noise impact analysis 131023 clean - los angelesand a new youth baseball field would be constructed...

APPENDIX F

NOISE IMPACT AND VIBRATION ANALYSIS

City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Engineering Griffith Park Crystal Springs New Baseball Fields Project Draft EIR State Clearinghouse No. 2013011012 October 2013

NOISE IMPACT AND VIBRATION ANALYSIS

GRIFFITH PARK CRYSTAL SPRINGS NEW

BASEBALL FIELDS PROJECT

P R E P A R E D F O R :

CityofLosAngelesDepartmentofPublicWorks,BureauofEngineering1149S.BroadwayLosAngeles,CA90015Contact:MariaMartin(213)485‐5753

P R E P A R E D B Y :

ICFInternational601W.FifthStreet,Suite900LosAngeles,CA90071Contact:PauletteFranco(213)312‐1753

October2013

ICFInternational.2013.NoiseImpactandVibrationAnalysis,GriffithParkCrystalSpringsNewBaseballFieldsProject.October.(ICF00327.13.)LosAngeles,CA.PreparedforLosAngelesDepartmentofPublicWorks,BureauofEngineering,LosAngeles,CA.

Noise Impact and Vibration Analysis Griffith Park Crystal Springs New Baseball Fields Project

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Contents

Page

Summary .......................................................................................................................................... S‐1

Introduction and Project Description ................................................................................................... 1

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1

Project Location and Setting ................................................................................................................ 1

Location .................................................................................................................................................. 1

Project Description ................................................................................................................................. 1

Construction ........................................................................................................................................... 8

Noise Fundamentals ............................................................................................................................ 8

Sound, Noise, and Acoustics................................................................................................................... 8

Frequency ............................................................................................................................................... 8

Sound Pressure Levels and Decibels ...................................................................................................... 8

Addition of Decibels ............................................................................................................................... 9

A‐Weighted Decibels .............................................................................................................................. 9

Human Response to Changes in Noise Levels ........................................................................................ 9

Noise Descriptors ................................................................................................................................. 10

Sound Propagation ............................................................................................................................... 11

Regulatory Setting ............................................................................................................................. 12

Federal .................................................................................................................................................. 12

State...................................................................................................................................................... 13

Local ...................................................................................................................................................... 13

Environmental Setting ....................................................................................................................... 17

Noise Monitoring .................................................................................................................................. 17

Traffic Noise Modeling ......................................................................................................................... 18

Environmental Impact Analysis .......................................................................................................... 19

Methodology ........................................................................................................................................ 19

Thresholds of Significance .................................................................................................................... 22

Construction Impacts ........................................................................................................................... 23

Operational Impacts ............................................................................................................................ 27

Mitigation Measures ......................................................................................................................... 34

Significant Unavoidable Impacts ........................................................................................................ 35

Cumulative Impacts ........................................................................................................................... 35

References ......................................................................................................................................... 38

Los Angeles Department of Public Works, Bureau of Engineering Contents


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List of Tables

1 TypicalA‐WeightedNoiseLevels....................................................................................................................10

2 FTARecommendedConstructionNoiseCriteriaforResidentialUses............................................13

3 CityofLosAngelesGuidelinesforNoiseCompatibleLandUse.........................................................14

4 Short‐termMonitoringResults........................................................................................................................18

5 TrafficNoiseModelingResults,2013Baseline(ExistingConditions).............................................19

6 ConstructionEquipmentNoiseEmissionLevels......................................................................................20

7 PredictedNoiseLevelsfromCrowdNoiseandPASystemsatTwoSimultaneousYouthBaseballGameEvents,Loudest‐CaseScenario............................................................................21

8 PredictedNoiseLevelsFromConstructionActivities...........................................................................23

9 PredictedIncreasesinNoiseLevelsduetoConstructionAlternative1A......................................24

10 PredictedIncreasesinNoiseLevelsatOutdoorUseAreasduetoConstruction,Alternative1B........................................................................................................................................................25

11 PredictedIncreasesinNoiseLevelsatOutdoorUseAreasduetoConstruction,Alternative2............................................................................................................................................................26

12 VibrationSourceLevelsforConstructionEquipment............................................................................27

13 TrafficNoiseModelingResults,ExistingConditionsplusProject,CrystalSprings,WeekdayPeak‐hour.............................................................................................................................................28

14 TrafficNoiseModelingResults,ExistingConditionsplusProject,CrystalSpringsSite,WeekendPeak‐hour.............................................................................................................................................29

15 TrafficNoiseModelingResults,ExistingConditionsplusProject,NorthAtwaterPark,WeekdayPeak‐hour.............................................................................................................................................30

16 TrafficNoiseModelingResults,ExistingConditionsplusProject,NorthAtwaterPark,WeekendPeak‐hour.............................................................................................................................................31

17 PredictedIncreasesinNoiseLevelsatOutdoorUseAreasduetoBaseballFieldEvents,Alternative1OptionA.........................................................................................................................................32

18 PredictedIncreasesinNoiseLevelsatOutdoorUseAreasduetoBaseballfieldevents,Alternative1OptionB.........................................................................................................................................33

19 PredictedIncreasesinNoiseLevelsatOutdoorUseAreasduetoBaseballfieldevents,Alternative2............................................................................................................................................................34

20 TrafficNoiseModelingResults,CumulativeConditions,WeekdayPeak‐hour............................36

21 TrafficNoiseModelingResults,CumulativeConditions,WeekendPeak‐hour............................37



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List of Figures

Figure Page

1 RegionalLocationMap...........................................................................................................................................2

2 ProjectLocationMap..............................................................................................................................................3

3 Alternative1,OptionA–CrystalSpringsNorth..........................................................................................5

4 Alternative1,OptionB–CrystalSpringsSouth...........................................................................................6

5 Alternative2–NorthAtwaterPark..................................................................................................................7

6 NoiseMonitoringSites........................................................................................................................................18



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Acronyms and Abbreviations

CEQA CaliforniaEnvironmentalQualityAct

City CityofLosAngeles

CNEL CommunityNoiseEquivalentLevel

dB decibel

dBA A‐weighteddecibels

DEIR draftenvironmentalimpactreport

EPA U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency

FAA FederalAviationAdministration

FHWA FederalHighwayAdministration

FRA FederalRailroadAdministration

FTA FederalTransitAdministration

HUD HousingandUrbanDevelopment

Hz hertz

I‐5 Interstate5

LABOE LosAngelesBureauofEngineering

Ldn day‐nightlevel

LADOT LosAngelesDepartmentofTransportation

Leq equivalentsoundlevel

Leq[h] A‐weightedequivalentsoundlevelduringa1‐hourperiod

Lmax maximumsoundlevel

Lxx percentile‐exceededsoundlevel

NAC noiseabatementcriteria

PA publicaddress

ppv peakparticlevelocity

SR‐134 StateRoute134

TNM TrafficNoiseModel


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Summary ThisreportanalyzespotentialnoiseandvibrationimpactsrelatedtotheGriffithParkCrystalSpringsNewBaseballFieldsProject.TheanalysiswasconductedusingCityofLosAngelesCEQAnoisethresholds.Thefindingsareasfollows:

Noiseassociatedwithconstructionoftheprojectwouldresultinsignificantnoiseimpactsatadjacentusesinthepark.

Constructionactivitywouldnotresultinsignificantvibrationimpacts.

Trafficassociatedwithoperationoftheprojectwouldnotresultinsignificanttrafficnoiseimpacts.

Noiseassociatedwithoperationofthebaseballfieldswouldresultinsignificantnoiseimpactsatadjacentusesinthepark.

Theprojectscontributiontosignificantcumulativenoiseimpactswouldnotbecumulativelyconsiderable.

Mitigationmeasureshavebeenidentifiedtoreducesignificantconstructionandoperationalnoiseimpactstoaless‐than‐significantlevel.


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Introduction and Project Description

Introduction

TheCityofLosAngeles(City)isproposingtheconstructionoftwonewyouthbaseballfieldsinoneofthreelocationsbeingconsideredwithinGriffithPark.AninitialstudywascompletedbytheCityinJanuary2013.Theinitialstudyconcludedthatthepreparationofadditionaltechnicalstudiesandadraftenvironmentalimpactreport(DEIR)shouldbeinitiated.ThesestudiesarebeingpreparedwiththeCityofLosAngelesBureauofEngineeringastheleadagencyundertheCaliforniaEnvironmentalQualityAct(CEQA).

Thepurposeofthisreportistoanalyzethepotentialforprojectimpactsrelatedtonoiseandvibration.

Project Location and Setting

Location

TheproposedprojectwouldbelocatedintheHollywoodcommunityofthecityofLosAngelesandentirelywithinGriffithPark.TheParkislocatednorthwestofdowntownLosAngeles,justwestoftheGoldenStateFreeway(Interstate5[I‐5]),roughlybetweenLosFelizBoulevardonthesouthandtheVenturaFreeway(StateRoute134[SR‐134])onthenorth(seeFigure1).

AsshowninFigure2,threelocationsarebeingconsideredfortheproposedproject.Alternative1,OptionA(Alternative1A),wouldbelocatedat4730CrystalSpringsDrive,withinthenortheasternpartoftheCrystalSpringsPicnicAreaofthepark.TheAlternative1Asite,whichcoversapproximately4acres,isnortheastofPoteField,southofHardingMunicipalGolfCourse,andwestofI‐5.Alternative1,OptionB(Alternative1B),wouldalsobelocatedintheCrystalSpringsPicnicAreabutjustsoutheastofPoteField,onthegrassyareaacrossfromtheloopdrivewayandparkinglot.Alternative2wouldbelocatedinNorthAtwaterPark,immediatelyacrossfromI‐5andtheLosAngelesRiver.

Project Description

Alternatives

Twoalternativesarebeingconsideredaspartofthistechnicalstudy.Alternative1wouldlocatetheproposedbaseballfieldswithintheCrystalSpringsPicnicAreaoftheparkandincludetwooptions(OptionAandOptionB)forplacementofthefields.Alternative2wouldlocatethebaseballfieldsimmediatelyacrossI‐5andtheLosAngelesRiver,withintheNorthAtwaterParkareaofGriffithPark.Thealternativesaredescribedinmoredetailbelow.

