APPENDIX D NOISE IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Transcription

1 APPENDIX D NOISE IMPACT ASSESSMENT

2 AURORA ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANTS Inc. 745 Warren Drive East Aurora, New York NOISE IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF NIGHTTIME PARKING LOT SOURCES VICTOR CROSSING SHOPPING CENTER VICTOR, NEW YORK Prepared for: Benderson Development Company, LLC 570 Delaware Ave Buffalo, NY Prepared by: Daniel P. Prusinowski May

3 AURORA ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANTS Inc. NOISE IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF NIGHTTIME PARKING LOT SOURCES VICTOR CROSSING SHOPPING CENTER VICTOR, NEW YORK 1.0 Introduction Benderson Development Company has proposed to extend shopping hours at Victor Crossing Shopping Center in Victor, NY. Comments with respect to potential noise were received from local community residents and from the engineer for the Town of Victor. The engineers noted that community comments focused on possible perception of parking lot sources at night based on daytime perceptions of car alarms, car doors, waste container services, delivery trucks, and snow plowing. Other comments described possible perception of outdoor crowds and music at current restaurants or authorized restaurant properties. The engineers requested additional information on the intermittent sound sources described by the local residents, including information on background traffic noise and whether background noises, effects of buildings and paved surfaces, and weather may contribute to audibility at night. Benderson has stated that waste services, deliveries, and snow plowing are restricted from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. These operations will not change under the proposed shopping hours extension. Furthermore, Benderson restricts the use of outdoor music and loudspeakers at restaurant tenants. Therefore, these sources were not assessed. To determine replies to community comments and the Town engineers, additional noise assessments were performed to evaluate sound levels from defined parking lot sources. The assessments employed the noise model used for the 2013 nighttime plaza noise assessment with the added parking lot sources. The assessed parking lot sources included car alarms and door slams in parking lots in front of the buildings, between the Kohl s and Wal-Mart buildings, and beside the Wal-Mart building. Also assessed AURORA ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANTS INC. 1

4 were outdoor crowd noise levels from outdoor patios at a potential out parcel site in the middle of the plaza and at the existing Five Guys tenant location. The noise levels generated by background traffic sources in nighttime periods were evaluated for comparison to the parking lot sources to assess potential noise level increases and noise acceptability. The background assessments were based on traffic counts obtained from current published NYSDOT traffic reports for Route I490, Route 96, Route I90, connected off ramps and on ramps, and High Street. The evaluated weekday background periods included 12:00 a.m to 1:00 a.m., 2:00 a.m to 3:00 a.m., and 5:00 a.m to 6:00 a.m. The background assessments excluded existing plaza traffic as means to represent existing nighttime operations, and conservatively excluded existing plaza building ventilation systems. The predicted background levels were compared to measured background levels obtained along the facility boundaries that were reported in the 2013 noise assessment. At a location near the boundary behind Kohl s (Location 8), the minimum measured background noise levels in the period from 2:00 a.m to 3:00 a.m. averaged approximately 39 dba from continuous logging over several days. For comparison, the modeled level at the same location was 39.8 dba for the same time period using average weekday traffic counts for the noted nighttime hour. The assessments of the parking lot sources include screening effects of the row of plaza buildings, property fences, and terrain contours, with the same parameters as the previous noise assessments. The assessments also include the contributions of sound reflections from building facades and from parking lot surfaces, which increase the source sound levels. The assessments further include the sound absorption of porous vegetation or snow on terrain between the sources and receivers, which attenuate the propagated sound levels. Assessments of the effects of meteorology were separately investigated. Calculations were performed including wind from the south applied to a car alarm source at a parking lot location in front of Kohl s and Wal-mart. The model applied meteorology calculation procedures of international standard ISO The assessments determined that wind effects produced minor decreases in the received noise levels at each receiver location. The assessments assumed standard meteorological conditions of 10 C and 70% RH. Additional calculations evaluated the levels with sound winds at 0 C and 50% RH to evaluate winter conditions. The assessments determined that the received levels are lower at lower temperature and humidity. AURORA ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANTS INC. 2

5 2.0 Noise Assessments The noise assessment evaluated noise emissions from potential sound sources other than those restricted by Benderson. The following Table 1 summarizes the reference source levels of the assessed parking lot sources evaluated in the current noise assessment. Each of the measured source levels are maximum levels obtained at reference distances from sources operating at retail facilities and other locations. The evaluated modeled car alarm levels are taken from a published report of International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, which are 3 db higher than those measured for a typical vehicle source. Table 1 Parking Lot Source Maximum Measured Level Modeled Source Level Car alarm/horn, Chev. Blazer 93.6 dba at 7m 97 dba* at 7m Car door, Chev. Blazer 69.3 dba at 7m 69.3 dba at 7m Crowd on outdoor patio (10) 77.2 dba at 7.6m 77.2 dba at 7.6m * International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers: 90% of U.S car alarms measure 97 dba or lower Table 2 shows the calculated maximum sound levels from parking lot sources received at each evaluated receiver location used in the 2013 noise assessment. The data are transposed from the modeled sound level contours shown in the following figures. The received levels are compared to the background noise levels assessed for the 2:00 a.m.-3:00 a.m. minimum traffic period from published traffic counts. The differences between the predicted received levels from parking lot sources and the background levels are also shown in the table. The negative values indicate the predicted received levels are lower than the background levels. The predicted received levels in most instances are substantially lower than the background levels and would not be perceptible. At limited locations and certain source positions the received car alarm levels were predicted to be 0-2 dba more than the background levels in the 2:00 a.m.-3:00 a.m. minimum traffic period. The increases are projected to occur mostly at wooded locations not near any residence, and therefore are not expected to be perceptible or annoying. A small 2 dba relative increase might occur at Location 1. In accord with NYSDEC noise assessment guidelines (DEP-00-1), increases ranging from 0-3 db should have no appreciable effect on receptors. In other nighttime periods, the traffic counts are greater and as result the background levels are higher. The received alarm levels in these times would generate no increase in background levels at each location. AURORA ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANTS INC. 3

