APPENDIX A NOISE IMPACT REPORT

Transcription

1 APPENDIX A NOISE IMPACT REPORT

2 NOISE IMPACT REPORT EAST CAMPUS SPORTS FIELDS BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA December 2009

3 NOISE IMPACT REPORT EAST CAMPUS SPORTS FIELDS BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA Prepared for: Berkeley Unified School District 1707 Russell Street Berkeley, CA Prepared by: LSA Associates, Inc Fruit Avenue, Suite 103 Fresno, CA (559) December 2009

4 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...1 EXISTING CONDITIONS...7 IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES APPENDICES: APPENDIX A: FHWA TRAFFIC NOISE MODEL PRINTOUTS P:\BSS0901 East Campus\PRODUCTS\IS-MND\Public\Noise Report\noise tech report doc i

5 FIGURES AND TABLES FIGURES Figure 1: Project Vicinity and Regional Location Map...2 Figure 2: Noise Monitoring Locations...8 Figure 3: Noise Impacted Facilities...14 TABLES Table 1: Summary of Human Effects in Areas Exposed to 55 dba L dn...6 Table 2: Common Sound Levels and Their Noise Sources...6 Table 3: Ambient Noise Monitoring Results, dba...7 Table 4: Existing Traffic Noise Levels...9 Table 5: Land Use Compatibility Standards for Community Noise Environments...10 Table 6: City of Berkeley Interior and Exterior Noise Limits, dba...11 Table 7: Maximum Sound Levels for Construction Equipment Noise, dba, L max...11 Table 8: Typical Construction Equipment Maximum Noise Levels, L max...12 Table 9: Existing Plus Project Traffic Noise Levels...15 Table 10: Cumulative (2035) No Project Traffic Noise Levels...15 Table 11: Cumulative (2035) Plus Project Traffic Noise Levels...16 P:\BSS0901 East Campus\PRODUCTS\IS-MND\Public\Noise Report\noise tech report doc ii

6 INTRODUCTION This Noise Impact Report has been prepared to assess the potential noise impacts associated with the proposed improvements to the existing East Campus Sports Fields (project) located in the City of Berkeley. The proposed project would include the realignment of Derby Street to allow for the redevelopment of the field to accommodate a baseball field, a basketball court, and a multi-purpose field. This report uses the data collected by a noise measurement survey of the site conducted on September 30, 2009 by LSA Associates, Inc., and the data provided in the traffic study report for this project by LSA. 1 Project Location The project site is located in the City of Berkeley in Alameda County, California, as shown in Figure 1. The site is comprised of three distinct areas: the field at Derby Street (the block bound by Carleton Street, Milvia Street, Derby Street, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way); the segment of Derby Street between Milvia Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way; and a portion of the block south of Derby Street. These components would all be part of the sports field development and the roadway redesign necessary to allow it. Project Description The proposed project would include the realignment of Derby Street to allow for the redevelopment of the field to accommodate a baseball field, a basketball court, and a multi-purpose field. The components of the proposed project are described below. Realignment of Derby Street. The existing segment of Derby Street, between Milvia Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, is a straight roadway segment. As part of the proposed project, the eastern portion of this segment of Derby Street would be curved southward, as shown in Figure 3. The realignment would require the removal of an existing parking area (approximately 7 spaces) and landscaping on the block south of Derby Street, but would not require the removal of any buildings associated with the Berkeley Technology Academy or the King Child Development Center. The realigned Derby Street would be approximately 42 feet wide. Sidewalks would be provided along both sides of the street. The parking configuration along Derby Street would change as part of the project, providing slightly more parking spaces than are currently provided. Approximately 33 parallel parking spaces would be provided along the northern side of Derby Street. On the south side of Derby Street, there would be a 150 foot drop off zone just east of the Derby Street/Martin Luther King, Jr. Way intersection and approximately 40 angled parking spaces along the south side of Derby Street. 1 LSA Associates, Inc, Traffic Impact Analysis for the East Campus Sports Field. December. P:\BSS0901 East Campus\PRODUCTS\IS-MND\Public\Noise Report\noise tech report doc (3/3/2010) 1

7 Petaluma 680 Vallejo 101 San Rafael 80 PROJECT LOCATION Richmond 580 Albany Berkeley 24 Emeryville Emeryville Sausalito Oakland 680 San Leandro CIS AN FR ific Brisbane N SA Pac San Francisco 580 CO Oc Y BA ean 280 REGIONAL LOCATION PROJECT SITE FIGURE 1 project site feet SOURCE: GOOGLE MAPS; LSA ASSOCIATES, INC., I:\BSS0901 curvy derby\figures\noise\fig_1.ai (11/19/09) East Campus Sports Fields Project Project Vicinity and Regional Location