Los Angeles Department of Public Works, Bureau of Engineering


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Alternative 1, Option A – Crystal Springs North

TheCityisproposingtoconstructtwoyouthbaseballfieldswithinthenorthCrystalSpringsPicnicAreaofGriffithPark.Eachbaseballfieldwouldincludeahomeplate,bases,apitcher’smound,batters’andcatchers’boxes,twodugouts(withtwobenches,approximately20seatseach),twobleachers,16‐foot‐highoutfield/perimeterfencing,naturalgrass,warm‐upareas,andascoreboard(refertoFigure3fortheconceptualprojectlayoutunderAlternative1A).Landscapingandanirrigationsystemwouldalsobeinstalled.Inaddition,Alternative1Awouldinvolveupgradestotheexistingrestroomfacility.Restroomupgradeswouldbelimitedtointeriorremodelingandmeasurestoincreaseaccessforthosewithdisabilities.

Underthisalternative,sevenpicnictableswouldberelocatedwithinorneartheCrystalSpringsPicnicArea.Thenortheastsegmentoftheloopdriveway,whichcurrentlysupportsvehiclecirculationaroundtheCrystalSpringsPicnicArea,wouldberemovedtoaccommodatethebaseballfields(seeFigure3).Asaresult,fiveparkingspaceswouldberemovedandtwo“hammerhead”turningcircleswouldbecreated,replacingtheexistingaccessloop.

Alternative 1 Option B – Crystal Springs South

ThebaseballfieldsproposedunderAlternative1BwouldincludethesameelementsproposedunderAlternative1A.OnebaseballfieldwouldbelocatedjustsoutheastofPoteField;thesecondwouldbelocatedsoutheastofthefirstfield,intheareaacrossfromtheloopdrivewayandparkinglot(seeFigure4).Alternative1Bwouldalsoinvolveupgradestotheexistingrestroomfacility.Restroomupgradeswouldbelimitedtointeriorremodelingandmeasurestoincreaseaccessforthosewithdisabilities.

Toaccommodatethisalternative,56picnictableswouldberelocatedwithinorneartheCrystalSpringsPicnicArea.Nochangestoexistingcirculationorparkingareanticipatedunderthisalternative.

Alternative 2 – North Atwater Park

UnderAlternative2,anexistingsoftballfieldwouldberetrofittedtoaccommodateyouthbaseballandanewyouthbaseballfieldwouldbeconstructed(seeFigure5).Theexistingbackstop,bleachers,andplayers’bencheswouldremain;therestofthesoftballfieldwouldbeupgraded.Thenewyouthbaseballfieldwouldbeconstructedjustnorthoftheexistingsoftballfield.Thenewbleachers,backstop,andplayers’bencheswouldmatchthoseoftheexistingfield.

Toaccommodatethisalternative,anexistingbasketballcourtandsandvolleyballcourtwouldberemoved.UnlikeAlternative1,Alternative2wouldnotdisplacepicnictables,althoughnewpicnictableswouldbeaddedtotheareaaspartoftheproject.



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Construction Constructionisanticipatedtobegininthesummerof2015andbecompletedinthesummerof2016(approximately12months).Post‐constructionactivities(e.g.,finalizingas‐builtplans,trainingthemaintenanceandoperationsstaffregardingtheuseofthescoreboard,irrigationsystems,securitylights,andothersystems)wouldoccurinthefallandwinterof2016–2017.Thebaseballfieldswouldbefullyoperationalinthespringof2017.

Currently,itisanticipatedthatPoteFieldandaportionoftheCrystalSpringsPicnicAreawouldremainopenduringconstructionofAlternative1.UnderAlternative2,aportionoftheNorthAtwaterParkareawouldalsoremainopenduringconstruction.

Theanalysisinthisdocumentassumesthat,unlessotherwisestated,theprojectwouldbedesigned,constructed,andoperatedincompliancewithallapplicablelaws,regulations,ordinances,andformallyadoptedCitystandards,including,butnotlimitedto:

LosAngelesMunicipalCode

LosAngelesDepartmentofBuildingandSafetyCode

BureauofEngineeringStandardPlans

UrbanForestProgram/TreeCareManual

StandardSpecificationsforPublicWorksConstruction

WorkAreaTrafficControlHandbook

AdditionsandAmendmentstotheStandardSpecificationsforPublicWorksConstruction

Noise Fundamentals

Sound, Noise, and Acoustics

Soundcanbedescribedasthemechanicalenergyofavibratingobjecttransmittedbypressurewavesthroughaliquidorgaseousmedium(e.g.,air)toahearingorgan.Noiseisdefinedasanyloud,unexpected,orannoyingsound.Inthescienceofacoustics,thefundamentalmodelhasasound(ornoise)source,areceiver,andthepropagationpathbetweenthetwo.Theloudnessofthesource,aswellasobstructionsoratmosphericfactorsaffectingthepropagationpathtothereceiver,determinesthesoundlevelandcharacteristicsofthenoiseperceivedbythereceiver.Thefieldofacousticsdealsprimarilywiththepropagationandcontrolofsound.

Frequency

Continuoussoundcanbedescribedbyfrequency(pitch)andamplitude(loudness).Alow‐frequencysoundisperceivedaslowinpitch.Frequencyisexpressedintermsofcyclespersecond,orhertz(Hz).Afrequencyof250cyclespersecondwouldbereferredtoas250Hz.Highfrequenciesaresometimesmoreconvenientlyexpressedinkilohertz(thousandsofhertz;kHz).Theaudiblefrequencyrangeforhumansisgenerallybetween20and20,000Hz.



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Sound Pressure Levels and Decibels

Theamplitudeofpressurewavesgeneratedbyasoundsourcedeterminestheloudnessofthatsource.Soundpressureamplitudeismeasuredinmicropascals(µPa).OneµPaisapproximatelyonehundredbillionth(0.00000000001)ofnormalatmosphericpressure.Soundpressureamplitudesfordifferentkindsofnoiseenvironmentscanrangefromlessthan100to100millionµPa.Becauseofthishugerangeofvalues,soundisrarelyexpressedintermsofµPa.Instead,alogarithmicscaleisusedtodescribesoundpressurelevelintermsofdecibels(dB).Thethresholdofhearingforhumansisabout20µPa,whichcorrespondsto0dB.

Addition of Decibels

Becausedecibelsarelogarithmicunits,soundpressurelevelcannotbeaddedorsubtractedthroughordinaryarithmetic.Underthedecibelscale,adoublingofsoundenergycorrespondstoa3‐dBincrease.Whentwoidenticalsourcesareproducingsoundofthesameloudness,theresultingsoundlevelatagivendistancewouldbe3dBhigherthanonesourceunderthesameconditions.Forexample,ifoneautomobileproducesasoundpressurelevelof70dBwhenitpassesanobserver,twocarspassingsimultaneouslywouldnotproduce140dB,but73dB.Underthedecibelscale,threesourcesofequalloudnesstogetherproduceasoundlevel5dBlouderthanonesource.

A‐Weighted Decibels

Thedecibelscalealonedoesnotadequatelycharacterizehowhumansperceivenoise.Thedominantfrequenciesofasoundhaveasubstantialeffectonthehumanresponsetothatsound.Althoughtheintensity(energyperunitarea)ofthesoundisapurelyphysicalquantity,theloudnessorhumanresponseisdeterminedbythecharacteristicsofthehumanear.

Humanhearingislimitedintherangeofaudiblefrequenciesandinthewayitperceivesthesoundpressurelevelinthatrange.Ingeneral,peoplearemostsensitivetothefrequencyrangeof1,000to8,000Hz.Theyperceivesoundswithinthatrangebetterthansoundsofthesameamplitudeathigherorlowerfrequencies.Toapproximatetheresponseofthehumanear,thesoundlevelsofindividualfrequencybandsareweighted,dependingonthehumansensitivitytothosefrequencies.AnA‐weightedsoundlevel(expressedinunitsofA‐weighteddecibels[dBA])canthenbecomputedbasedonthisinformation.TheA‐weightingiscommonlyusedforthemeasurementofenvironmentalandindustrialnoise,aswellasassessingpotentialhearingdamage.

TheA‐weightingnetworkapproximatesthefrequencyresponseoftheaverageyoungearwhenlisteningtomostordinarysounds.Otherweightingnetworkshavebeendevisedtoaddresshighnoiselevelsorotherspecialproblems(e.g.,B‐,C‐,andD‐scales),butthesescalesarerarelyusedinreferencetohumanresponsetoenvironmentalnoiselevels.NoiselevelsfortrafficnoisereportsarenormallyreportedintermsofdBA.TypicalA‐weightednoiselevelsforvariousnoisesourcesaredescribedinTable1.

Human Response to Changes in Noise Levels

Asdiscussedabove,doublingsoundenergyresultsina3dBincreaseinsound.However,givenasoundlevelchangemeasuredwithpreciseinstrumentation,thesubjectivehumanperceptionofadoublingofloudnesswillusuallybedifferentfromwhatismeasured.Undercontrolledconditionsinanacousticallaboratory,thetrained,healthyhumanearisabletodiscern1dBchangesinsound



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levelswhenexposedtosteady,single‐frequency(pure‐tone)signalsinthemid‐frequency(1,000to8,000Hz)range.However,itiswidelyacceptedthatpeopleareabletobegintodetectsoundlevelincreasesof3dBfortypicalnoisyenvironments.Furthermore,a10dBincreaseisgenerallyperceivedasadoublingofloudness.Therefore,doublingsoundenergy(e.g.,doublingthevolumeoftrafficonahighway)wouldgenerallybeperceivedasadetectablebutnotsubstantialincreaseinsoundlevel.

Table 1. Typical A‐Weighted Noise Levels

CommonOutdoorActivities

NoiseLevel(dBA) CommonIndoorActivities

110 Rockband

Jetfly‐overat1,000feet

100

Gaslawnmowerat3feet

90

Dieseltruckat50feetat50mph Foodblenderat3feet

80 Garbagedisposalat3feet

Noisyurbanarea,daytime

Gaslawnmowerat100feet 70 Vacuumcleanerat10feet

Commercialarea Normalspeechat3feet

Heavytrafficat300feet 60

Largebusinessoffice

Quieturbandaytime 50 Dishwasher,nextroom

Quieturbannighttime 40 Theater,largeconferenceroom(background)

Quietsuburbannighttime

30 Library

Quietruralnighttime Bedroomatnight

20

Broadcast/recordingstudio

10

Lowestthresholdofhumanhearing 0 LowestthresholdofhumanhearingdBA = A-weighted decibel Source: Caltrans 1998.

