HomeMy WebLinkAboutORD 2664i
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'• •• • ORIGINAL
OR.OINANCE NO • 2664
. ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE C!~Y OF PALO ALTO
ADDING CHAPTER 9.10 TO THE PALO ALTO MUNICIPAL CODE
RE NOISE ABATEMENT
The Council of the City of Palo Alto does ORDAIN as fol-
lows:
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SECTION." 1. There is added. to, the Palo Al to Municipal Code
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a new chapter to be entitled "Chapter 9.10 :.. NOISE" as shown on
Exhibit A attached hereto aiid made a part her.eof iby reference.
SECTION 2 ~ This ord~nance shall become ef fect'l ve upon the
expira tio,& of thirty. days from its passage • ; .
INTRODUCED: .
PASSED:
AYES:
NOES:
·~ABSENT:
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·.·ATTEST:
July 10, 1972
July 24, 1972 '
uNANIMous_.
NONE
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. BERWh;LD, NORTON
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APPROVED: ..
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i/'/1 l ··. •q,JC..,o .• :1~ ;Q ' ,~ ~ . _ · . Mayor .· · · ...
sr. Asst. city Attorney· .· •.
APPRo\1Eo ~,. -~o · CONTENT: ·
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Sections-:
-9 .10 .010
9~10. 020
9 .10. 030
9 .10 .04_0
9 .10. (' ~,(\ .. ·.-
9"10 .060
s ... 10.010
9 .10 .010
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CHAPTER 9.10
NOISE
Declaration of Policy
Definitions
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Res~dential Property Noise Limit•
Co~rcial and Industrial Property Noise Limits
PUblic Property Noise Limits
Special Provisions
Exception Penni ts
·oeclaratlono£2olioy. It is hereby 'declared to
be the policy of the City that the peace, h~alth, safety and
welfare of the citizens of Palo Alto require protection from
~xcessive, unnecessary and unreasonable noises from any and all
sources in the community. It is the intention of the city coUµcil
: to control the adverse effect ·of suQh noise sources on the citizen
under any condition Of use, especially those conditions of ~~e
which have the most severe impact upon any per.son.
9.10.020 Definitions. For the purposes of this chapter,
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certain .terms are defined as follows:··
a. "sound lt!!!~l, " eXpreased in decibels {<19) , is· a loqaritbmic.
ind.ication of. ~he ratio betwee'~ the -aco\tatic energy present at a
given location and the·10west •utttof adouatic en~xgy audible.
to sensftive. human .ears and ~ighttl<f by frequency_~'t0i.'acco\int for
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· characteri!Jti<::f3 of":hl.Unan'he~ing, ·a• given in :t;he:-.1.rnetic·$~ ·Nat:ional.
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stal)dards Institut~' stuc:iarci' 81.l, "Acobatiic·· T•ridnol.ogy; ti 1;iuilqraph:
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2 ~ 9, or successor:. referenc•·~ ;All-· reterenae• to ·dB in tjlis/chapter
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: utilize .t.he·.'._.A;..1eve1 .-w~i 9h.tini; sc:a1e ,. id,br~_•i•t•d~:d:B~~ mei~filt.t .. a ~is
s'et; fQrth in,._thi's ·8·~~1.'ob:~·.·· -' .. '' .
· b ~ -"P~eciaion· · .~~d lew1 . .-tlt:Z:..~,-,~·.-~:·deVi# .·.f'Q.i:-~a-iu~~ti~ ~:-
·~ ·:"· ._ .·. -·~~ -. _·~~ .. /~_-_-.---···~··. =·· .:···: -· :_ .<··-·-:.·,···:·:. -~ ~:.'···' : :"~>-: .' .-.. _-:-.• -_ ··-:-· .. ··~···.:_ :,. -
' sound l~vel in '1acibel :.unlt• within -:-th·e,' pe!tfQrtnal\ce sp&di,:f idationa
iri th!> ~l:ic4n li~tioiliil sun~~ll• in.utQ!l~:~~~!f~ 4'J,,4, .· . . ..
