surrounding Barton Elementary School, Lmax exceeds the criterion of 70 dBA, without the project.
4.4
Thresholds of Significance for this Analysis
There are two criteria for judging noise impacts. First, noise levels generated by the proposed project must comply with all relevant federal, state and local standards and regulations. Noise impacts on the surrounding community are limited by local noise ordinances, which are implemented through investigations in response to nuisance complaints. It is assumed that all existing regulations for the construction and operation of the proposed project would be enforced. In addition, the proposed project should not produce noise levels that are incompatible with adjacent noise sensitive land uses as defined in the City of Long Beach General Plan Noise Element. The second measure of impact used in this analysis is the significant increase in noise levels above existing ambient noise levels as a result of the introduction of a new noise source. An increase in noise level due to a new noise source has a potential to adversely impact people. Based on the applicable noise regulations stated above, the proposed project would have a significant noise impact if it would:
Conflict with applicable noise restrictions or standards imposed by regulatory agencies.
Cause the permanent ambient noise level at the property line of an affected land use to increase by 3 dBA CNEL.
Contribute to a significant cumulative noise impact.
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Environmental Setting 5.0
PROJECT IMPACTS
Both long- and short-term noise impacts are associated with school projects. Construction activities, especially heavy equipment operation, would create noise effects on and adjacent to the construction site. Long-term noise impacts include project-generated on-site and off-site operational noise sources. On-site (stationary) noise sources would include operation of mechanical equipment such as air conditioners, landscape and building maintenance; and children playing outdoors. Off-site noise would be attributable to project-induced traffic, which would cause an incremental increase in noise levels within and near the project vicinity. This section also evaluates potential groundborne vibration that would be generated from the construction or operation of the proposed project.
5.1
Short-Term Noise Impacts
The construction of the proposed project could generate noise levels in excess of standards adopted in local ordinances. Noise impacts from construction activities are a function of the noise generated by the operation of construction equipment and on-road delivery and worker commuter vehicles, the location of equipment, and the timing and duration of the noise-generating activities. For the purpose of this analysis, it was estimated that the construction of the proposed project would begin in January 2017 and finish within a year.14 The types and numbers of pieces of equipment anticipated in each phase of construction and development were estimated by the California Emissions Estimator Model (CalEEMod) (EIC, 2013a), which was used in the air quality analysis for the proposed project. The equipment mix is, in turn, based on a construction survey performed by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) (EIC, 2013b). Table 5.1-1 lists the equipment expected to be used. For each equipment type, the table shows an average noise emission level (in dB at 50 feet, unless otherwise specified) and a “usage factor,” which is an estimated percentage of operating time that the equipment would be producing noise at the stated level.15 The next step was to use CalEEMod’s default options to develop a construction schedule, which includes eight phases: existing parking lot demolition, fine grading, utility trenching, prefabricated building construction, paving of playgrounds, application of architectural coatings, portable classroom demolition, and paving of the new parking lot. Each phase includes a different mix of construction equipment. UltraSystems estimated noise exposures for each construction phase. Four sensitive receiver locations were used for the analysis: ambient noise sampling points 4, 5, 7 and 8. (See Figure 3.431.) These receivers were the closest to the construction activity. The distances used for the analysis consisted of the geometric means of minimum and maximum distances between each
14
15
Approximate starting and completion dates for major construction phases were obtained from Section 2.3 of the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration for the project. These milestones were adjusted to be consistent with the phase durations estimated by the CalEEMod emissions model. Equipment noise emissions and usage factors are from Knauer, H. et al., 2006. FHWA Highway Construction Noise Handbook. U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology, Administration, Cambridge, Massachusetts, FHWA-HEP-06-015 (August 2006); and from Reherman, C.N. et al., 2006. FHWA Roadway Construction Noise Model, Version 1.0 User’s Guide. U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology, Administration, Cambridge, Massachusetts, FHWA-HEP-05-054 (January 2006).
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Environmental Setting phase’s activities and each receiver. Administration (FTA)16 were followed.
Calculation methods published by the Federal Transit
Table 5.1-1 CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT NOISE CHARACTERISTICS Equipment Type Air Compressor Cement and Mortar Mixer Concrete/Industrial Saw Crane Forklift17 Generator Set Grader18 Loader (Tractor/Loader/Backhoe) Paver Paving Equipment Roller Rubber Tired Dozer Welding Machine
Maximum Sound Level (dBA @ 50 feet) 78 79 90 81 65 81 85 78 77 85 80 82 74
Usage Factor (%) 40 40 20 16 50 50 40 40 50 36 20 40 40
Table 5.1-2 summarizes, for each phase, the maximum short-term noise exposures that would be anticipated from project construction. Attenuation due to the existing walls between some of the residences and the school site was not taken into account. For all construction phases except architectural coating, construction alone will add 64.5 to 79.9 dBA Leq to the neighborhood. Shortterm noise increases over ambient levels will range from 5.0 to 21.5 dBA Leq.