Noise Descriptors

Noiseinourdailyenvironmentfluctuatesovertime.Variousnoisedescriptorshavebeendevelopedtodescribetime‐varyingnoiselevels.Thefollowingnoisedescriptorsareusedinthisanalysis:

EquivalentSoundLevel(Leq).Leqrepresentsanaverageofthesoundenergyoccurringoveraspecifiedperiod.Ineffect,Leqisthesteady‐statesoundlevelcontainingthesameacousticalenergyas



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thetime‐varyingsoundthatactuallyoccursduringthesameperiod.The1‐hourA‐weightedequivalentsoundlevel(Leq[h])istheenergyaverageofA‐weightedsoundlevelsoccurringduringa1‐hourperiodandisthebasisfornoiseabatementcriteria(NAC)usedbytheCaliforniaDepartmentofTransportationandtheFederalHighwayAdministration(FHWA).

Percentile‐ExceededSoundLevel(Lxx).Lxxrepresentsthesoundlevelexceededforagivenpercentageofaspecifiedperiod(e.g.,L10isthesoundlevelexceeded10percentofthetime).

MaximumSoundLevel(Lmax).Lmaxisthehighestinstantaneoussoundlevelmeasuredduringaspecifiedperiod.

Day‐NightLevel(Ldn).LdnistheenergyaverageofA‐weightedsoundlevelsoccurringovera24‐hourperiod,witha10dBpenaltyappliedtoA‐weightedsoundlevelsoccurringbetween10p.m.and7a.m.

CommunityNoiseEquivalentLevel(CNEL).TheenergyaverageoftheA‐weightedsoundlevelsoccurringduringa24‐hourperiodwith5dBaddedtotheA‐weightedsoundlevelsoccurringduringtheperiodfrom7p.m.to10p.m.and10dBaddedtotheA‐weightedsoundlevelsoccurringduringtheperiodfrom10p.m.to7a.m.

Sound Propagation Whensoundpropagatesoveradistance,itchangesinlevelandfrequencycontent.Themannerinwhichnoisereduceswithdistancedependsonthefollowingfactors.

GeometricSpreading.Soundfromalocalizedsource(i.e.,apointsource)propagatesuniformlyoutwardinasphericalpattern.Thesoundlevelattenuates(i.e.,decreases)atarateof6dBforeachdoublingofdistancefromapointsource.Highwaysconsistofseverallocalizednoisesourcesonadefinedpath.Therefore,theycanbetreatedasalinesource,whichapproximatestheeffectofseveralpointsources.Noisefromalinesourcepropagatesoutwardinacylindricalpattern,oftenreferredtoascylindricalspreading.Soundlevelsattenuateatarateof3dBforeachdoublingofdistancefromalinesource.

GroundAbsorption.Thepropagationpathofnoisefromahighwaytoareceiverisusuallyveryclosetotheground.Noiseattenuationfromgroundabsorptionandreflectivewavecancelingaddstotheattenuationassociatedwithgeometricspreading.Traditionally,theexcessattenuationhasalsobeenexpressedintermsofattenuationperdoublingofdistancefromthenoisesource.Thisapproximationisusuallysufficientlyaccuratefordistancesoflessthan200feet.Foracousticallyhardsites(i.e.,siteswithareflectivesurface,suchasaparkinglotorbodyofwater,betweenthesourceandthereceiver),noexcessgroundattenuationisassumed.Foracousticallyabsorptiveorsoftsites(i.e.,thosesiteswithanabsorptivegroundsurface,suchassoftdirt,grass,orscatteredbushesandtrees,betweenthesourceandthereceiver),anexcessgroundattenuationvalueof1.5dBperdoublingofdistanceisnormallyassumed.Whenaddedtothecylindricalspreading,theexcessgroundattenuationresultsinanoveralldrop‐offrateof4.5dBperdoublingofdistance.

AtmosphericEffects.Receptorslocateddownwindfromasourcecanbeexposedtoincreasednoiselevelsrelativetocalmconditions,whereaslocationsupwindcanhavelowerednoiselevels.Soundlevelscanbeincreasedatlargedistances(e.g.,morethan500feet)fromthehighwaybecauseofatmospherictemperatureinversion(i.e.,increasingtemperaturewithelevation).Otherfactors,suchasairtemperature,humidity,andturbulence,canalsohavesignificanteffects.



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ShieldingbyNaturalorHuman‐MadeFeatures.Alargeobjectorbarrierinthepathbetweenanoisesourceandareceivercansubstantiallyattenuatenoiselevelsatthereceiver.Theamountofattenuationprovidedbyshieldingdependsonthesizeoftheobjectandthefrequencycontentofthenoisesource.Naturalterrainfeatures(e.g.,hillsanddensewoods)andhuman‐madefeatures(e.g.,buildingsandwalls)cansubstantiallyreducenoiselevels.Barriersareoftenconstructedbetweenanoisesourceandareceiverspecificallytoreducenoise.Abarrierthatbreaksthelineofsightbetweenasourceandareceiverwilltypicallyresultinatleast5dBofnoisereduction.Tallerbarriersprovideincreasednoisereduction.

Regulatory Setting

Federal

Noise Control Act of 1972

TheNoiseControlActof1972(PublicLaw92574)establishedarequirementthatallfederalagenciesadministertheirprogramstopromoteanenvironmentfreeofnoisethatwouldjeopardizepublichealthorwelfare.TheU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)wasgiventheresponsibilityfor:

Providinginformationtothepublicregardingidentifiableeffectsofnoiseonpublichealthandwelfare;

Publishinginformationonthelevelsofenvironmentalnoisethatwillprotectthepublichealthandwelfarewithanadequatemarginofsafety;

Coordinatingfederalresearchandactivitiesrelatedtonoisecontrol;and

Establishingfederalnoiseemissionstandardsforselectedproductsdistributedininterstatecommerce.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

In1974,inresponsetotherequirementsofthefederalNoiseControlAct,theEPAidentifiedindoorandoutdoornoiselimitstoprotectpublichealthandwelfare(communicationdisruption,sleepdisturbance,andhearingdamage).OutdoorLdnlimitsof55dBandindoorLdnlimitsof45dBareidentifiedasdesirabletoprotectagainstspeechinterferenceandsleepdisturbanceforresidential,educational,andhealthcareareas.Sound‐levelcriteriatoprotectagainsthearingdamageincommercialandindustrialareasareidentifiedas24‐hourLeqvaluesof70dB(bothoutdoorsandindoors).

TheNoiseControlActalsodirectedthatallfederalagenciescomplywithapplicablefederal,state,interstate,andlocalnoisecontrolregulations.AlthoughtheEPAwasgivenamajorroleindisseminatinginformationtothepublicandcoordinatingfederalagencies,eachfederalagencyretainsauthoritytoadoptnoiseregulationspertainingtoagencyprograms.TheEPAcan,however,requireotherfederalagenciestojustifytheirnoiseregulationsintermsofNoiseControlActpolicyrequirements.Keyfederalagenciesthathaveadoptednoiseregulationsandstandardsinclude:

HousingandUrbanDevelopment(HUD).Noisestandardsforfederallyfundedhousingprojects.



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FederalAviationAdministration(FAA).Noisestandardsforaircraftnoise.

FederalHighwayAdministration(FHWA).Noisestandardsforfederallyfundedhighwayprojects.

FederalTransitAdministration(FTA).Noisestandardsforfederallyfundedtransitprojects.

FederalRailroadAdministration(FRA).Noisestandardsforfederallyfundedrailprojects.

Federal Highway Administration

TheFHWAhasdevelopedmethodsforevaluatingconstructionnoise,whicharediscussedintheRoadwayNoiseConstructionModelUser’sGuide(FHWA2006).TheFHWAdoesnotrecommendspecificnoiselevelcriteriaforconstructionactivities.

Federal Transit Administration

TheFTAhasdevelopedmethodsforevaluatingconstructionnoise,whicharediscussedinTransitNoiseandVibrationImpactAssessment(FTA2006).Inaddition,theFTA(2006)recommendsnoisecriteriaforresidentialusesexposedtoconstructionnoise,assummarizedinTable2.

Table 2. FTA Recommended Construction Noise Criteria for Residential Uses

1‐HourLeq(Daya)

1‐HourLeq(Nightb)

8‐HourLeq(Day)

8‐HourLeq(Night)

Ldn(30‐DayAverage)

90 80 80 70 75

Note:AllvaluesareA‐weighteddecibels.Leq=equivalentsoundlevel;Ldn=day‐nightsoundlevel.a7a.m.–10p.m.b10p.m.–7a.m.Source:FTA2006.

State

TheStateofCaliforniaGeneralPlanGuidelines(OfficeofPlanningandResearch2003)providesnoisecompatibilityguidelinesforlanduseplanning;however,theseguidelinesoffernoinformationonconstructionnoise.TheStatehasalsopublishedtheModelCommunityNoiseOrdinance(CaliforniaOfficeofNoiseControl1977),whichprovidesguidancetocitiesandcountiesonhowtodevelopacommunitynoiseordinance.Theseguidelinesincluderecommendedlimitsonconstructionnoiselevels.Theseareguidelinesonlyandarenotenforceable.Constructionnoiseistypicallyregulatedatthelocallevel.

Local

City of Los Angeles

TheCityofLosAngelesGeneralPlanNoiseElementlistsexpectedambientnoiselevelsforresidential,commercial,industrial,andheavyindustriallanduses.Theambientnoiselevelstandardinresidentialareasis50dBduringdaytimehours(7a.m.–10p.m.),and40dBduringnighttimehours(10p.m.–7a.m.).Forcommercialareas,thestandardis60dBduringthedayand55dBduring



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thenight.Theambientnoiselevelstandardinindustrialareasis65dBatalltimes.Thestandardinheavyindustrialareasis70dBatalltimes.

TheCityofLosAngelesGeneralPlanNoiseElementestablishesstandardsforexteriorsoundlevelsbasedonlandusecategories.Thenoiseelementstatesthatthemaximumacceptableoutdoornoiseexposure‐levelforresidential,hospitalandschoolzonesis65dBACNELandthatsilencersandmufflersonintakeandexhaustopeningsforallconstructionequipmentarerequired.Table3summarizestheCity’snoisecompatibilityguidelines.