8 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. DECEMBER 2009 BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EAST CAMPUS SPORTS FIELDS NOISE IMPACT REPORT Sports Fields. The realignment of Derby Street would allow for the development of a baseball field and associated facilities, a multi-purpose field, and a basketball court, which are described below. The entire block would be surrounded by a chain link fence, with access provided near the northwest and southeast corners of the field. A new 5-foot sidewalk would be provided along the south side of Carleton Street. No nighttime lighting is proposed for the field. The baseball field would be located on the eastern portion of the site with the baseball field oriented in a north-northwest/south-southeast direction and home plate located in the new field area created by the curve of the Derby Street realignment. The baseball field would include a backstop approximately 20 feet south of home plate, as well as approximately 220 feet of protection fencing running parallel to the first and third baselines. The backstop would rise approximately 30 feet in height and the side fences would be between 10 and 12 feet in height. An arc of approximately 300 feet from home plate for left, center and right fields could be accommodated. Dugouts, batting cages and bleachers would be located along the first and third baselines. The two bleachers would each hold roughly 50 people in five rows of seats, approximately 15 feet in width. A large portion of the centerfield/leftfield would overlap with the multi-purpose field, described below. A multi-purpose field would be located in the northwestern portion of the site. The multi-purpose field would approximately 300 feet long and 180 feet wide, as shown in Figure 3. This field would likely be used for scrimmage/practice for soccer, football, rugby, field hockey, and ultimate Frisbee. The basketball court would be located in the southwestern corner of the site. The size of the court would be approximately 84 feet long and 50 feet wide. Proposed Uses. Users of the field would be primarily associated with the Berkeley High School. BUSD does allow for some outside uses of their sports facilities, which are approved on a case-by-case basis. For this analysis, it is assumed that the maximum recreational use of the fields would occur when there is a BUSD baseball game and use of the basketball court occurring simultaneously. During these occasions it is assumed there would be a total of 34 baseball players (both teams combined), 4 coaches, 50 baseball spectators, and 12 basketball players. Methodology Related to Noise Impact Assessment In this report, the evaluation of noise impacts associated with the proposed project includes documenting existing noise conditions in the vicinity of the project site; describing the criteria for determining the significance of noise impacts; and determining the likely noise impacts that would result from project construction activities and vehicular traffic. Where appropriate, mitigation measures are recommended to reduce project-related noise impacts to a less-than-significant level. Characteristics of Sound. To the human ear, sound has two significant characteristics: pitch and loudness. A specific pitch can be an annoyance, while loudness can affect our ability to hear. Pitch is the number of complete vibrations or cycles per second of a wave that results in the range of tone from high to low. Loudness is the strength of a sound that describes a noisy or quiet environment, and it is measured by the amplitude of the sound wave. Loudness is determined by the intensity of the sound waves combined with the reception characteristics of the human ear. Sound intensity refers to how hard the sound wave strikes an object, which in turn produces the sound s effect. This characteristic of sound can be precisely measured with instruments. P:\BSS0901 East Campus\PRODUCTS\IS-MND\Public\Noise Report\noise tech report doc (3/3/2010) 3

