HomeMy WebLinkAbout0567.091December 12, 1991
Honorable City Council
Palo Alto, California
He~rB of the council:
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The attach~d letter from saratoga Mayor Kohler is self
explanatory. Because the study referred to in the letter
is of statewide significance, it is appropriate that the
state pay (or the work. At this time, I am not aware of
additional soundwalls scheduled within Palo Alto city
limits. Consequently, our financial participation in
sucb a !Study is difficult to justify. I recommend
Council express its support tor a state-funded study of
this issue.
Respectfully submitted,
~--,. ;
r r , . WILr.~ ------
City \!.n.ger
J
Attachment
CKR:567:91
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Saratoga is asking for your support to accomplish the following ~
1. Secure a commitmcmt from the Ztate that it will immediately
comm9Dce. throug-r. <:Ion indeper.den t third party, stu.dies to
determine the nature, extent and degree of reflective nO.lse
transmission where sour.dwalls are constructed next to
freeways, Such studies should be conducted on a "time is of
the essence" basis. The studies should also include proposals
for mitigation of the effects of the phenomenon.
2. Should the State decline to accept this responsibility, thE
cities in which this problem is adversely affecting its
citizens should be willing to take on this task.
Saratoga asks your city to join ~itb us in requesting the State to
accept its responsibility to address the problem of reflective
nOl-se. Failing that \ole ask you to join us in con-omitting up to
$10,000 per city to engage qualified professionals and the
sClentific community to find solutions which \rnl1 protect our
citizens. We ask that you formally ~onsider this r&quest at y~~r
earliest convenience.
For the City Council,
,,~~~
City of saratoga
]012,hrp
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Decernb~r
to: All Mayors, Clties/To~s in County of Santa Clara
From: Wille.m Kohler, Mayor, Clty of Sara.toga
Subject: Reflective NOlse from Soundwalls
A recent art1cle in the San Jose Mercury News reported on the
phenomenon of reflective noise from soundwal1s. This article and
its implications ~ere the subject of an e~tens~ve discussion wlth
residents of Sarato~~, Sunnyvale and Marin County at our Nove~ber
20. 1991, City Council meeting. (If you haven't heard from your
reSidents on this issue, you probably will.) In addition, will
~empton, EX9cutlve Dlrector, Santa Clara County Traffic Author~ty,
~as in attendance and participated in the dlScussion.
Saratoga has about ~alf of the soundwalls ..... hich \Jill be located
along the Route 85 Corridor throug"h the City lnstalled at this
point. !n two or three months. a new project sectlon will begln
which 'Will include i01stall ing the remaining soundwalls. 'We are
concerned that the walls .3.5 desiqned wll1, as the"f seem to have
done in parts of Sunnyvale ilnd MarlO County, increase noise outsid~
the properties immedil',tely adjacent to the freeway to levels above
the levels projected without the ~alls. We belleve the effects of
this phenome~~n need to be researched and understood and optlons
developed to insure that $oundwalls will achieve their Intended
purpose 'Whlle at the same time mi tlgatinq adverse environmental
noise effects on surrounding oeighborhoods.
Studies should be conducted "Which 'Will prov~de empirical dat21 ,:m
the phenomenon 50 its magnitude and causes are clearly understood.
Further, reaearch into the exist~n9 literature on th~s subJect and
POSSible solutions to counteract the phenomenon need to be
performed. If this research fails to find possible solutions Wh1Ch
have been tested and found to be effective. then such research
needs to be commissioned. Mr. Kempton has COff®Ltted to contact the
Department of Transportation to enl1st their aid in such research
and to contact whatever aGditl.onal sources tie can to see 1f
adeguate literature on the subjec~. exists.
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