Table 3. City of Los Angeles Guidelines for Noise Compatible Land Use

LandUseCategory

Day‐NightAverageExteriorSoundLevel(CNELdB)

50 55 60 65 70 75 80

Residentialsinglefamily,duplex,mobilehome

A C C C N U U

Residentialmulti‐family A A C C N U U

Transientlodging,motel,hotel A A C C N U U

School,library,church,hospital,nursinghome

A A C C N N U

Auditorium,concerthall,amphitheater C C C C/N U U U

Sportsarena,outdoorspectatorsports C C C C C/U U U

Playground,neighborhoodpark A A A A/N N N/U U

Golfcourse,ridingstable,waterrecreation,cemetery

A A A A N A/N U

Officebuilding,business,commercial,professional

A A A A/C C C/N N

Agriculture,industrial,manufacturing,utilities

A A A A A/C C/N N

Notes:A = Normallyacceptable.Specifiedlanduseissatisfactory,baseduponassumptionbuildingsinvolvedare

conventionalconstruction,withoutanyspecialnoiseinsulation.C = Conditionallyacceptable.Newconstructionordevelopmentonlyafteradetailedanalysisofnoisemitigationis

madeandneedednoiseinsulationfeaturesareincludedinprojectdesign.Conventionalconstruction,butwithclosedwindowsandfreshairsupplysystemsorairconditioningnormallywillsuffice.

N = Normallyunacceptable.Newconstructionordevelopmentgenerallyshouldbediscouraged.Adetailedanalysisofnoisereductionrequirementsmustbemadeandnoiseinsulationfeaturesincludedinthedesignofaproject.

U = Clearlyunacceptable.Newconstructionordevelopmentgenerallyshouldnotbeundertaken.Source:CityofLosAngeles1999.

TheCityofLosAngeleshasadoptedanoiseordinancethatpreventsanintrudingnoisefromincreasingtheambientnoiselevelofanareabymorethan5dB.Whenappliedtospecificprojectlocations,ifthemeasuredambientnoiselevelexceedstheexpectedambientnoiselevel,themeasuredambientnoiselevelshouldbeusedasthebaseline.

TheCityalsorequiresthatadjustmentsbeappliedtonoiselevelmeasurementstodeterminewhetheraviolationoftheordinancehasoccurred.Foranynoisewithanaudiblefundamentalfrequencyof200Hz,5dBshouldbeaddedtothenoiselevelmeasurement.Foranyrepeated,



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impulsivenoise,5dBshouldbeaddedtothenoiselevelmeasurement.Foranynoiseoccurringforlessthan15minutesinanyconsecutivel‐hourperiodbetween7a.m.and10p.m.,5dBshouldbesubtractedfromthenoiselevelmeasurement.

Los Angeles Municipal Code

In1973,CityofLosAngelesOrdinanceNo.144.331wasaddedasChapterXI"NoiseRegulation"totheLosAngelesMunicipalCode.ThischapterempoweredtheCitytoprohibitunnecessary,excessive,andannoyingnoisefromallsourcessubjecttoitspolicepowers.EnforcementresponsibilitiesweredividedbetweenthePoliceDepartmentandtheDepartmentofBuildingandSafety.In1982,theCityCouncilamendedtheNoiseOrdinancetoincludenewsoundlevelmeasurementprocedures,reconcileconflictingnoiselevellimits,andmoreclearlydefineenforcementresponsibilitiesofconcernedCitydepartments.ThefollowingareLosAngelesMunicipalCodesectionsoftheNoiseOrdinancethatrelatetotheproposedproject.

Section41.40

Nopersonshall,betweenthehoursof9:00P.M.and7:00A.M.ofthefollowingday,performanyconstructionorrepairworkofanykindupon,oranyexcavatingfor,anybuildingorstructure,whereanyoftheforegoingentailstheuseofanypowerdrivendrill,rivetingmachineexcavatororanyothermachine,tool,deviceorequipmentwhichmakesloudnoisestothedisturbanceofpersonsoccupyingsleepingquartersinanydwellinghotelorapartmentorotherplaceofresidence.Inaddition,theoperation,repairorservicingofconstructionequipmentandthejob‐sitedeliveringofconstructionmaterialsinsuchareasshallbeprohibitedduringthehourshereinspecified.AnypersonwhoknowinglyandwillfullyviolatestheforegoingprovisionshallbedeemedguiltyofamisdemeanorpunishableaselsewhereprovidedinthisCode.

Noperson,otherthananindividualhomeownerengagedintherepairorconstructionofhissingle‐familydwellingshallperformanyconstructionorrepairworkofanykindupon,oranyearthgradingfor,anybuildingorstructurelocatedonlanddevelopedwithresidentialbuildingsundertheprovisionsofChapterIofthisCode,orperformsuchworkwithin500feetoflandsooccupied,before8:00a.m.orafter6:00p.m.onanySaturdayornationalholidaynoratanytimeonanySunday.Inaddition,theoperation,repairorservicingofconstructionequipmentandthejob‐sitedeliveringofconstructionmaterialsinsuchareasshallbeprohibitedonSaturdaysandonSundaysduringthehourshereinspecified.

Theprovisionsofthissubsectiondonotapplytopersonsengagedincertaintypesofemergencyrepair.

Section112.05

Betweenthehoursof7:00a.m.and10:00p.m.,inanyresidentialzoneofthecityorwithin500feetthereof,nopersonshalloperateorcausetobeoperatedanypoweredequipmentorpoweredhandtoolthatproducesamaximumnoiselevelexceedingthefollowingnoiselimitsatadistanceof50feettherefrom:

(a) 5dB(A)forconstruction,industrial,andagriculturalmachineryincludingcrawler‐tractors,dozers,rotarydrillsandaugers,loaders,powershovels,cranes,derricks,motorgraders,pavingmachines,off‐highwaytrucks,ditchers,trenchers,compactors,scrapers,wagons,pavementbreakers,compressorsandpneumaticorotherpoweredequipment;



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(b) 75dB(A)forpoweredequipmentof20HPorlessintendedforinfrequentuseinresidentialareas,includingchainsaws,logchippersandpoweredhandtools;

(c) 65dB(A)forpoweredequipmentintendedforrepetitiveuseinresidentialareas,includinglawnmowers,backpackblowers,smalllawnandgardentoolsandridingtractors.

Section115.02

Itshallbeunlawfulforanyperson,otherthanpersonneloflawenforcementorgovernmentalagencies,orpermitteesdulyauthorizedtousethesamepursuanttoSec.103.111ofthisCode,toinstall,use,oroperatewithinthecityaloudspeakerorsoundamplifyingequipmentinafixedormovablepositionormounteduponanysoundtruckforthepurposesofgivinginstructions,directions,talks,addresses,lectures,ortransmittingmusictoanypersonsorassemblagesofpersonsinoruponanypublicstreet,alley,sidewalk,parkorplace,orotherpublicpropertyexceptwheninstalled,usedoroperatedincompliancewiththefollowingprovisions:

(a) Inallresidentialzonesandwithin500feetthereof,nosoundamplifyingequipmentshallbeinstalled,operatedorusedforcommercialpurposesatanytime.

(b) Theoperationoruseofsoundamplifyingequipmentfornoncommercialpurposesinallresidentialzonesandwithin500feetthereof,exceptwhenusedforregularlyscheduledoperativefunctionsbyanyschoolorfortheusualandcustomarypurposesofanychurch,isprohibitedbetweenthehoursof4:30p.m.and9:00a.m.ofthefollowingday.

(c) Inallotherzones,exceptsuchportionsthereofasmaybeincludedwithin500feetofanyresidentialzone,theoperationoruseofsoundamplifyingequipmentforcommercialpurposesisprohibitedbetweenthehoursof9:00p.m.and8:00a.m.ofthefollowingday.

(d) Inallotherzones,exceptsuchportionsthereofasmaybeincludedwithin500feetofanyresidentialzone,theoperationoruseofsoundamplifyingequipmentfornoncommercialpurposesisprohibitedbetweenthehoursof10:00p.m.and7:00a.m.ofthefollowingday.

(e) Theonlysoundspermittedshallbeeithermusic,humanspeech,orboth.

(f) Soundemanatingfromsoundamplifyingequipmentshallbelimitedinvolume,toneandintensityasfollows:

1. Thesoundshallnotbeaudibleatadistanceinexcessof200feetfromthesoundequipment.

2. Innoeventshallthesoundbeloudandraucousorunreasonablyjarring,disturbing,annoyingoranuisancetoreasonablepersonsofnormalsensitivenesswithintheareaofaudibility.

(g)Exceptasprovidedin(b)above,nosoundamplifyingequipmentshallbeoperateduponanypropertyadjacenttoandwithin200feetofanyhospitalgroundsoranyschoolorchurchbuildingwhileinuse.



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Environmental Setting TheprojectareaincludesresidentialandcommerciallanduseslocatedwithinthecityofLosAngeles.TheexistingnoiseenvironmentinthevicinityofCrystalSpringsPicnicAreaandNorthAtwaterParkisdominatedbylocaltrafficnoise,especiallyfromtheadjacentI‐5freeway.

Localtrucktrafficandoperationsfromcommercialandindustriallandusesalsocontributetotheambientnoiseenvironment,especiallyintheareaofNorthAtwaterPark.InCrystalSpringsPicnicArea,PoteFieldisanexistingusethatmaybeasourceofcrowdnoiseduringtimesofpracticeorgameuse.

Theexistingnoiseenvironmentintheprojectareahasbeencharacterizedwithsoundlevelmeasurementstakenintheprojectareaandtrafficnoisemodeling,asdescribedbelow.

Noise Monitoring

Inordertocharacterizetheexistingnoiseenvironmentintheprojectstudyarea,short‐termmeasurementsof15minutesindurationwereconductedinareasadjacenttoCrystalSpringsPicnicAreaandNorthAtwaterPark.

ICFselectedthenoisemonitoringsites.Siteswereselectedtodocumentexistingambientnoiselevelsatrepresentativelocationsintheprojectareawherenoise‐sensitivelandusesarelocated.Thenoisemonitoringsitesaredescribedbelow.

Short‐termmonitoringwasconductedonWednesday,September25,2013usingaLarson‐DavisModel812PrecisionType1soundlevelmeter(serialnumber0432).Themeterwaspositionedonatripodatamicrophoneheightof5feetabovetheground.Soundlevelsandaudiblenoisesourceswererecordedonfielddatasheetstocharacterizethenoiseenvironmentateachposition.Monitoringwasconductedfor15minutesateachlocation.MeasurementswereconductedatfourpositionsneartheCrystalSpringsPicnicAreaandNorthAtwaterPark.Theshort‐termmeasurementpositionsarethepositionsindicatedinFigure6.IntheCrystalSpringsPicnicArea,theparkitselfistheonlynoise‐sensitiveusesoonlyonemeasurementpositionwasusedinthechildren’splayarea.IntheNorthAtwaterParkarea,threemeasurementpositionswereusedtorepresenttheexistingpark,thenearestresidence,andaresidencefurtherawaythatcouldpotentiallybeaffectedbytheproject.