9 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. DECEMBER 2009 BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EAST CAMPUS SPORTS FIELDS NOISE IMPACT REPORT Measurement of Sound. Several noise measurement scales exist which are used to describe noise in a particular location. A decibel (db) is a unit of measurement which indicates the relative intensity of a sound. The 0 point on the db scale is based on the lowest sound level that the healthy, unimpaired human ear can detect. Changes of 3.0 db or less are only perceptible in laboratory environments. Audible increases in noise levels generally refer to a change of 3.0 db or more, as this level has been found to be barely perceptible to the human ear in outdoor environments. Sound levels in db are calculated on a logarithmic basis. An increase of 10 db represents a 10-fold increase in acoustic energy, while 20 db is 100 times more intense, 30 db is 1,000 times more intense. Each 10- db increase in sound level is perceived as approximately a doubling of loudness. Sound intensity is normally measured through the A-weighted sound level (dba). This scale gives greater weight to the frequencies of sound to which the human ear is most sensitive. Noise impacts can be described in three categories. The first is audible impacts, which refers to increases in noise levels noticeable to humans. Audible increases in noise levels generally refer to a change of 3.0 db or greater, since this level has been found to be barely perceptible in exterior environments. The second category, potentially audible, refers to a change in the noise level between 1.0 and 3.0 db. This range of noise levels has been found to be noticeable only in laboratory environments. The last category is changes in noise level of less than 1.0 db, which are inaudible to the human ear. Only audible changes in existing ambient or background noise levels are considered potentially significant. As noise spreads from a source, it loses energy so that the farther away the noise receiver is from the noise source, the lower the perceived noise level would be. Geometric spreading causes the sound level to attenuate or be reduced, resulting in a 6-dB reduction in the noise level for each doubling of distance from a single point source of noise to the noise sensitive receptor of concern. There are many ways to rate noise for various time periods, but an appropriate rating of ambient noise affecting humans also accounts for the annoying effects of sound. Equivalent continuous sound level (L eq ) is the total sound energy of time-varying noise over a sample period. However, the predominant rating scales for human communities in the State of California are the L eq and community noise equivalent level (CNEL) or the day-night average level (L dn ) based on A-weighted decibels (dba). CNEL is the time-varying noise over a 24-hour period, with a 5 dba weighting factor applied to the hourly L eq for noises occurring from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (defined as relaxation hours) and a 10 dba weighting factor applied to noise occurring from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. (defined as sleeping hours). L dn is similar to the CNEL scale but without the adjustment for events occurring during the evening hours. CNEL and L dn are within one dba of each other and are normally exchangeable. The noise adjustments are added to the noise events occurring during the more sensitive hours. Other noise rating scales of importance when assessing the annoyance factor include the maximum noise level (L max ), which is the highest exponential time-averaged sound level that occurs during a stated time period. The noise environments discussed in this analysis are specified in terms of maximum levels denoted by L max for short-term noise impacts. L max reflects peak operating conditions and addresses the annoying aspects of intermittent noise. Another noise scale often used together with the L max in noise ordinances for enforcement purposes is noise standards in terms of percentile noise levels. For example, the L 10 noise level represents the noise level exceeded 10 percent of the time during a stated period. The L 50 noise level represents the P:\BSS0901 East Campus\PRODUCTS\IS-MND\Public\Noise Report\noise tech report doc (3/3/2010) 4

10 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. DECEMBER 2009 BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EAST CAMPUS SPORTS FIELDS NOISE IMPACT REPORT median noise level. Half the time the noise level exceeds this level, and half the time it is less than this level. The L 90 noise level represents the noise level exceeded 90 percent of the time and is considered the background noise level during a monitoring period. For a relatively constant noise source, the L eq and L 50 are approximately the same. Physiological Effects of Noise. Physical damage to human hearing begins at prolonged exposure to noise levels higher than 85 dba. Exposure to high noise levels affects our entire system, with prolonged noise exposure in excess of 75 dba increasing body tension, and thereby affecting blood pressure, functions of the heart, and the nervous system. In comparison, extended periods of noise exposure above 90 dba would result in permanent cell damage. When the noise level reaches 120 dba, a tickling sensation occurs in the human ear even with short term exposure. This level of noise is called the threshold of feeling. As the sound reaches 140 dba, the tickling sensation is replaced be the feeling of pain in the ear. This is called the threshold of pain. A sound level of 160 to 164 dba will result in dizziness or loss of equilibrium. It is not only exposure to extremely high noise levels that can lead to hearing loss. Irreversible hearing damage can occur with long-term cumulative exposure to levels as low as 70 dba. This 70 dba threshold is not for singular or peak events; rather it is the average environmental sound level a person is exposed to over weeks and years that is critical in preventing hearing loss. So, if enough quiet times are also experienced, this threshold can be surpassed without significant damage occurring. 2 Table 1 lists a summary of human effects in areas exposed to 55 dba L dn. The ambient or background noise problem is widespread and generally more concentrated in urban areas than in outlying, less developed areas. Table 2 lists common sound levels and their noise sources. 2 U.S. EPA Press Release EPA Identifies Noise Levels Affecting Health and Welfare. April 2. P:\BSS0901 East Campus\PRODUCTS\IS-MND\Public\Noise Report\noise tech report doc (3/3/2010) 5

