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Home My WebLink AboutORD 3751• • ORDINANCE NO. 3751 i ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO . AMENDING CHAPTER 9.10 OF THE PALO ALTO MUNICIPAL CODE TO CHANGE THE NOISE STANDARDS FOR CERTAXN AC'riVITIES The Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as follows: Section 1. Section 9.10.020 of the Palo Alto Municipal Code is hereby amended to add two new definitions to said section which shall read as follows: (h) "Combustion Engine Leaf Blower" is described as any portable machine powered with a gasoline engine used to blow leaves, dirt and other debris off sidewalks, driveways, lawns or other surfaces. (i} "Residential Power Equipment" is described as any mechanically powered saw, sander, drill, grinder, electric leaf blower, lawn mower, hedge trimmer, edger, or any other similar tool or device. section 2. Section 9.10.060 is hereby amended to r~ad as follows: 9.10.060. Sp~cial Provisions. The sp~cial exceptions listed in this section,shall apply, notwithstanding the provisions of Section 9.l0.030 .through 9.10.050. Said exceptions shall apply only to the.exterit and during the hours specified in each of the following enumerated exceptions. a. General Day Time Eixcept ion. An~·· noise source which does not produce a noise level exceeding seventy dBA at a distance of twenty-five ·feet under its most noisy condition of use shall be exempt from the provisions of Sections 9 .• 10.030a, 9el0.040 ahd 9.10.050a between the ho.urs of eight a.m. and eight p.m. Mon.l..lY through Friday, nine a.m. and eight p.m~ on Saturday, except · Sundays and holidays, when the exemption h~rein shall apply between ten a.m. and six p.m. .. ··,"1, <, '''··' -. '· •' :·· •'i .. b. Construction. Except for construction on residenti~l property as described in subsection c of this section, construction, alteration and repair activities, which are authorized by valid City permit shall be allowed between the hours of eight a.m. and eight p.m~ Monday through Friday, nine a.m. and eight P·•~ on Saturaay, and ten a.m. and six p.m. on Sundays and holidays~ if they meet at least one of the following standards: (l) No individual piece of equipment shall produce a noise level exceeding one hundred ten dBA at a distance of twenty-five feet. If the device is housed within a structure on the property, the measurement shall be made outside the structure at a distance as close to twenty-five feet from the equipment as possible. (2) Tne noise level at any point outside of the property plane of the project shall not exceed one hundred ten dBA. Posting Notice of Construction Hours is required. The holder of a valid construction permit for a construction project within this City, ~hich projecl is located within five hundred feet of any residential zone, shall post a sign at all entrances to the construction site upon commencement of construction, for the purpose of informing all contractors and subcontractors, their employees, agents, materialmen and all other persons at the construction site, of the basic requirements of this chapter. {a) Said sign(s) shall be posted at least five feet above ground level, and shall be of a white background, with black lettering, which lettering shall be a minimum-of 6ne and one-half (l.S•) inches in height~ MONDAY -FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY/HOLIDAYS (b) Said sign shall read as follows: •coNSTRUCTION HOURS (includes any and all del1veries} NOISE LIMITS 1:00 a.m~ to 8:00 p.m. 9:00 a~•· to 8~00 p.m. lP:OO a.m-to 6:00 p.m. 1. No individual piece of equipment shall< el(ceed 110 dBA, measured 25 feet from such equir .... ner:~,. · . 2. Noise level at any point outside 6£ ithe construction property plane shall not exceed l1 0 ~BA. Violation of. this Ordinance is a misdemeanor punishable by a maximu• of six months in jail, $500 fine, or both. Violators will be prosecuted. P.A.M~C. S9.10.060{b)." -2- •I ," ' iii'" .,I ,, H\. : • e. Construction on Residential Property. 'Construction, alternation, deMOlition or repair activities constructed on residential property, authorized by valid city permit, shall be allowed only during the hours of eight a.m. and six p.m. Monday through Friday, nine a .... and six p.m. on Saturday, and ten a.m. and siJE p.a. on Sunaays and holidays, if they meet the following standards. {l) No individual piece of equipmE,>nt shall produce a noise level exceeding one hundred ten dBA at a distance of twenty-five feet. If the device is housed within a structure on the property the measurement shall be made outside the structure at a distance as close to twenty-five feet from the equipment as possible~ (2) The noise level at any point outside of the property plane of the project shall not exceed one hundred ten dBA. d. Other Equipmen~. Equipment used by City employees, City cont~actors, or public utilit.y companies or their contractorsr not covered by subsections b and c herein, shall be allowed during the same hours as the exception set forth in subsection b, providing no piece of equit-~ent shall produce a noise level which exceeds one nundred ten dBA, measured at a distance of twenty-five feet from the equipment. e. Residential Power Equipment. Residential power equipaent shall be allowed during the hours of eight a.m. and eight p.111 Monday through Friday,. nine a.m~ and .six p.m. Saturday, and ten a.•~ and six p.m. on Sundays and holidays, providing it does not produce a noise level that exceeds ninety-five dBA Measured at twenty-five feet from the equipment. f. Gas Powered Leaf Blowers. Until July 1, 1989, gas powered leaf blowers, which do riOt. produce a noise level in excess of eighty-two dBA when aeasured from a distance of twenty-five feet, shall be allowed during the foilowing hours; nine a.m. and five p.a. Monday through Satu~day arid ten a.m~ and four p.m. Sunc:Jays and holidays. On Ju],y 1, 1989, and ther.eftet;", only gas powered leaf blowers wh~ch produce a noise level of seventy-five dBA, or less, st'\all be allowed during the permitted hours, ·· specified in the preceding sentence. 9. Street Sweeping. Street s.weeping acvi ties are allowed between the hours of ten p.m. and seven ,a.m. daily, .provided.they do not produce a noise level in ex'ce$s of ninety-five dBA, ot· local ambient, when aeasured at a distance of twenty-five' feet from the street sweeper. -3- i' i i'. .,1 ·. .. . . .-• ' h. Refuse Collection. Refuse collection activities shall be peraitted between the hours of four a.m. and nine p.m. daily, provided they ao not produce a noise level in excess of ninety-five dBA mec1sured at a distance of twenty-five feet from .. the activity. L Safety Devices. Aural warning devices which are required. by law to protect the health, safety and welfare of the community shall not produce a noise level more than three dBA above the standard or minimum level stipulated by law. j. F.:n:~ergenc i es. EJT(ergenc ies are exempt from this chapter .. Section 3. Section 9.10.080 is hereby added to the Palo Alto Municipal Code, which shall read as follows: 9.10.080. Violations. Violation of Section 9.10.060e or 9.10.060f shall be an infraction. Violation of any of the other provisitions of this chapter shall be a misdemeanor. Section 4. The Council hereby finds that none of the provisionB of this ordinance will have a significant environmental impact. Section 5. This ordinance shall become effective upon the commencement of the thirty-first (31st) day after the day of its passage. INTRODUCED: April 27, 1987 PASSED: fo'.ay 26, 1987 AYES: Bechtel, Cobb, Klein, Levy, St..torius, Woolley NOES: Fletcher. Patitucc1 ABSTENTIONS: None ABSENT Renze 1 APPROVED: J\· ·.,.,;.,, ,0 t . . 2S Mayor ' I ,'• 'I , I •. ,·'' J'