·. "sp&cificatioii. for sow\4 I.9~1·;·~·*~•·" ~ --·· -. ·<~~~, .. ·· . .· - . -. :~ . ---·-:· .· ·. -:.c .... · -· .· . .: ~~~
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c. "Noiae level" i• th• maximum contin'1oua aound .level or
repetitive peak level produc•d by • source or group of sources ••
measured with a precieion aound level. meter usinr;f the 11 A" weighting
scale, and the meter reaponae function· set to ·"SLOW".
d. "Local ambient" le the lowest sound' level repeatinq.its.,lf
during a six-minute period aa measured with a precision sound level
meter, uainq a low reaponae and "A" weighting. The minimtim sound
level shall bP. determined with the noise -source at issue silent,
and in the same location as the measurement of the noise level of
the source or sources at issue·. However, for purposes of this
chapter, in no case shall the local ambiet1t· be considered or deter
mined to be lesa· than: ( 1) 30 _ dBA for interior noise in section
· 9~10.030b; :(2) 40 dBA in all _othel: st.'ctiona. If a siqnifica~t
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portion ofocthe lo.Qal &~ien~ is produced by ?.rie bi more individual
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identifiable sources which. ~otild 6therwise.,ua operat.~ng continuously
during .the s~x-minute measlitement. periqtl' and· contributing signi'ficantly
to the .ambient soutld level, ~etermin11tf6n·::~f.:the .local: ainbient-shal·l..--·
be accomplished,,with these sap,~·~te identifi.i\pJ.e:· noise .•ource• silent •
. e. "Vehicle" is a..'1y device by 'whi¢fr arty.'pa·r-on ·Br' :property m8.y
be prop.elled, mov*~, ·or Cira~ :upon ·~ ):\~qhway .c>J:;y_stiraet·~
£. · .. Pr:oparty ·pljlhe" is a V.kti'?al platttt).~clu~in,~ the·'property
· · 1ine ·wh~ch determine*' t:ha~ pr;~perty b~~4ari•~.· il\:;·.a1n1ca·~ .
prei~:~:,:::i::"".:~ .. ·::::t~:l:::!:f!t;~;~::~~~:::o::·•·•··.·.···.·
·. io~as or harm.• . . ,, : . . ' .
. . . _ ·~ _ .· .• , . ·: -.=. ~-i-.. ·-.: ./ -~ -.: -·) ·~ _-.~~~ .. ___ ---~~:~~f~~:-~x.J:~\·~. :· .
. 9 .10. o 30 _ a.·a,t.cl•nti.al/'St'Op!tty .. nQise.-~ lmitl!i}'" ..
~-~ -_.'i<ti(S'~: P.-rao~, ailali' !>:~~-~~~:" autt,a~· 6~-~f1~'· tc{ b•"-prMu~ed :~,, ,~_.::;:'.~'
by .... ~;~~i~····· ~_.iQr~·'1~froi· ~t~°!'1~~~~.~··.•-r•· · ~, ..... ···
resiqent.i•r·pr()~rtyi a noi•e 'l$~l·. JftQfe.:"~Ati;"6>.dB above thtl ,:lOdJll -. . '' . :1 j . . ;,• . '.-' : .. ' . .__ .: .·: ·:: ·~~)' . -'?. -:~; .· ·. ' . ' .
ambit!ht _ at tmy point outsia-a Of_. the· :p-~PR9:tty _ pl~e-,. · -,. · · ~-· ·", . ,__ .__ _. '.:.: . . ~' ,_·:_·.~·~:< " . .
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b. ·No person shall produce, suffer or allow to be produced
· by any machine, animal·, or device, or any combination of same, on
multi-family residenti~l pr:ope:r;tyia noise level more than 6 dB
above the local aJ11bient three feet from any wall, floor, or ceiling
inside any dwelling unit on the same property, when the windoWs
.and ,doors of the dwelling unit are closed, except within the dwelling
unit in which the noise source or sourc;:es may be located.
9.10.040 Commercial and industrial property noise limits~
No pe~son shall produce, suffer· or allow to be produced by any
machi~~ or device, or any combination of same, on commercial or
industrial property, a noise level more than 8 dB above the local
ambient at any. pb~nt outside of the property plane.
9.10.0!:>0 ·Pubiic property rioi!! iimits.