11 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. DECEMBER 2009 BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EAST CAMPUS SPORTS FIELDS NOISE IMPACT REPORT Table 1: Type of Effects Speech Indoors Speech Outdoors Average Community Reaction Complaints Annoyance Attitude Towards Area Summary of Human Effects in Areas Exposed to 55 dba L dn Magnitude of Effect 100 percent sentence intelligibility (average) with a 5 db margin of safety. 100 percent sentence intelligibility (average) at 0.35 meters. 99 percent sentence intelligibility (average) at 1.0 meters. 95 percent sentence intelligibility (average) at 3.5 meters. None evident; 7 db below level of significant complaints and threats of legal action and at least 16 db below vigorous action. 1 percent dependent on attitude and other non-level related factors. 17 percent dependent on attitude and other non-level related factors. Noise essentially the least important of various factors. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Information on Levels of Environmental Noise Requisite to Protect Public Health and Welfare with an Adequate Margin of Safety. March Table 2: Noise Source Common Sound Levels and Their Noise Sources A-Weighted Sound Level in Decibels Noise Environments Subjective Evaluations Near Jet Engine 140 Deafening 128 times as loud Civil Defense Siren 130 Threshold of Pain 64 times as loud Hard Rock Band 120 Threshold of Feeling 32 times as loud Accelerating Motorcycle at a few feet away 110 Very Loud 16 time as loud Pile Driver; Noisy Urban Street/Heavy City Traffic 100 Very Loud 8 times as loud Ambulance Siren; Food Blender 95 Very Loud Garbage Disposal 90 Very Loud 4 times as loud Freight Cars; Living Room Music 85 Loud Pneumatic Drill; Vacuum Cleaner 80 Loud 2 times as loud Busy Restaurant 75 Moderately Loud Reference Level Near Freeway Auto Traffic 70 Moderately Loud Average Office 60 Moderate 1/2 as loud Suburban Street 55 Moderate Light Traffic; Soft Radio Music in Apartment 50 Quiet 1/4 as loud Large Transformer 45 Quiet Average Residence Without Stereo Playing 40 Faint 1/8 as loud Soft Whisper 30 Faint Rustling Leaves 20 Very Faint Human Breathing 10 Very Faint Threshold of Hearing Source: Compiled by LSA Associates, Inc., P:\BSS0901 East Campus\PRODUCTS\IS-MND\Public\Noise Report\noise tech report doc (3/3/2010) 6

12 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. DECEMBER 2009 BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EAST CAMPUS SPORTS FIELDS NOISE IMPACT REPORT EXISTING CONDITIONS Project Site Existing Noise Setting There are a variety of land uses that surround the project site. Single-family and multi-family residential units are located immediately north of the project site. A mix of uses, including medical offices and Berkeley High School, are located farther north of the project site. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way runs along the western border of the project site. There is a mix of uses along this roadway, including commercial, residential and institutional uses. Residential uses are located farther west of the project site. The Berkeley Technology Academy and King Child Development Center are located immediately south of the project site. Residential uses are located farther south of the project site. A University of California Facilities Management building and a vacant ice rink are located immediately east of the project site. The Shattuck Avenue corridor is located farther east of the project site and contains a variety of uses, including retail, commercial, residential, and institutional uses. An LSA noise technician conducted short term (20-minute) ambient noise monitoring near the proposed project site between the hours of 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on September 30, 2009 at three separate locations. The noise monitoring locations are shown in Figure 2. The purpose of this noise monitoring was to document the existing noise environment and capture the noise levels associated with operations Table 3: Ambient Noise Monitoring Results, dba Start Site # Location Time L eq L max L min 1 10 feet west of Milvia Street, 100 feet south of Derby Street 2:12 p.m feet west of Milvia Street, 25 feet south of Carleton Street 2:45 p.m NA feet south of Derby Street, feet east of Martin Luther King Jr. Way 1:42 p.m Source: LSA Associates, Inc., September or activities in the project area. Table 3 lists the noise levels measured during field monitoring. Maximum and minimum noise levels were recorded as well as the equivalent continuous noise level measure L eq. The primary noise source in the project vicinity observed during noise monitoring was vehicular activity on Milvia Street, Carleton Street, and Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Based on the City s land use compatibility standards for community noise environments, ambient noise monitoring results indicate that noise levels in the project vicinity are within the City s normally acceptable range for recreational and neighborhood park land use development. Vehicular Traffic. Existing traffic noise levels were estimated by using the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Highway Traffic Noise Prediction Model (RD ). The model uses traffic data from the traffic report prepared by LSA Associates, Inc. for this project. 3 3 LSA Associates, Inc., op. cit., p. 1. P:\BSS0901 East Campus\PRODUCTS\IS-MND\Public\Noise Report\noise tech report doc (3/3/2010) 7

13 Parker Street Carleton Street Martin Luther Luther King King Jr. Jr. Way Way 2 Milvia Street 3 Derby Street 1 Ward Street project site FIGURE feet noise monitoring locations note: this aerial photograph does not show the new building configuration at the king child development center East Campus Sports Fields Project Noise Monitoring Locations SOURCE: GOOGLE EARTH; 2007; LSA ASSOCIATES, INC., I:\BSS0901 curvy derby\figures\noise\fig_2.ai (11/19/09)