TrafficnoisefromI‐5wasthedominantnoisesourceobservedduringnoisemeasurementintervals.Othernoisesourcessuchasconstructionequipmentandtrainhornswerealsoaudibleduringmeasurements.MeasuredLeqnoiselevelsrangedfrom55to67dBA.Temperature,windspeed,andhumiditywererecordedmanuallyduringtheshort‐termmonitoringsessionusingaKestrel3000portableweatherstation.Duringtheshort‐termmeasurements,skiesweresunnyandclear.Windspeedsweretypicallyintherangeof0to2mph.Temperatureswereintherangeof77°F–82°F,withrelativehumiditytypicallyintherangeof40%to50%.

Table4summarizestheshort‐termmonitoringresults.NoisemonitoringlocationsareshowninFigure6.



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Table 4. Short‐term Monitoring Results

Receivers Location Time

MeasuredSoundLevel(dBA)

Leq Lmax L10 L50 L90

ST‐1 4448CrystalSpringsDrive 9:41a.m. 66.7 70.3 68.2 66.5 65.2

ST‐2 3990ChevyChaseDrive 12:30p.m. 56.4 64.2 58.4 56.1 53.4

ST‐3 4000VerdantStreet 10:55a.m. 57.1 68.5 58.7 56.1 54.2

ST‐4 4429EdenhurstStreet 11:45a.m. 54.8 72.1 56.4 53.0 50.2

Source:ICFInternational

Figure 6. Noise Monitoring Sites and Outdoor Use Areas

Traffic Noise Modeling

Existingtrafficnoiselevelswerecalculatedusingexistingtrafficvolumesprovidedbytheprojecttrafficengineers,Fehr&Peers(2013).Table5summarizesthetrafficnoisemodelingresultsbasedonexistingtrafficconditions.



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Table 5. Traffic Noise Modeling Results, 2013 Baseline (Existing Conditions)

Roadway SegmentLandUseDescription

2013P.M.PeakHourNoiseLevel

Weekdays,dBALeq

Weekends,dBALeq

CrystalSpringsDrive

northofLosFelizBlvd GriffithPark,CrystalSpringsPicnicArea

61to76(1) 62to73(1)

LosFelizBlvd westofCrystalSpringsDrive

Residential,Recreational

71 70

LosFelizBlvd betweenI‐5andBrunswickAvenue

Residential,Commercial

68 68

LosFelizBlvd eastofBrunswickAvenue Residential,Commercial

68 68

BrunswickAvenue southofLosFelizBlvd Residential 59 59

BrunswickAvenue betweenLosFelizBlvdandRigaliAvenue

Residential 61 59

BrunswickAvenue betweenRigaliAvenueandChevyChaseDrive

Residential 52 52

BrunswickAvenue northofChevyChaseDrive Residential 60 59

RigaliAvenue westofBrunswickAvenue Residential,Equestrianuse

58 58

ChevyChaseDrive westofBrunswickAvenue Residential,EquestrianUse,Parkuse

53 52

ChevyChaseDrive betweenBrunswickAvenueandSanFernandoRoad

Residential,ChevyChasePark,Commercial

61 61

ChevyChaseDrive eastofSanFernandoRoad Residential,Commercial

63 63

SanFernandoRoad northofChevyChaseDrive Commercial 67 66

SanFernandoRoad southofChevyChaseDrive Commercial 67 66

Notes:(1)RangeofvaluesdependsonproximitytoI‐5.Source:ICFInternational

Environmental Impact Analysis

Methodology

Construction Noise

TheassessmentofpotentialconstructionnoiselevelswasbasedonmethodologydevelopedbytheFTA(2006).NoiselevelsproducedbycommonlyusedconstructionequipmentaresummarizedinTable6.Individualtypesofconstructionequipmentareexpectedtogeneratemaximumnoiselevels



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Table 6. Construction Equipment Noise Emission Levels

Equipment QuantityTypicalNoiseLevel(dBA)50FeetFromSource

Grader 1 85a

Bulldozers 1 85a

Truck 2 84b

Loader 1 85a

AirCompressor 1 81a

Backhoe 1 80a

PneumaticTool 1 85a

Excavator 2 85b

Crane 1 85a

Roller 2 74a

Paver 1 89a

dBA=A‐weighteddecibelSource:aFTA2006.bThalheimer2000.

rangingfrom80to89dBAatadistanceof50feet.Theconstructionnoiselevelatagivenreceiverdependsonthetypeofconstructionactivity,thenoiselevelgeneratedbythatactivity,andthedistanceandshieldingbetweentheactivityandnoise‐sensitivereceivers.Noisefromconstructionactivityisapointsourceand,therefore,attenuatesatarateofabout6dBperdoublingofdistance.

UtilizationfactorsforconstructionnoiseareusedintheanalysiswhentheapplicableconstructionnoiseordinanceusesanoisestandardbasedonLeqnoiseexposure.TheLeqnoisestandardaccountsfortheenergy‐averageofnoiseoveraspecifiedinterval(usually1hour),soautilizationfactorrepresentstheamountoftimeatypeofequipmentisusedduringtheinterval.Constructionwouldnotoccurwithincloseproximity(lessthan100feet)toresidentialareassonogroundbornevibrationimpactsduetoconstructionareanticipated.

Traffic Noise Modeling

TrafficnoiselevelsatsensitivereceptorssurroundingthealternativelocationsforthebaseballfieldswereevaluatedusingaspreadsheetadaptationofFHWATrafficNoiseModelLookupVersion2.5(TNM).TheTNMmodelestimatesaveragenoiselevelsatfixeddistancesfromtheroadwaycenterlinebasedonestimatedtrafficvolumesforautomobilesandmedium‐andheavy‐dutytrucks,vehiclespeeds,andadesignatednoiseattenuationrate.Shieldingeffectsfromtopographicalfeaturesandbuildingsarenotaccountedforinthemodel.Themodelwasprogrammedtoproduceaconservative,worst‐hourestimateofnoiselevelsfromproject‐generatedtrafficduetobaseballfielduseassociatedwiththeproposedproject.

Operations Noise from Baseball Fields

Sourcesofnoisefromoperationoftheballfieldscouldincludeshoutingfromgameparticipantsandspectators,useofpublicaddresssystems,andvehiclenoisefromparkinglots.



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Estimatesofcrowdnoisearecalculatedbasedonpublisheddata.Amaleshoutatadistanceof1meterhasasoundlevelof88dBA,whileafemaleshoutis82dBA(Harris1991).Thecrowdnoiseforasinglefieldwasmodeledassuminganequalmixofballfieldattendancebygender,andattendancewasbasedonthemaximumcapacityofbleachersanddugoutbenches,(2bleachers,eachwithacapacityof45people,and2dugoutbenches,eachwithacapacityof20people[LABOE2013])andaddingstandingroomforparticipantsandspectators.Basedontheseassumptionsacrowdsizeof150peoplewouldbeareasonableestimatetorepresentaheavilyattendedgameevent,andapotentialloudest‐casescenarioforeachfieldatagiventime.

Apublicaddress(PA)systemisnotproposedtobeconstructedasapermanentfeatureoftheproject.APAsystemmaybeusedoccasionally,duringgameeventssuchasopeningdays,all‐stargames,andclosingdays.SpecificationsforPAspeakersanticipatedtobeusedatthesegameshavenotbeenspecified.SimilarprojectshaveassumedanaveragePAsystemnoiselevelof70dBALeqat100feet,basedon15minutesofuseinagivenhour(ICF2010).

Thenewbaseballfieldswouldbeusedyear‐round.After‐schoolusewouldoccurMondaythroughFriday,3p.m.to5p.m.inwintermonthsand3p.m.toaslateas8p.m.insummermonth.Alldayusewouldoccuronweekendsforgamesfromapproximately9a.m.to5p.m.inthewinterand9a.m.to8p.m.inthesummer.Thesefieldswouldnotbelighted(withtheexceptionofsecuritylighting),sotherewouldbenonighttimeactivityatthesefields.Thisanalysisassumestheworst‐caseactivitytimeframeof9:00a.m.to8p.m.Baseballfieldnoiseisfirstcalculatedbasedonaone‐hourLeq.TheCNELvalueforasoundlevelthatoccurscontinuouslybetween9:00a.m.and8:00p.m.is3.6dBlessthanthelevelofthecontinuoussound.

Estimatedworst‐casescenarionoiselevelsfromcombinedcrowdandPAsystemnoiseduringtwosimultaneousgamesasafunctionofdistanceareshowninTable7.

Table 7. Predicted Noise Levels from Crowd Noise and PA Systems at Two Simultaneous Youth Baseball Game Events, Loudest‐Case Scenario

DistanceBetweenSourceandReceiver(Feet)

CalculatedLeqSoundLevel(dBA) CalculatedCNELSoundLevel

100 74 70

200 66 62

300 62 58

400 59 55

500 56 52

600 54 50

700 52 48

800 51 47


ParkinglotnoisewasmodeledbasedonFTAguidance(2006),assuming120carsenteringorleavinginagivenhour(Fehr&Peers2013),representingaloudest‐casescenarioforheavily‐attendedgamedaysfortwoballfieldsoperatingsimultaneously.Theloudest‐caseoperatingconditionfortheparkinglotwouldresultinanoiselevelof53dBAat50feet.



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Noise Monitoring of Ambient Noise Levels

Whereapplicabletolocalstandards,resultsofnoisemonitoringconductedatprojectelementsareusedintheanalysistodescribetheexistingambientnoiseenvironmentinthearea.

Thresholds of Significance

State CEQA Guidelines

AppendixGoftheStateCEQAGuidelinesidentifiesthefollowingquestionsthancanbeusedasguidetodeterminethesignificanceofnoiseimpacts

Wouldtheprojectresultin:

a) Exposureofpersonstoorgenerationofnoiselevelsinexcessofstandardsestablishedinthelocalgeneralplanornoiseordinance,orapplicablestandardsofotheragencies?

b) Exposureofpersonstoorgenerationofexcessivegroundbornevibrationorgroundbornenoiselevels?

c) Asubstantialpermanentincreaseinambientnoiselevelsintheprojectvicinityabovelevelsexistingwithouttheproject?

d) Asubstantialtemporaryorperiodicincreaseinambientnoiselevelsintheprojectvicinityabovelevelsexistingwithouttheproject?

e) Foraprojectlocatedwithinanairportlanduseplanor,wheresuchaplanhasnotbeenadopted,withintwomilesofapublicairportorpublicuseairport,wouldtheprojectexposepeopleresidingorworkingintheprojectareatoexcessivenoiselevels?

f) Foraprojectwithinthevicinityofaprivateairstrip,wouldtheprojectexposepeopleresidingorworkingintheprojectareatoexcessivenoiselevels?