16 17 18
Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment, FTA-VA-90-1003-06. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration (May 2006). Construction Noise Threshold Criteria and Control Plan. Prepared by Advanced Engineering Acoustics, Simi Valley, California for County of Ventura (November 2006), p. 4; usage factor is estimate by UltraSystems. City of Moreno Valley, Moreno Valley General Plan, Final Program EIR (July 2006) (http://www.morenovalley.ca.us/city_hall/general-plan/06gpfinal/ieir/5_4-noise.pdf), p. 5.4-8 is reference for sound level; usage factor is an estimate by UltraSystems.
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Environmental Setting Table 5.1-2 ESTIMATED ONE-HOUR CONSTRUCTION NOISE EXPOSURES AT NEAREST SENSITIVE RECEIVERS
Construction Phase
Nearest Receivera
Adjusted Standard (dBA Leq)
One-Hour Exposure (dBA Leq)
7 7 5 5 5 5
60 60 60 60 60 60
79.5 79.2 75.1 79.9 64.5 75.2
Exposure Increase Above Ambient (dBA) 21.5 21.2 15.7 20.4 5.0 15.8
7
60
77.5
18.1
7
60
72.5
13.1
Parking Lot Demolition Fine Grading Utility Trenching Building Construction Architectural Coating Playground Paving Portable Classrooms Demolition Parking Lot and NonAsphalt Paving aSee
Figure 4.123.3-1 for residential receiver locations.
As noted above, the Long Beach Municipal Code limits construction activities to the hours of 7:00 AM and to 7:00 PM Monday through Friday, and 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Saturdays. This would preclude construction noise exposures during the evening and nighttime hours, when people are most sensitive to noise. Except for building construction, construction phases will be less than or equal to 15 working days. In conclusion, short-term noise exposures due to the project would be less than significant. Nevertheless, we propose several measures to lessen the construction noise impacts. These are presented in Section 7.1.
5.2
Long-Term Noise Impacts
5.2.1
Noise from Onsite Sources
The proposed Educare facility may generate noise onsite as a result of student activities. The student outdoor activities may impact existing residences that will be located near the school boundary. The number of students, the specific activity and the amount of supervision can all greatly affect the amount of noise a group of playing children makes. Typical outdoor activities could create short-term noise levels between 60 to 70 dBA at land uses adjacent to the noise sources.19 For example, noise measurements taken at designated play areas at Hammel Street Elementary School, a school in the Los Angeles Unified School District, during recess activities and immediately following recess showed a noise increase of approximately 2.6 dBA when students were at recess.20 This noise level increase is not a significant impact.
19 20
LAUSD, OEHS. 2004. New School Construction Program, Final Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR), Draft PEIR (incorporated in the Final PEIR). June 8. p. 3.3-10. LAUSD. 2005. East Los Angeles High School No. 2/Central Region Elementary School No. 19 Final EIR, September. Measurements cited were not a part of the study covered by this report.
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Environmental Setting 5.2.2
Roadway Noise
The principal noise source in the project area is traffic on local roadways. The project may contribute to a permanent increase in ambient noise levels in the project vicinity due to projectgenerated vehicle traffic on neighborhood streets and at intersections. A noise impact would occur if the project contributes to a permanent increase in ambient noise levels affecting sensitive receivers along streets that would carry project-generated traffic. In addition, students and faculty at the proposed Educare facility would be exposed to noise from traffic on local streets and from major roadways surrounding Burton Elementary School. Both of these types of impacts were evaluated. Table 5.2-1 shows the average daily traffic (ADT) without the project in 2017 and for the 2017 conditions plus the project, as determined by the traffic study prepared for the project.21 The project is estimated to generate a net 653 daily trips.22 In general, traffic would have to at least double for an increase in roadway noise to have a significant impact on sensitive receivers. Because traffic in areas surrounding Burton Elementary School would not double as a result of the project, those impacts would be less than significant. Table 5.2-1 2017 AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC VOLUMES ON THREE ROADWAY SEGMENTS WITH AND WITHOUT THE PROPOSED PROJECT
Street Del Amo Boulevard East of Lemon Street Ridgewood Street East of Lemon Street Lemon Avenue North of Luray Street
2017 ADT (without Project)
2017 ADT (with Project)
Does Traffic Double?
28,086
28,412
No
849
947
No
1,770
2,194
No
Sources: Rutherfurd, K.R. et al. Barton Elementary School Educare Facility Traffic Impact Analysis. Prepared by Stantec, Irvine, California for Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach, California, November 2015, Figures 10 and 14; Email from Keith Rutherfurd, Stantec, Irvine, California to Michael Rogozen, UltraSystems, Irvine, California. December 3, 2015.