14 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. DECEMBER 2009 BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EAST CAMPUS SPORTS FIELDS NOISE IMPACT REPORT The existing traffic noise levels for specific roadways around the project site are listed in Table 4. The shaded cells in Table 4 indicate roadway segments adjacent to the project site. Results indicate that traffic noise levels from modeled roadway segments nearest the project site range from 48.1 dba to 61.7 dba L dn at 50 feet from the centerline of the outermost travel lane. Table 4: Existing Traffic Noise Levels Centerline to 70 L dn b (feet) Centerline to 65 L dn (feet) Centerline to 60 L dn (feet) L dn (dba) 50 feet from Centerline of Outermost Lane Roadway Segment ADT a Martin Luther King Jr. Way - Parker Street to Carleton Street 10,900 < 50 c < Martin Luther King Jr. Way - Carleton Street to Derby Street 17,600 < 50 < Martin Luther King Jr. Way - Derby Street to Ward Street 20,100 < 50 < Carleton Street - Martin Luther King Jr. Way to Milvia Street 1,000 < 50 < 50 < Derby Street - Martin Luther King Jr. Way to Milvia Street 1,300 < 50 < 50 < Milvia Street - Parker Street to Carleton Street 300 < 50 < 50 < Milvia Street - Carleton Street to Derby Street 600 < 50 < 50 < a Average daily traffic. b The 24 hour A-weighted average sound level from midnight to midnight, obtained after the addition of 10 decibels to sound levels occurring in the night between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. c Traffic noise within 50 feet of roadway centerline requires site specific analysis. Note: Shaded cells indicate roadway segments adjacent to the project site. Source: LSA Associates, Inc., October Aircraft Operations. The project site is located over 8 miles north of Oakland International Airport (the nearest airport) and 16 miles northeast of San Francisco International Airport. While aircraft noise is occasionally audible on the project site, due to the distance from the airports and the orientation of runways and flight patterns the project site does not lie within the 55 dba CNEL/L dn noise contours of any airport. Thresholds of Significance The project would have a significant effect pertaining to noise if it would cause: Exposure of persons to or generation of noise levels in excess of standards established in the local general plan or noise ordinance, or applicable standards of other agencies; Exposure of persons to or generation of excessive groundborne vibration or groundborne noise levels; or A substantial permanent increase of over 4 dba in ambient noise levels in the project vicinity above levels existing without the project. These land use compatibility standards for community noise environments are shown in Table 5. P:\BSS0901 East Campus\PRODUCTS\IS-MND\Public\Noise Report\noise tech report doc (3/3/2010) 9

15 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. DECEMBER 2009 BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EAST CAMPUS SPORTS FIELDS NOISE IMPACT REPORT Table 5: Land Use Compatibility Standards for Community Noise Environments Community Noise Exposure in Decibels (CNEL) Day/Night Average Noise Level in Decibels (Ldn) Land Use Category Residential Low Density Single-Family, Duplex, Mobile Homes Residential Multi-Family Transient Lodging Motels, 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, Business Commercial and Professional 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. Source: State of California General Plan Guidelines, NORMALLY UNACCEPTABLE New construction or development should 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 clearly should not be undertaken. P:\BSS0901 East Campus\PRODUCTS\IS-MND\Public\Noise Report\noise tech report doc (3/3/2010) 10

16 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. DECEMBER 2009 BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EAST CAMPUS SPORTS FIELDS NOISE IMPACT REPORT The City of Berkeley Municipal Code 4 establishes interior and exterior noise level standards. These noise limits are summarized in Table 6. However special provisions or exceptions to these limits are noise sources listed in Section Noise sources that are an exception to the standards are noise sources for the purpose of emergency notification, warning devices, and train horns. Table 6: City of Berkeley Interior and Exterior Noise Limits, dba Land Use/Zone Daytime (7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.) Nighttime (10:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m.) Interior Noise Limits Multi-family Residential Exterior Noise Limits a R-1, R R-3 and above Commercial Industry a Levels not to be exceeded more than thirty minutes any hour. Source: City of Berkeley Municipal Code The ordinance also specifies that where technically and economically feasible, nonscheduled mobile construction equipment and repetitively scheduled long-term stationary construction equipment shall not exceed the maximum sound levels at affected properties identified in Table 7. Any construction activity shall be limited to 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekends or holidays. Table 7: Maximum Sound Levels for Construction Equipment Noise, dba, L max Short Term Operation a Long Term Operation b Land Use Daytime 7:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. Weekends and Holidays 9:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m. Daytime 7:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. Weekends and Holidays 9:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m. Residential c Multi-Family Residential d Commercial/Industrial a Short-term operation is defined as mobile equipment operating as nonscheduled, intermittent, and for less than 10 days. b Long-term operation is defined as repetitively scheduled over a period of 10 days or more for stationary equipment. c R-1, R-2 d R-3 and above Source: City of Berkeley Municipal Code City of Berkeley Municipal Code Section P:\BSS0901 East Campus\PRODUCTS\IS-MND\Public\Noise Report\noise tech report doc (3/3/2010) 11