City of Los Angeles CEQA Thresholds Guide

TheCityofLosAngelesCEQAThresholdsGuide:YourResourceforPreparingCEQAAnalysesinLosAngeles(ThresholdsGuide)isaguidancedocumentthatdrawstogetherpracticalinformationusefultoCitystaff,projectproponents,andthepublicinvolvedintheenvironmentalreviewofprojectssubjecttotheCaliforniaEnvironmentalQualityAct(CEQA).TheThresholdsGuideprovidesassistanceinevaluatingthesignificanceofprojectimpactson46ofthemostcommonenvironmentalissuesinthecityofLosAngeles.

WithregardtoconstructionnoisetheThresholdsGuidestatesthataprojectwouldnormallyhaveasignificantimpactonnoiselevelsfromconstructionif:

Constructionactivitieslastingmorethanonedaywouldexceedexistingambientexteriornoiselevelsby10dBAormoreatanoisesensitiveuse;

Constructionactivitieslastingmorethan10daysinathreemonthperiodwouldexceedexistingambientexteriornoiselevelsby5dBAormoreatanoisesensitiveuse;or

Constructionactivitieswouldexceedtheambientnoiselevelby5dBAatanoisesensitiveusebetweenthehoursof9:00p.m.and7:00a.m.MondaythroughFriday,before8:00a.m.orafter6:00p.m.onSaturday,oratanytimeonSunday.



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WithregardtooperationalnoisetheThresholdsGuidestatesthataprojectwouldnormallyhaveasignificantimpactonnoiselevelsfromprojectoperationsiftheprojectcausestheambientnoiselevelmeasuredatthepropertylineofaffectedusestoincreaseby3dBAinCNELtoorwithinthe"normallyunacceptable"or"clearlyunacceptable"category,orany5dBAorgreaternoiseincrease.(RefertoTable3foracceptabilitycategories.)

Construction Impacts

Construction Noise

Potentialnoiselevelsfromconstructionoffacilitiesassociatedwiththeproposedballfieldswereevaluatedbycombiningthenoiselevelsoftheloudestpiecesofequipmentthatwouldlikelyoperateatthesametimeforeachphaseofconstruction.UtilizationfactorsarebasedondataprovidedbyLABOE.EstimatedsoundlevelsfromconstructionequipmentforeachphaseofconstructionasafunctionofdistanceareshowninTable8.

Table 8. Predicted Noise Levels From Construction Activities

DistanceBetweenSourceandReceiver(feet)

CalculatedLeqSoundLevel(dBA)

SitePreparation Grading Building Paving

50 84 86 85 85

100 76 78 77 77

200 68 70 69 69

300 64 66 65 65

400 60 63 62 62

500 58 60 59 59

600 56 58 57 57

700 54 56 55 55

800 53 55 54 54

1,000 50 52 51 51

1,200 48 50 49 49

1,400 46 48 47 47

1,600 45 47 46 46

Note:CalculationsarebasedonFTA2006.Calculationsdonotincludetheeffects,ifany,oflocalshieldingfromwalls,topography,orotherbarriersthatmayreducesoundlevelsfurther.Source:ICFInternational

Althoughtherewouldberiskofincreasednoiselevels,thedurationofconstructionwouldbeshort‐term.Noiseimpactswouldbeintermittentandtemporary,andwouldceaseonceconstructionworkiscomplete.

Alternative 1

VisitorstotheCrystalSpringsPicnicAreainGriffithParkcouldbeexposedtoincreasesinnoiselevelsduetoconstructionofballfieldfacilities.Increasednoiselevelswouldoccuratoutdooruseareasincludingtheexistingballfield,picnicareasandplaygroundsinCrystalSpringsPicnicArea,andgolfcoursefairwaysinGriffithPark.



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TrafficnoisefromI‐5andCrystalSpringsDriveisadominantcontributortotheexistingambientnoiseenvironmentatlocationsincloseproximitytoeachroadwaywithinCrystalSpringsPicnicArea.

Defineduseareasineachparkareevaluatedbasedonproximitytomajorroadwaysandconstructionsites.GriffithParkconsistsofgolffairwaysthatfilltheareathatliesbetweenCrystalSpringsDriveandI‐5.

Option A

ExistingambientnoiselevelsandpredictedconstructionnoiselevelsatneighborhoodoutdooruseareasasafunctionofdistancefromI‐5centerlineareshowninTable9.

Table 9. Predicted Increases in Noise Levels due to Construction Alternative 1A

ParkUses

ApproximateDistancefrom

I‐5

ExistingAmbientNoiseLevel,dBA

Leq

Predicted Noise Level, Existing Ambient plus Construction,

dBA Leq

Noise Increase due to

Construction, dB

Volleyballcourt#1,CrystalSprings

200 70 75 +5


300 67 69 +2

PicnicArea#1 400 64 78 +14

Children’sPlayarea#1

400 64 67 +3

PicnicArea#2 500 62 64 +2

Leftfield 700 59 67 +8

3rdBase 900 58 67 +9


ConstructionnoiselevelsinTable9indicatethatparkvisitorscouldbeexposedtoambientnoiselevelincreasesofupto14dBduetoconstructionactivitiesoccurringwithinproposedAlternative1Abaseballfieldboundariesduringgrading,theloudestphaseofconstruction.Noiseincreasesof5dBormorewouldoccuratapicnicarea,avolleyballcourt,andtheexistingbaseballfield.NoiselevelsatportionsofthenearestfairwaysontheGriffithParkgolfcoursewouldalsoexperiencenoiseincreasesof5dBormore,butonlywithinportionsoffairwaysnearesttotheproposedballfieldlocations.

Parkusesintheareawouldbeexposedtonoiselevelsof5dBormoreaboveambientlevelsduetoconstructionnoiseinCrystalSpringsPicnicArea.Therefore,theimpactofexposingnoise‐sensitivelandusestonoiseincreasesabovethresholdsduetoconstructionactivitiesunderAlternative1Awouldbeconsideredsignificant.ImplementationofMitigationMeasuresNOI‐1aandNOI‐1bwouldreducethisimpacttoaless‐than‐significantlevel.



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Option B

ExistingambientnoiselevelsandpredictedconstructionnoiselevelsatneighborhoodoutdooruseareasasafunctionofdistancefromI‐5centerlineareshowninTable10.

Table 10. Predicted Increases in Noise Levels at Outdoor Use Areas due to Construction, Alternative 1B

ParkUses

ApproximateDistancefrom

I‐5

ExistingAmbientNoiseLevel,dBALeq

Predicted Noise Level, Existing Ambient plus Construction,

dBA Leq

Noise Increase due to

Construction, dB


200 70 71 +1


300 67 70 +3

PicnicArea#1 400 64 68 +4


400 64 86 +22

PicnicArea#2 500 62 N/A(1) N/A(1)

Leftfield 700 59 70 +11

2ndBase 900 57 64 +7(1)FeaturewouldberelocatedorremovedduringconstructionunderAlternative1.Source:ICFInternational

ConstructionnoiselevelsinTable10indicatethatparkvisitorscouldbeexposedtoambientnoiselevelincreasesofupto22dBduetoconstructionactivitiesoccurringwithinproposedAlternative1Bbaseballfieldboundariesduringgrading,theloudestphaseofconstruction.Noiseincreasesof5dBormorewouldoccuratavolleyballcourt,andtheexistingbaseballfield.

Parkusesintheareawouldbeexposedtonoiselevelsof5dBormoreaboveambientlevelsduetoconstructionnoiseinCrystalSpringsPicnicArea.Therefore,theimpactofexposingnoise‐sensitivelandusestonoiseincreasesabovethresholdsduetoconstructionactivitiesunderAlternative1Bwouldbeconsideredsignificant.ImplementationofMitigationMeasuresNOI‐1aandNOI‐1bwouldreducethisimpacttoaless‐than‐significantlevel.

Alternative 2

LocalresidentialareasandvisitorstoNorthAtwaterParkcouldbeexposedtoincreasesinnoiselevelsduetoconstructionofballfieldfacilities.Increasednoiselevelswouldoccuratoutdooruseareasincludingachildren’splayareainNorthAtwaterPark.

TrafficnoisefromI‐5contributestotheexistingambientnoiseenvironmentatthepark.TheproposedballfieldareaunderAlternative2liesapproximately600feettotheeastofI‐5.

Defineduseareasineachlocationareevaluatedbasedonproximitytomajorroadwaysandconstructionsites.ExistingambientnoiselevelsandpredictedconstructionnoiselevelsatneighborhoodoutdooruseareasasafunctionofdistancefromI‐5centerlineareshowninTable11.



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Table 11. Predicted Increases in Noise Levels at Outdoor Use Areas due to Construction, Alternative 2

ParkUsesApproximate

DistancefromI‐5

ExistingAmbientNoise

Level,dBALeq

PredictedNoiseLevel,ExistingAmbientplusConstruction,dBALeq

NoiseIncreasedue

toConstruction,

dB

EquestrianUse 500 62 77 +15

Ballfield,1stbase 600 61 N/A(1) N/A(1)

Ballfield,pitcher’smound

700 59 N/A(1) N/A(1)

BasketballCourt 800 58 N/A(1) N/A(1)


900 57 69 +12

ResidenceonVerdantStreet

900 57 69 +12

(1)FeaturewouldberelocatedorremovedduringconstructionunderAlternative2.Source:ICFInternational

ConstructionnoiselevelsinTable11indicatethatoutdoorusesintheNorthAtwaterParkareacouldbeexposedtoambientnoiselevelincreasesofupto15dBduetoconstructionactivitiesoccurringwithinproposedAlternative2baseballfieldboundariesduringgrading,theloudestphaseofconstruction.

Residences,parkuses,andequestrianusesintheareawouldbeexposedtonoiselevelsof5dBormoreaboveambientlevelsduetoconstructionactivitiesinNorthAtwaterPark.Therefore,theimpactofexposingnoise‐sensitivelandusestonoiseincreasesabovethresholdsduetoconstructionactivitiesunderAlternative2wouldbesignificant.ImplementationofMitigationMeasuresNOI‐1aandNOI‐1bwouldbeavailabletoreducethisimpacttoaless‐than‐significantlevel.