To estimate the impacts of future traffic noise on occupants of residential areas surrounding the school, peak-hour Leq levels at the properties of the nearest residences were estimated as follows. The basic equation for traffic noise exposure at 50 feet is:23 Leq(50) = SELref + 10 log(N) + 40 log(S/Sref) – 10 log(S/Sref) – 35.6 + A where Leq(50) = 1-hour equivalent average noise level (dBA) 21 22 23
Rutherfurd, K.R. et al. Barton Elementary School Educare Facility Traffic Impact Analysis. Prepared by Stantec, Irvine, California for Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach, California, November 2015, Figures 10 and 14. The project will generate 837 weekday trips but will eliminate 184 weekday trips for a net increase of 653 ADT. Federal Transit Administration, Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment, Office of Planning and Enforcement, FTA-VA-90-1003-06. May 2006, pp. 6-14 and 6-16.
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Environmental Setting SELref = Reference sound exposure level (dBA) N
= Vehicles passing by in one hour
S
= Average vehicle speed (miles per hour)
Sref
= Reference vehicle speed (miles per hour)
A
= Adjustment for road surface = -3
Following Federal Transit Administration (FTA) guidance, we assumed an SEL of 74 dBA at 50 feet and a reference speed of 50 miles per hour. Traffic volumes and the posted traffic speed for Del Amo Boulevard were obtained from the traffic study.24 Per the California Department of Transportation’s Traffic Manual, the speed limit for street segments within 500 feet of a school is 25 miles per hour.25 That speed was assumed for Ridgewood Street and Lemon Avenue. The results of the basic calculation were adjusted for distance by the following equation, where D is the actual distance in feet, and the ground surface is assumed to be hard.26 Leq(D) = Leq(50) – 10 log(D/50) Although some of the residences surrounding the school have walls, the analysis was conducted for those properties lacking them. Table 5.2-2 shows the results of the peak hourly noise impact analysis. The maximum increase in peak-hour noise exposure would be 1.9 dBA Leq, which would not be detectable by the average person. Table 5.2-2 2017 PEAK-HOUR RESIDENTIAL NOISE EXPOSURE WITH AND WITHOUT THE PROJECT
Neighborhood Del Amo Boulevard East of Lemon Street Ridgewood Street East of Lemon Street Lemon Avenue North of Luray Street
Hourly Leq (dBA) A.M. Peak Hour P.M. Peak Hour Without With Without With Change Change Project Project Project Project 66.3
66.5
+0.2
66.4
66.5
+0.1
50.6
50.9
+0.3
44.8
45.9
+1.1
51.2
52.3
+1.1
48.4
50.3
+1.9
CNEL values were also calculated for the same residential areas. The results of the analysis are shown in Table 5.2-3. The highest change would be 0.06 dBA, which would not be detectable. Rutherfurd, K.R. et al. Barton Elementary School Educare Facility Traffic Impact Analysis. Prepared by Stantec, Irvine, California for Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach, California, November 2015. 25 “Policy for School Area Signs,” California Department of Transportation, Traffic Manual, Chapter 10, School Area Pedestrian Safety, §10-03.8. August 1996. 26 Caltrans, Technical Noise Supplement (November 2009), p. 2-31. 24
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Environmental Setting Table 5.2-3 2017 RESIDENTIAL CNEL VALUES WITH AND WITHOUT THE PROJECT CNEL (dBA) Residential Neighborhood
Without Project
With Project
Change
67.10
67.15
+0.05
60.00
60.05
+0.05
59.92
59.98
+0.06
Del Amo Boulevard East of Lemon Street Ridgewood Street East of Lemon Street Lemon Avenue North of Luray Street
5.3
Vibration Impacts
Vibration is sound radiated through the ground. Groundborne noise is the rumbling sound caused by the vibration of building interior surfaces. The ground motion caused by vibration is measured as peak particle velocity (PPV) in inches per second and is referenced as vibration decibels (VdB). Typical outdoor sources of perceptible groundborne vibration are construction equipment and traffic on rough roads. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) indicates that vibration levels in critical care areas, such as hospital surgical rooms and laboratories, should not exceed 0.2 inch per second of PPV.27 The FTA also uses a PPV of 0.2 inch per second as a vibration damage threshold for fragile buildings and a PPV of 0.12 inch per second for extremely fragile historic buildings. The FTA criteria for infrequent groundborne vibration events (less than 30 events per day) that may cause annoyance are 80 VdB for residences and buildings where people normally sleep, and 83 VdB for institutional land uses with primarily daytime use.28 5.3.1
Construction Vibration
It is expected that groundborne vibration from project construction activities would cause only intermittent, localized intrusion. The project’s construction activities most likely to cause vibration impacts are:
27 28
Heavy Construction Equipment: Although all heavy, mobile construction equipment has the potential of causing at least some perceptible vibration while operating close to buildings, the vibration is usually short-term and is not of sufficient magnitude to cause building damage. It is not expected that heavy equipment such as large bulldozers would operate close enough to any sensitive receivers to cause vibration impact.