17 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. DECEMBER 2009 BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EAST CAMPUS SPORTS FIELDS NOISE IMPACT REPORT IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES Short-Term Construction-Related Impacts The proposed project is currently bordered by sensitive land uses, including residences and schools. There are also at least two churches within a block of the project site. Project construction would result in short-term noise impacts on these adjacent land uses. The level and types of noise impacts that would occur during construction are described below. Two types of short-term noise impacts could occur during the construction of the proposed project. First, construction crew commutes and the transport of construction equipment and materials to the site for the proposed project would incrementally increase noise levels on access roads leading to the site. Although there would be a relatively high single event noise exposure potential causing intermittent noise nuisance, the effect on longer term (hourly or daily) ambient noise levels would be small. Therefore, short-term construction related impacts associated with worker commute and equipment transport to the project site would be less than significant. The second type of short-term noise impact is related to noise generated during site preparation, and the construction on the project site. Construction is completed in discrete steps, each of which has its own mix of equipment and, consequently, its own noise characteristics. These various sequential phases would change the character of the noise generated on the site and, therefore, the noise levels surrounding the site as construction progresses. Despite the variety in the type and size of construction equipment, similarities in the dominant noise sources and patterns of operation allow construction related noise ranges to be categorized by work phase. Table 8 lists typical construction equipment noise levels recommended for use in noise impact assessments, based on a distance of 50 feet between the equipment and a noise receptor. Typical noise levels range up to 91 dba L max at 50 feet during the noisiest construction phases. The site preparation phase, which includes excavation and grading of the Table 8: Typical Construction Equipment Maximum Noise Levels, L max Type of Equipment Range of Maximum Sound Levels (dba at 50 feet) Suggested Maximum Sound Levels for Analysis (dba at 50 feet) Pile Drivers 81 to Rock Drills 83 to Jackhammers 75 to Pneumatic Tools 78 to Pumps 74 to Scrapers 83 to Haul Trucks 83 to Cranes 79 to Portable Generators 71 to Rollers 75 to Dozers 77 to Tractors 77 to Front-End Loaders 77 to Hydraulic Backhoe 81 to Hydraulic Excavators 81 to Graders 79 to Air Compressors 76 to Trucks 81 to Source: Bolt, Beranek & Newman, Noise Control for Buildings and Manufacturing Plants. site, tends to generate the highest noise levels, because the noisiest construction equipment is earthmoving equipment. Earthmoving equipment includes excavating machinery such as backhoes, bulldozers, draglines, and front loaders. Earthmoving and compacting equipment includes compactors, P:\BSS0901 East Campus\PRODUCTS\IS-MND\Public\Noise Report\noise tech report doc (3/3/2010) 12

18 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. DECEMBER 2009 BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EAST CAMPUS SPORTS FIELDS NOISE IMPACT REPORT scrapers, and graders. Typical operating cycles for these types of construction equipment may involve one or two minutes of full-power operation followed by three or four minutes at lower power settings. Construction of the proposed project is expected to require the use of earthmovers such as bulldozers and scrapers, loaders and graders, water trucks, and other trucks. Pile drivers and rock drills are not expected to be used during construction of this project. As shown in Table 8, the typical maximum noise level generated by jackhammers and backhoes is assumed to be dba L max at 50 feet from the operating equipment. The maximum noise level generated by bulldozers is approximately 85 dba L max at 50 feet. The maximum noise level generated by water and other trucks is approximately 86 dba L max at 50 feet from these vehicles. Each doubling of the sound sources with equal strength would increase the noise level by 3 dba. Assuming each piece of construction equipment operates at some distance apart from the other equipment, the worst-case combined noise level during this phase of construction would be 91 dba L max at a distance of 50 feet from an active construction area. The closest sensitive receptor to proposed construction limits would be the Berkeley Technology Academy. The nearest portion of this facility would be located approximately 30 feet from the construction limits of the Derby Street realignment portion of the project. At this distance, the exterior facade of this building would be exposed to construction noise levels from construction activities of up to approximately 95 dba L max when individual pieces of heavy construction equipment operate along the nearest project boundary. In addition, select buildings from the King Child Development Center would also face construction noise. This noise level would be in excess of the City s construction noise standard shown in Table 7 for underlying zoning of residential (here, R-ZA) of 75 dba L max for mobile construction equipment. Mitigation measures such as muffled equipment and/or a temporary sound barrier would not reduce the projected impacts by more than 10 dba, the amount that would be required to achieve the standard. Therefore, students and children that normally occupy the buildings closest to Derby Street on the curved section of roadway (see Figure 3) would need to be temporarily relocated to other BUSD buildings, in order for this noise exposure to be less than significant. Located 100 feet from the north side of the project site, the residences closest to the project site would be exposed to intermittent noise during installation of the sports fields (but would not face the same demolition and construction noise from the Derby Street realignment as would the schools on the south edge of the project site). Use of trucks or dozers for installation could generate noise at these residences of up to 80 dba which would also exceed the City of Berkeley s noise ordinance criteria for residential uses during construction. Mitigation would be required to reduce this impact to a less than significant level. The duration of the construction period for the project is unknown at this time. Construction activities associated with the East Campus Sports Fields would temporarily exceed the maximum noise limits identified by the City of Berkeley s noise ordinance, therefore, short-term construction impacts would be considered significant in the absence of mitigation measures. Long-Term Operational Noise Impacts Traffic Noise Impacts. The FHWA highway traffic noise prediction model (FHWA RD ) was used to evaluate traffic-related noise in the vicinity of the project site. The resultant noise levels P:\BSS0901 East Campus\PRODUCTS\IS-MND\Public\Noise Report\noise tech report doc (3/3/2010) 13