Construction Vibration

Operationofheavyconstructionequipment,particularlypiledrivingandotherimpactsdevicessuchaspavementbreakers,createseismicwavesthatradiatealongthesurfaceoftheearthanddownwardintotheearth.Thesesurfacewavescanbefeltasgroundvibration.Vibrationfromoperationofthisequipmentcanresultineffectsrangingfromannoyanceofpeopletodamageofstructures.Varyinggeologyanddistancewillresultindifferentvibrationlevelscontainingdifferentfrequenciesanddisplacements.Inallcases,vibrationamplitudeswilldecreasewithincreasingdistance.

Asseismicwavestraveloutwardfromavibrationsource,theyexcitetheparticlesofrockandsoilthroughwhichtheypassandcausethemtooscillate.Theactualdistancethattheseparticlesmoveisusuallyonlyafewten‐thousandthstoafewthousandthsofaninch.Therateorvelocity(ininchespersecond)atwhichtheseparticlesmoveisthecommonlyaccepteddescriptorofthevibrationamplitude,referredtoasthepeakparticlevelocity(ppv).

Table12summarizestypicalvibrationlevelsgeneratedbyconstructionequipment:



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Table 12. Vibration Source Levels for Construction Equipment

Equipment PPVat25feet

Piledriver(impact) 0.644to1.518

Piledrive(sonic) 0.170to0.734

Vibratoryroller 0.210

Hoeram 0.089

Largebulldozer 0.089

Caissondrilling 0.089

Loadedtrucks 0.076

Jackhammer 0.035

Smallbulldozer 0.003

Table12listsequipmentthatcouldbeusedforthisproject.Nohighlydynamicequipment,suchaspiledriversorpavementbreakers,areexpectedtobeused.Avibratoryrolleristhemostdynamicequipmentthatcouldbeusedtoconstructthisproject.Vibrationfromavibratoryrollerwouldattenuatetolessthan0.1inchespersecondwithinabout50feet.Atthislevel,vibrationwouldbebarelyperceptibleandbelowalevelthatcouldpotentiallycausedamage(FTA2006).Accordingly,less‐than‐significantimpactsfromconstructionvibrationareanticipated.

Operational Impacts

Traffic Noise

Trafficnoisewasevaluatedunderexistingconditions(year2013)andfuture(2017)conditionsforeachprojectalternative.Peak‐hourvolumesforweekdayandweekendtrafficwereprovidedbyFehr&Peersforinputintothetrafficnoisemodel(2013).Peak‐hourLeqvaluesarereported.BasedondatacollectedbyICFInternational,CNELvalueswouldbeabout4dBgreaterthanpeakhourLeqvaluesfortypicalsouthernCaliforniafreewaytrafficpatterns,

Alternative 1

Project‐generatedtrafficunderAlternative1mayresultinincreasedtrafficnoiselevelsatnoise‐sensitivelandusesadjacenttolocalroadways.TrafficnoiselevelsunderexistingplusprojectconditionsattheCrystalSpringsPicnicAreaareshowninTable13forpeakweekdayhour,andTable14forpeakweekendhour.



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ICF 00327.13

Table 13. Traffic Noise Modeling Results, Existing Conditions plus Project, Crystal Springs, Weekday Peak‐hour

Roadway

Segment


Existing,dBALeq

Existingplus

Project,dBALeq

IncreaseduetoProject‐generatedTrafficNoise,

dB

CrystalSpringsDrive northofLosFelizBlvd 61to76(1) 61to76(1)

0


71 71 0


68 68 0

LosFelizBlvd eastofBrunswickAvenue

68 68 0

BrunswickAvenue southofLosFelizBlvd 59 59 0


61 61 0


52 52 0

BrunswickAvenue northofChevyChaseDrive

60 60 0

RigaliAvenue westofBrunswickAvenue

58 58 0

ChevyChaseDrive westofBrunswickAvenue

53 53 0


61 61 0

ChevyChaseDrive eastofSanFernandoRoad

63 63 0

SanFernandoRoad northofChevyChaseDrive

67 67 0

SanFernandoRoad southofChevyChaseDrive

67 67 0




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Table 14. Traffic Noise Modeling Results, Existing Conditions plus Project, Crystal Springs Site, Weekend Peak‐hour

Roadway Segment


Existing,dBALeq

ExistingplusProject,dBALeq

IncreaseduetoProject‐generated

TrafficNoise,dB

CrystalSpringsDrive northofLosFelizBlvd 62to73(1) 63to73(1) +1


70 70 0


68 68 0

LosFelizBlvd eastofBrunswickAvenue 68 68 0



59 59 0


52 52 0


59 59 0

RigaliAvenue westofBrunswickAvenue 58 58 0

ChevyChaseDrive westofBrunswickAvenue 52 52 0


61 61 0

ChevyChaseDrive eastofSanFernandoRoad 63 63 0


66 66 0


66 66 0


Option A

Project‐generatedtrafficnoiselevelswouldnotresultinanincreaseof5dBaboveambientnoiselevelsatadjacentresidentiallocationsunderOptionA.Therefore,futurenoiseimpactsfromincreasedproject‐generatedtrafficwouldbelessthansignificant.

Option B

Project‐generatedtrafficnoiselevelswouldnotresultinanincreaseof5dBaboveambientnoiselevelsatadjacentresidentiallocationsunderOptionB.Therefore,futurenoiseimpactsfromincreasedproject‐generatedtrafficareconsideredtobelessthansignificant.



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ICF 00327.13

Alternative 2

Project‐generatedtrafficunderAlternative2mayresultinincreasedtrafficnoiselevelsatnoise‐sensitivelandusesadjacenttolocalroadways.TrafficnoiselevelsunderexistingplusprojectconditionsattheCrystalSpringsPicnicAreaareshowninTable15forpeakweekdayhour,andTable16forpeakweekendhour.

Table 15. Traffic Noise Modeling Results, Existing Conditions plus Project, North Atwater Park, Weekday Peak‐hour

Roadway Segment


Existing,dBALeq



TrafficNoise,dB

CrystalSpringsDrive northofLosFelizBlvd 61to76(1) 61to76(1) 0


71 71 0


68 68 0




61 61 0


52 52 0


60 60 0


ChevyChaseDrive westofBrunswickAvenue 53 55 +2


61 61 0



67 67 0


67 67 0

(1)RangeofvaluesdependsonproximitytoI‐5.Source:ICFInternational



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ICF 00327.13

Table 16. Traffic Noise Modeling Results, Existing Conditions plus Project, North Atwater Park, Weekend Peak‐hour

Roadway Segment


Existing,dBALeq



TrafficNoise,dB

CrystalSpringsDrive northofLosFelizBlvd 62to73(1) 62to73(1) 0


70 70 0


68 68 0




59 60 +1


52 52 0


59 60 +1


ChevyChaseDrive westofBrunswickAvenue 52 55 +3


61 61 0



66 66 0


66 66 0

(1)RangeofvaluesdependsonproximitytoI‐5.Source:ICFInternational

Projectgeneratedtrafficnoiselevelswouldnotresultinanincreaseof5dBaboveambientnoiselevelsatadjacentresidentiallocationsunderAlternative2.Therefore,futurenoiseimpactsfromincreasedproject‐generatedtrafficwouldbelessthansignificant.

Noise from Baseball Field Events

Operationoftheproposedbaseballfieldswouldincludenoisefromparkinglotactivities,cheersandshoutsfromparticipantsandspectatorsduringgamesandpracticeevents,andpotentiallynoisefromPAsystemsinstalledtemporarilyduringgameevents.BoththeAlternative1andAlternative2sitescurrentlyincludeorareincloseproximitytooperationalbaseballorsoftballfields.



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ICF 00327.13

Theexistingfieldsareorientedmoretowardsadultandteenageuse,andproducelessnoiseandareusedlessoftenthanyouthfields.Sincenoiselevelsareassessedonadailybasis(CNEL),noisefromtheexistingfieldswasnotconsideredinthequantitativeimpactassessmentinordertoprovideareasonableworst‐caserepresentationofnoiseimpactsfromtheproposedyouthbaseballfields.

Alternative 1

Option A

UnderOptionA,existingambientnoiselevelsandpredictedballfieldnoiselevelsatparkareasoffrequenthumanuseasafunctionofdistancefromI‐5centerlineareshowninTable17.

Table 17. Predicted Increases in Noise Levels at Outdoor Use Areas due to Baseball Field Events, Alternative 1 Option A

ParkUses

ApproximateDistancefromI‐5

ExistingAmbientNoiseLevel,CNEL

PredictedNoisefrom

BaseballFieldEventsCNEL

PredictedNoiseLevel,ExistingAmbientplusBaseballFieldEvents,CNEL

NoiseIncreaseduetoBaseballFieldEvents,

dB


200 74 6074

0


300 71 5771

0

PicnicArea#1 400 68 70 72 4


400 68 5468

0

PicnicArea#2 500 66 52 66 0


PredictednoiselevelsinTable17indicatethatparkvisitorsinPicnicArea#1couldbeexposedtoambientnoiselevelincreasesofupto4dBduetobaseballgameactivitiesunderproposedAlternative1A.Sincetheproject‐generatednoiseplusambientnoiselevelexceedsthe“normallyunacceptable”levelof67CNELforparks,thisimpactwouldbesignificant.Parkinglotactivitieswouldcontributeupto53dBAduringtheloudest‐casescenariobutwouldbeovershadowedbytrafficnoisefromtheI‐5FreewayrelativetoCrystalSpringsPicnicArea.

ImplementationofMitigationMeasureNOI‐2wouldreducethisimpacttoaless‐than‐significantlevel.

Option B

UnderOptionB,existingambientnoiselevelsandpredictedballfieldnoiselevelsatparkareasoffrequenthumanuseasafunctionofdistancefromI‐5centerlineareshowninTable18.



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ICF 00327.13

Table 18. Predicted Increases in Noise Levels at Outdoor Use Areas due to Baseball field events, Alternative 1 Option B

ParkUses



Predicted Noise Level

from Baseball Field Events

CNEL

Predicted Noise Level, Existing Ambient plus Baseball Field

Events, CNEL

Noise Increase due to Baseball Field Events,

dB


200 74 55 74 <1


300 71 57 71 <1

PicnicArea#1 400 68 58 68 <1


400 68 70 72 4

PicnicArea#2 500 66 NA(1) NA(1) NA(1)(1)FeaturewouldberelocatedorremovedduringconstructionunderAlternative1.Source:ICFInternational

PredictednoiselevelsinTable18indicatethatparkvisitorsinthechildren’splayareacouldbeexposedtoambientnoiselevelincreasesofupto4dBduetobaseballgameactivitiesunderproposedOptionB.Sincetheproject‐generatedplusambientnoiselevelexceedsthe“normallyunacceptable”levelof67CNELforparks,thisimpactwouldbesignificant.Parkinglotactivitieswouldcontributeupto53dBAduringtheloudest‐casescenariobutwouldbeovershadowedbytrafficnoisefromtheI‐5FreewayrelativetoCrystalSpringsPicnicArea.