Trucks: Trucks hauling building materials to construction sites can be sources of vibration intrusion if the haul routes pass through residential neighborhoods on streets with bumps or potholes. Repairing the bumps and potholes almost always eliminates the problem.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI). 1983. “Guide to the Evaluation of Human Exposure to Vibration in Buildings,” ANSI S.329-1983. Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment, FTA-VA-90-1003-06. U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration (May 2006).
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Environmental Setting The FTA has published standard vibration levels for construction equipment operations, at a distance of 25 feet.29 The smallest geometric mean distance from construction activity to a residential receptor would be about 118 feet. The calculated vibration levels expressed in VdB and PPV for selected types of construction equipment at distances of 50, 100 and 118 feet are listed in Table 5.3-1. Table 5.3 -1 VIBRATION LEVELS OF CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT PPV at 50 feet (in/sec)
Vibration Decibels at 50 feet (VdB)
PPV at 118 feet (in/sec)a
Vibration Decibels at 118 feet (VdB)a
87
0.0315
81
0.0087
74
0.076
83
0.0269
77
0.0074
70
Jackhammer
0.035
79
0.0124
73
0.0034
66
Small Bulldozer
0.003
58
0.0011
52
0.0003
45
PPV at 25 feet (in/sec)
Vibration Decibels at 25 feet (VdB)
Large Bulldozer
0.089
Loaded Truck
Equipment
Source: Calculated by UltraSystems from FTA data. a118 feet is representative of the nearest sensitive receiver to the proposed construction.
As shown in Table 5.3-1, the vibration level of construction equipment at the nearest sensitive receiver (118 feet) is at most 0.0087 inch per second, which is less than the FTA damage threshold of 0.12 inch per second PPV for fragile historic buildings, and 74 VdB, which is less than the FTA threshold for human annoyance of 80 VdB. Vibration impacts would therefore be less than significant. 5.3.2
Operational Vibration
Operation of the proposed project would not involve significant sources of groundborne vibration or groundborne noise. Thus, operation of the proposed project would result in a less than significant impact.
29
Ibid., p. 12-12.
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Cumulative Impacts 6.0
CUMULATIVE IMPACTS
A search of the City of Long Beach’s web site identified no near-term development projects under review that are in the general vicinity of the school project site.30 The closest one is about 2,300 feet south of the project site.
6.1
Construction Noise
Given the distance of the nearest site from the project, construction noise from the proposed school project would not significantly increase the short-term exposure of sensitive receivers for those projects. Short-term cumulative impacts would therefore be less than significant.
6.2
Operational Noise
Permanent increases in traffic from the proposed school project will result in essentially an undetectable increase in noise exposure to sensitive receivers on local roadways. Therefore, cumulative impacts from the proposed project would be less than significant.
30
“Current Planning Projects,” City of Irvine, Planning and Development Services. http://www.cityofirvine.org/cityhall/cd/planningactivities/pda/current_planning_projects.asp. Accessed January 28, 2015.
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Mitigation Measures 7.0
MITIGATION MEASURES
7.1
Construction Mitigation Measures
The following measures will reduce noise impacts from construction of the proposed project:
7.2
N-1
The construction contractor will provide temporary shields and noise barriers, including sound blankets, between the areas of active construction and sensitive receivers. Noise barriers typically reduce noise levels by up to 10 dBA.31
N-2
The construction contractor will ensure that all construction equipment, fixed or mobile, is properly operating (tuned-up) and that mufflers are working adequately.
N-3
Construction activities will not occur between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays; between the hours of 7:00 p.m. on Fridays and 9:00 a.m. Saturdays; after 6 p.m. on Saturdays, and anytime on Sundays. No permit for construction activity during these prohibited hours will be sought.
N-4
Construction equipment will not be allowed to idle for more than five minutes when not in use.
N-5
The District will notify residents surrounding the school site of the construction schedule and updates thereof, at least two weeks in advance of a change in construction phase.
Operational Mitigation Measures
Operational noise impacts will be less than significant. No mitigation will be needed.
“Noise Barrier Design – Visual Quality.” 6 July 2011. Internet URL: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/noise/noise_barriers/design_construction/keepdown.cfm. Last accessed 2 August 2012. 31
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Impacts After Mitigation 8.0
IMPACTS AFTER MITIGATION
Mitigation measures N-1 through N-5 will ensure that noise exposures during construction remain less than significant.
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Appendices
APPENDICES
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Appendices
APPENDIX A NOISE MEASUREMENT OUTPUT FILES
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