19 Multi-Purpose Field x Regulation Baseball Field Basketball Court FIGURE feet SOURCE: VALLIER DESIGN ASSOCIATES, INC., FEBRUARY I:\BSS0901 curvy derby\figures\noise\fig_3.ai (12/14/09) impacted buildings subject to noise mitigation measures East Campus Sports Fields Project Noise Impacted Facilities

20 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. DECEMBER 2009 BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EAST CAMPUS SPORTS FIELDS NOISE IMPACT REPORT were weighted and summed over a 24-hour period in order to determine the L dn values. The existing and future traffic volumes from the traffic report prepared by LSA Associates for this project were used in the traffic noise impact analysis. Traffic noise levels under existing Table 9: Existing Plus Project Traffic Noise Levels a Centerline to 70 L dn b (feet) Centerline to 65 L dn (feet) Centerline to 60 L dn (feet) L dn (dba) 50 feet from Centerline of Outermost Lane Increase over Existing Plus Approved Projects Roadway Segment ADT a Martin Luther King Jr. Way - Parker Street to Carleton Street 11,000 < 50 < Martin Luther King Jr. Way - Carleton Street to Derby Street 20,200 < 50 < Martin Luther King Jr. Way - Derby Street to Ward Street 20,200 < 50 < Carleton Street - Martin Luther King Jr. Way to Milvia Street 1,000 < 50 < 50 < Derby Street - Martin Luther King Jr. Way to Milvia Street 1,300 < 50 < 50 < Milvia Street - Parker Street to Carleton Street 300 < 50 < 50 < Milvia Street - Carleton Street to Derby Street 600 < 50 < 50 < Average daily traffic. b The 24 hour A-weighted average sound level from midnight to midnight, obtained after the addition of 10 decibels to sound levels occurring in the night between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. c Traffic noise within 50 feet of roadway centerline requires site specific analysis. Note: Shaded cells indicate roadway segments adjacent to the project site. Source: LSA Associates, Inc., October Table 10: Cumulative (2035) No Project Traffic Noise Levels Roadway Segment ADT Centerline to 70 L dn (feet) Centerline to 65 L dn (feet) Centerline to 60 L dn (feet) L dn (dba) 50 feet from Centerline of Outermost Lane Martin Luther King Jr. Way - Parker Street to Carleton Street 11,400 < 50 < Martin Luther King Jr. Way - Carleton Street to Derby Street 21,500 < 50 < Martin Luther King Jr. Way - Derby Street to Ward Street 21,400 < 50 < Carleton Street - Martin Luther King Jr. Way to Milvia Street 1,100 < 50 < 50 < Derby Street - Martin Luther King Jr. Way to Milvia Street 1,400 < 50 < 50 < Milvia Street - Parker Street to Carleton Street 300 < 50 < 50 < Milvia Street - Carleton Street to Derby Street 700 < 50 < 50 < Source: LSA Associates, Inc., October P:\BSS0901 East Campus\PRODUCTS\IS-MND\Public\Noise Report\noise tech report doc (3/3/2010) 15