ImplementationofMitigationMeasureNOI‐2wouldreducethisimpacttoaless‐than‐significantlevel.

Alternative 2

UnderAlternative2,existingambientnoiselevelsandpredictedballfieldnoiselevelsatparkareasoffrequenthumanuseasafunctionofdistancefromI‐5centerlineareshowninTable19.

PredictednoiselevelsinTable19indicatethatparkvisitorsinthechildren’splayareacouldbeexposedtoambientnoiselevelincreasesofupto10dBduetobaseballgameactivitiesunderproposedAlternative2.Sincetheproject‐generatedplusambientnoiselevelexceedsthe“normallyunacceptable”soundlevelof67CNELforparks,thisimpactwouldbesignificant.Parkinglotactivitieswouldcontributeupto53dBAduringtheloudest‐casescenariobutwouldbeovershadowedbytrafficnoisefromtheI‐5FreewayrelativetoCrystalSpringsPicnicArea.ImplementationofMitigationMeasureNOI‐2wouldreducethisimpact,butnottoaless‐than‐significantlevel.Thisimpactisthereforeconsideredsignificantandunavoidable.



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ICF 00327.13

Table 19. Predicted Increases in Noise Levels at Outdoor Use Areas due to Baseball Field Events, Alternative 2

ParkUses



PredictedNoiseLevelfromBaseballFieldEvents

CNEL

PredictedNoiseLevel,ExistingAmbientplusBaseballFieldEvents,CNEL

NoiseIncreaseduetoBaseball

FieldEvents,dB

EquestrianUse 500 66 62 67 1

BasketballCourt 800 NA(1) NA(1) NA(1) NA(1)


900 61 70 71 10

ResidenceonVerdantStreet

900 6158

63

2

(1)FeaturewouldberelocatedorremovedduringconstructionunderAlternative2.Source:ICFInternational

Mitigation Measures

MitigationMeasureNOI‐1a:EmployNoise‐ReducingConstructionPracticesduringConstruction

TheCityshallrequiretheconstructioncontractortoimplementnoise–reducingconstructionpracticestoensurethatconstructionnoiselevelsdonotincreaseambientnoiselevelsbymorethan5dBatadjacentresidentialareas.

Measuresusedtolimitconstructionnoiseincludethefollowing:

Locatingstationaryequipment(e.g.,generators,compressors,rockcrushers,cementmixers,idlingtrucks)asfaraspossiblefromnoise‐sensitivelanduses.

Prohibitinggasolineordieselenginesfromhavingunmuffledexhaust.

Requiringthatallconstructionequipmentpoweredbygasolineordieselengineshavesound‐controldevicesthatareatleastaseffectiveasthoseoriginallyprovidedbythemanufacturerandthatallequipmentbeoperatedandmaintainedtominimizenoisegeneration.

Preventingexcessivenoisebyshuttingdownidlevehiclesorequipment.

Usingnoise‐reducingenclosuresaroundnoise‐generatingequipment.

Constructingtemporarybarriersbetweennoisesourcesandnoise‐sensitivelandusesortakeadvantageofexistingbarrierfeatures(e.g.,terrain,structures)toblocksoundtransmissiontonoise‐sensitivelanduses.Thebarriersshallbedesignedtoobstructtheline‐of‐sightbetweenthenoise‐sensitivelanduseandon‐siteconstructionequipment.



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ICF 00327.13

MitigationMeasureNOI‐1b:PriortoConstruction,InitiateaComplaint/ResponseTrackingProgram

Priortoconstruction,theCityshallmakeaconstructionscheduleavailabletoresidentslivinginthevicinityoftheprojectareabeforeconstructionbegins,anddesignateanoisedisturbancecoordinator.Thecoordinatorshallberesponsibleforrespondingtocomplaintsregardingconstructionnoise,shalldeterminethecauseofthecomplaint,andshallensurethatreasonablemeasuresareimplementedtocorrecttheproblemwhenfeasible.Acontacttelephonenumberforthenoisedisturbancecoordinatorshallbeconspicuouslypostedonconstructionsitefencesandshallbeincludedinthenotificationoftheconstructionschedule.

MitigationMeasureNOI‐2.RelocatePlayandPicnicAreas

TheCityshallrelocateimpactedpicnicandplayareassothatthenoiseincreasefromthenewbaseballfieldsislessthan3dB.Toreducethepredictednoiseincreaseof4dBtolessthan3dBatthepicnicandchildren’splayareasunderAlternative1,theseareaswouldneedtobemovedtoadistanceofatleast125fromthebaseballfields.

Significant Unavoidable Impacts Toreducethepredictednoiseincreaseof10dBto3dBorlessatthechildren’splayareaunderAlternative2,thisareawouldneedtobemovedtoadistanceofatleast250feetfromtheproposedbaseballfields.Thereisnotenoughspaceintheparktoallowrelocationoftheplayareaundertheseconditions.Therefore,thisimpactisconsideredsignificantandunavoidable.

Cumulative Impacts Cumulativetrafficnoiseforecastswithouttheproposedprojectincludetheeffectsofrelatedprojectsexpectedtobebuiltinthevicinityoftheproposedprojectsitepriortotheproposedproject’sopeningyearof2017.LADOTidentifiedthreerelatedprojectsinthevicinityofthestudyareaandthecityofGlendaleidentifiedanadditional12projects.AsshowninTable20below,theseprojectswouldnotcontributetoasignificantcumulativeimpactduringweekdaypeakhour.AsshowninTable21below,trafficnoiseononesegment,ChevyChaseDrivewestofBrunswickAvenue,wouldincreaseby3dB.Thiswouldcontributetoasignificantcumulativeimpact.

Withregardtoconstructionnoise,severalprojectsareplannedthatmayinvolveconstructionactivityconcurrentwiththeproposedproject.TheseprojectsincludetheHeadworksReservoirSilverLakeReservoirComplexStorageReplacementproject,thePerformingArtsCenterattheOldZoo,andtheNorthEastInterceptorSewerPhase2Aproject.Constructionnoiseishighlylocalizedandtypicallyattenuatestothebackgroundnoiselevelwithinseveralhundredfeetoftheactivity.

TheHeadworksprojectislocatedmorethan2.5milesfromtheprojectsite.TheOldZooislocatedover3,400feetfromtheprojectsitewithsubstantialinterveningtopography.Giventhesubstantialdistancebetweenthesetwoprojectsandtheproposedproject,itisnotanticipatedthattherewouldbeanycumulativeconstructionnoiseeffectsintheeventtheworkontheseprojectsoccursconcurrently.



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ICF 00327.13

Table 20. Traffic Noise Modeling Results, Cumulative Conditions, Weekday Peak‐Hour

Roadway Segment

2013P.M.Peak‐HourNoiseLevel

CumulativeBase,

dBALeq

CumulativeIncrease,CrystalSpringsSite

dB

CumulativeIncrease,NorthAtwaterPark

SitedB

CrystalSpringsDrive northofLosFelizBlvd

61to76 0 0


71 0 0


69 0 0


69 0 0

BrunswickAvenue southofLosFelizBlvd

60 0 0


61 0 0


52 0 0


60 0 +1


58 0 0


53 0 +2


62 0 0


64 0 0


68 0 0


68 0 0



37 October 2013

ICF 00327.13

Table 21. Traffic Noise Modeling Results, Cumulative Conditions, Weekend Peak‐Hour

Roadway Segment

2013P.M.Peak‐HourNoiseLevel

CumulativeBase,

dBALeq

CumulativeIncrease,CrystalSpringsSite

dB

CumulativeIncrease,NorthAtwaterPark

SitedB

CrystalSpringsDrive northofLosFelizBlvd

63to73 0 0


70 0 0


69 0 0


68 +1 0

BrunswickAvenue southofLosFelizBlvd

59 0 0


60 0 0


52 0 0


60 0 0


58 0 0


52 0 +3


61 0 0


63 0 0


67 0 0


66 0 0

MostoftheworkrelatedtotheNorthEastInterceptorprojectisdistantfromtheprojectsiteaswell.TheexceptiontothisistwopipelinealignmentsthatwillbeginneartheAlternative1site.ItispossiblethatworkonthepipelinesandtheproposedprojectcouldoccuratthesametimeincloseproximitytoeachotherandresultincumulativeconstructionnoisetousersoftheparkthatexceedtheCityofLosAngeles5dBincreasethresholdforconstructionnoise.Thisscenariowouldresultinasignificantcumulativeimpact.ImplementationofMitigationMeasureNOI‐1borNOI‐2wouldreducetheproject’scontributiontothissignificantcumulativeeffectsuchthattheproject’scontributionwouldnotbecumulativelyconsiderable.



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ICF 00327.13

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CityofLosAngelesBureauofEngineering.2013.Figuresusedinreport.

CityofLosAngelesBureauofEngineering.2013.ICFEnvironmentalProjectTeamDataNeedsforCrystalSpringsBaseballFields(datarequest).

CityofLosAngeles.1999.NoiseElementoftheLosAngelesCityGeneralPlan.LosAngeles,CA.

CityofLosAngeles.2006.L.A.CEQAThresholdsGuide:YourResourceforPreparingCEQAAnalysesinLosAngeles.

FederalHighwayAdministration,U.S.DepartmentofTransportation.OfficeofNaturalandHumanEnvironment.2006.FHWARoadwayConstructionNoiseModelUser’sGuide,FinalReport.January.

FederalTransitAdministration.2006.TransitNoiseandVibrationImpactAssessment.OfficeofPlanningandEnvironment.May.

Fehr&Peers.2013.TrafficStudyfortheCrystalSpringsBaseballFields.LosAngeles,CA.October.

Harris,CyrilM.1991.HandbookofAcousticalMeasurementsandNoiseControl.McGraw‐Hill,NewYork.

ICFInternational.2010.FindingofConformancetoGeneralPlanMasterEIR:InitialStudyEnvironmentalChecklistC&EDNo.PR&N2003‐09fortheProposedMaryE.GroganCommunityParkMasterPlanAmendment.AdministrativeDraft.August.(ICFProject00270.08).Sacramento,CA.Preparedfor:CityofModesto,CA.

noise impact analysis 131023 clean - los angelesand a new youth baseball field would be constructed...

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