6 Table 2 Comparison of Predicted Parking Lot Sources to Modeled Existing Traffic Background Noise Levels Predicted avg. background sound level, Leq (dba) Loc 1 Loc 2 Loc 3 Loc 4 Loc 5 Loc 6 Loc 7 Loc 8 Loc 9 Background traffic 12:00am-1:00 am Background traffic 2:00am-3:00 am Background traffic 5:00am-6:00 am Predicted maximum recv d sound levels, Lmax, dba Difference: recv d levels & background 2-3 am, dba Loc 1 Loc 2 Loc 3 Loc 4 Loc 5 Loc 6 Loc 7 Loc 8 Loc 9 Loc 1 Loc 2 Loc 3 Loc 4 Loc 5 Loc 6 Loc 7 Loc 8 Loc 9 Car alarm by Wal-Mart Car alarm betw. front of Kohl's and Wal-Mart Car alarm betw. front of Kohl's and Wal-Mart with south winds Car alarm betw. front of Kohl's and Wal-Mart with south winds, 0 C and 50% RH Car alarm betw. Kohl's and Wal-Mart Car alarm betw. front of Kohl's and Home Goods Car alarm by Petsmart Car alarm by Dollar Tree Car door by Wal-Mart Car door betw. front of Kohl's and Wal-Mart Car door betw. Kohl's and Wal-Mart Car door betw. front of Kohl's and Home Goods Car door by Petsmart Car door by Dollar Tree Outdoor dining crowd at out parcel Outdoor dining crowd at Five Guys AURORA ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANTS INC. 5

7 3.0 Conclusions The assessments of potential nighttime parking lot sources determined that sound levels received from car alarms, car door slams, and voices at restaurant outdoor patios will not be significant compared to the nighttime background noise levels. In most instances the levels received from parking lot sources will be significantly lower than the background levels and as result will not be perceptible. In limited circumstances a car alarm sounding during the quietest nighttime background period that may be from 2:00-3:00 a.m. might produce maximum levels 1 or 2 dba more than the background levels at limited receiver locations. The increases should not be perceptible and should have no appreciable effect on receivers in accord with NYSDEC noise policy. In other nighttime periods with additional background traffic the background levels will be higher. As result, sound levels received from parking lot sources are not expected to exceed the background levels or be perceptible in those nighttime periods. The assessments determined that meteorological factors will not significantly influence sound levels received at the boundaries or neighboring properties. Wind will attenuate rather than increase the propagation of sound levels, and will typically increase the background levels. Winter conditions with colder temperatures and lower humidity will be less conducive to sound propagation, and will produce lower sound levels than under standard weather conditions. Based on the assessments it is concluded that nighttime shopping activities will not generate perceptible noise or cause unreasonable noise impacts compared to the nighttime background noise levels. AURORA ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANTS Inc. Daniel P. Prusinowski Principal Consultant AURORA ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANTS INC. 6

8 AURORA ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANTS Inc. 745 Warren Drive East Aurora, New York Appendix A Modeled Sound Level Contours of Nighttime Plaza Sources AURORA ACOUSTICAL CONSULTANTS INC. A-1

9 Background traffic levels 12:00-1:00a.m. weekdays A-2

10 Background traffic levels 2:00-3:00a.m. weekdays A-3

11 Background traffic levels 5:00-6:00a.m. weekdays A-4

12 Car alarm by Wal-Mart A-5

13 Car alarm between front of Kohl s and Wal-Mart A-6

14 Car alarm between Kohl s and Wal-Mart A-7

15 Car alarm between front of Kohl s and Home Goods A-8

16 Car alarm by Petsmart A-9

17 Car alarm by Dollar Tree A-10

18 Car door by Wal-Mart A-11

19 Car door between front of Kohl s and Wal-Mart A-12

20 Car door between Kohl s and Wal-Mart A-13

21 Car door between front of Kohl s and Home Goods A-14

22 Car door by Petsmart A-15

23 Car door by Dollar Tree A-16

24 Outdoor dining crowd at out parcel A-17

25 Outdoor dining crowd at Five Guys A-18

26 Car alarm between front of Kohl s and Wal-Mart with south winds A-19

27 Car alarm between front of Kohl s and Wal-Mart with south winds, 0 C and 50% RH A-20