21 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. DECEMBER 2009 BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EAST CAMPUS SPORTS FIELDS NOISE IMPACT REPORT Table 11: Cumulative (2035) Plus Project Traffic Noise Levels Centerline to 70 L dn (feet) Centerline to 65 L dn (feet) Centerline to 60 L dn (feet) L dn (dba) 50 feet from Centerline of Outermost Lane Increase from Cumulative No Project Conditions Roadway Segment ADT Martin Luther King Jr. Way - Parker Street to Carleton Street 11,700 < 50 < Martin Luther King Jr. Way - Carleton Street to Derby Street 21,500 < 50 < Martin Luther King Jr. Way - Derby Street to Ward Street 21,500 < 50 < Carleton Street - Martin Luther King Jr. Way to Milvia Street 1,100 < 50 < 50 < Derby Street - Martin Luther King Jr. Way to Milvia Street 1,400 < 50 < 50 < Milvia Street - Parker Street to Carleton Street 300 < 50 < 50 < Milvia Street - Carleton Street to Derby Street 700 < 50 < 50 < Source: LSA Associates, Inc., October conditions are shown in Table 4 of this report. Table 9 shows the predicted traffic noise levels along modeled roadway segments under existing plus project conditions. Table 10 and Table 11 show the Cumulative (2035) without and with the project traffic noise levels. The specific assumptions used in the traffic noise modeling are provided in Appendix A. The results of the FHWA highway traffic noise prediction model indicate that the addition of project-related traffic would result in a less-thansignificant increase in ambient noise levels on roadway segments in the project vicinity. Increases in traffic noise range from 0.0 dba to 0.6 dba over without the project conditions. This is well below a 4 dba or greater increase that would be considered significant. Therefore, off-site traffic noise impacts from implementation of the proposed project would be less-than-significant. Operational Noise Impacts. Noise sources from the proposed project would include noise from recreational use of the project site during scheduled activities and parking activities. Implementation of the project would locate parking areas away from residential uses on Carleton Street, resulting in decreased noise levels related to parking lot activities such as door slamming, cars starting and people talking to the closest residential areas. Implementation of the project would permit and allow for structured activities to occur on the project site including Berkeley High School (BHS) football, field hockey, soccer and ultimate Frisbee practice. Between the months of February and May, the fields would serve as a practice area for the BHS baseball team. The BHS baseball team may also occasionally use the sports field for games. This level of activity would be similar to the existing uses of the project site and would therefore result in similar noise levels. According to Harry Levitt and John C. Webster in Handbook of Acoustical Measurements and Noise Control (Third Edition, edited by Cyril M Harris, 1991), in acoustics, every doubling of an equal sound energy results in a 3 dba increase in combined noise level. The renovated sports fields would P:\BSS0901 East Campus\PRODUCTS\IS-MND\Public\Noise Report\noise tech report doc (3/3/2010) 16

22 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. DECEMBER 2009 BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EAST CAMPUS SPORTS FIELDS NOISE IMPACT REPORT not result in a doubling or more of users of the project site and therefore, the project would not cause a significant increase in ambient noise levels and would not exceed established standards. No additional mitigation measures would be required. Mitigation Measures Implementation of the following seven-part mitigation measure for project construction would reduce potential the construction period noise impact to a less-than-significant level: Construction Noise Mitigation Measure 1: In order to reduce construction noise, the following multi-part mitigation measure shall be implemented: The District shall coordinate the demolition and reconstruction of Derby Street (between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Milvia Street) with the schedule of operations at the adjacent Berkeley Technology Academy and King Child Development Center, so that students and children are not subjected to noise levels that exceed the City s standards. Students and children normally attending programs operating in the affected buildings (shown in Figure 3), shall be temporarily relocated to other BUSD facilities during those weeks when demolition and construction activities create noise levels that exceed the City s noise ordinance standards. The District shall submit a construction noise report and coordinate the project s construction schedule with the City of Berkeley. The report shall outline all construction noise reducing techniques considered, and clearly state which techniques would be implemented and the anticipated resulting noise levels. Steps such as limiting the number of equipment pieces used at one time or construction of a temporary noise barrier should be considered. The report shall provide an explanation where techniques are not proposed to be implemented. The City of Berkeley Zoning Officer shall review and approve the construction noise report. Construction shall be restricted to the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays and from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekends and legal holidays. Residents/tenants within 300 feet of the project site shall be notified within four weeks of a tentative start date of construction and again no less than one week in advance of the precise date that construction would begin. An information sign shall be posted at the entrance to the construction site that identifies the permitted construction hours and provides a telephone number to call and receive information about the construction project or to report complaints regarding excessive noise levels. The project contractor shall place all stationary construction equipment so that emitted noise is directed away from sensitive receptors nearest the active project site. The contractor shall use new technology power construction equipment with state-of-the art noise shielding and muffling devices. All internal combustion engines used on the project site shall be equipped with adequate mufflers and shall be in good mechanical condition to minimize noise created by faulty or poor maintained engines or other components. Conscientious implementation of this multi-part mitigation measure would reduce the construction period noise impact to a less-than-significant level. P:\BSS0901 East Campus\PRODUCTS\IS-MND\Public\Noise Report\noise tech report doc (3/3/2010) 17

23 APPENDIX A FHWA TRAFFIC NOISE MODEL PRINTOUTS

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