3. No person shall produce, suffer or allow to be produced
by any machine or device, or.any combination of same, on public
property, a noise level more than 15 dB above the looal ambient at
a distance of 25 feet or more, \lnlesP. ot.lierwise provided in this
·.chapter.
b •. sound performances and speci~l events not exceeding 80 dBA
measured at a distance of so feet are exempt from this chapter when
. approval there'for has beel) Obtained from the appropriate· govern
.mental entity, except as~:provided in Section 22.04.iSo of this
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·c. Vehicle ho~ns·~ ·or• other d&vi¢,e$<p,.:timarily" intended tot.
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create ·a loud rioise for warninq pu~ose~/''shilll .not be. us$ti' ;heft~ ..
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the. vehic,le is at r'~t' .·or .wh~b'. .'a si tuati~n 'endanqetinq ·life,
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· heal th',_ or''prci~ijri:y;~ i.~~-:;n~~:>i~nen~. . .
, 9: 1~ ~ 660 _ .'; §E$.ci.al pr~vis.i.ons .> : . . / . ... _ .
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-produce a . noise
Daytilne. ex~·pti.bn• .. Ally>rilifi&~··aource wh~'ch 'cldt:is~~'tlot
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level_.exceedii)g _ 7~V$A at 'a_ d:i:s~artde '.6f·,2~. feet._·
unde~· J,ts. most noii:ry cond~t~pn··~f ··ilae •hall -be exeniPt·.-frci~ th4;!
provi~1ons of ,sections ·~9· ~~o~.0:30~):.~".-i0-~040:· ~a.nd<;9 .·).o ;()soa betwe•n
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the hours of 8 a.m. and a p.m. daily ex~eot .Sundays and holidays,
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when the exemption herein shall apply betw .. n 10 a.m. ar,d 6 · p.m.
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b. Safety devices. Aural warriin9devic:8s which are required
by law to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the conununity
shall not produce a noise level more than 3-dB above the standard
or minimum level stipulated by law-
c. Emergencies. Emergencies are exempt from this chapter.
-d. Construction. Notwithstanding any other pro~.«\Sion of
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-~ I , this chapter, between the hours of 8 a .m. ar:';i 8 p .m. 0;_;i.ly except
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Sundays and holidays,-when the exemption here'i-r~-ishall apply between
10 a.m.-and 6 p.m., construction, alteration, or repair activities
which are authorized by a valid city permit shall be all?wed if
they meet at least one of t}le following noise limitations:
(1) No individual piece of equipment shall produce a
noise level exceeding 83 dBA ·at a distance of 25 feet~ If
tne device -is housed within a structure on the property, ·the
measurement shall be made outside the structure.at a distance·
as close to 25 fe~t from the equipment.as possible.
(2) The noise level at any point outside of the propE!rty
plane of the project shall not exceed ·a6 dBA.
9.10.670 Exception permitJ!.. If the applicant can show to
t_he city mana:g:er or his desiqnee·.-that a diliqent investigation of .. ··
available noise ai:>a-tement techniques indicates that immediate
co~p).iance with the 'requirements'_ of' this ¢liapter would··be. iin-.
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·practical or unreasonable, a permit to 'allow-exception from the
. · prov'islons contained in all or ~·_,portion ot' th'is 'chapter may be
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j,'ssue<;i, with appr(Jpriate conditions_to.minitnize·the.public. detri-
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ment ·caused by such exc&ptions~ · Aity suoh, pe~t ·sha1_1-be of. as
short· dUtatic>n Ci~~ :possible ui):·to ·six· month~-~"bllt ·.·rep.ewable upon: ~a
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sho\f ing of .g~Od .c'atise, and .. sh~ll-be· condi tione'd:by -a._. soli~d~ie --for
;compliance and details. c;;f methods there'f6r/in appropriate case's.
·' . ' ' ,. . , ~: . --!_) . - -.-" -. . . ->·· : .. . ', -'-.. · Any p~rson aggrieve~ with the decision of 'the city manager or ~is
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d.;lsignee'~·Jr~y, appeal· ttr the . ~i ty council pursuant: t'Cf Secti(>n · l.6. 40 ~080 . -/" .. ·~ ---· ~ .. "i
·of '.this code .
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