Noise Impact Analysis

Transcription

1 November 12, 2014 Holly P. Smyth, AICP, Planning Director City of Hercules 111 Civic Drive Hercules, CA Subject: CEQA Noise Analysis for the Proposed Sycamore Crossing Project in Hercules, California Dear Ms. Smyth: FirstCarbon Solutions is pleased to provide the following noise analysis consistent with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Appendix G Environmental Checklist for the proposed Sycamore Crossing Project. Once reviewed by City staff, the following analysis will be included as part of the overall environmental impact assessment contained in the forthcoming CEQA document prepared for the project. Noise Impact Analysis Would the project: a) Exposure of persons to or generation of noise levels in excess of standards established in the local general plan or noise ordinance, or applicable standards of other agencies? Less than significant impact. In California, local regulation of noise involves implementation of general plan policies and noise ordinance standards. Local general plans identify general principles intended to guide and influence development plans, and noise ordinances set forth the specific standards and procedures for addressing particular noise sources and activities. The General Plan does not include specific provisions for noise control, but it establishes maximum noise levels allowable for new developments affected by transportation-related noise sources. Construction and operation noise standards have been analyzed separately below. Construction Noise Noise impacts could occur during construction activities either from the noise impacts created by the transport of workers and movement of construction materials to and from the project site, or from the noise generated onsite during site preparation, grading, building construction, paving, and painting activities. Construction activities would occur as near as 60 feet from the nearest homes, located west of the project site. Section (a) of the Hercules Municipal Code limits grading operations that occur within 500 feet of residential or commercial use to the hours between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Section

2 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page (c) of the Hercules Municipal Code requires that grading operations be controlled to vent nuisances to public and private property from noise and vibration. Policy 6 of the Hercules General Plan requires implementation of a construction schedule that minimizes construction noise impacts to nearby residences, requires that holes for driven piles be drilled to reduce noise impacts, requests that temporary noise barriers be constructed where feasible to reduce noise levels at nearby sensitive receptors, requires that all internal combustion engines used during construction are equipped with properly operating mufflers, and requires that impact tools be shielded in accordance with manufacturers specifications. Standard Project Condition No. 1 is required by the City and provides construction noise abatement measures to minimize impacts at the nearby residential receptors. The use of a temporary sound wall was analyzed, and it was determined that, because of the topography between the project site and the nearby sensitive receptors, a sound wall would provide only nominal noise reduction and would not be a feasible measure for the proposed project. Furthermore, construction activities would be short-term and would cease once the project is completed. As such, impacts would be mitigated to a level of less than significant. Standard Project Condition No. 1 The following construction noise abatement measures and practices shall be implemented: Construction activities shall be limited to the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The City of Hercules City Engineer shall have the discretion to permit exceptions to the limits if compelling circumstances exist (e.g., weather conditions necessary to pour concrete). Maintenance and service work on equipment are exempt from this requirement. All internal combustion engines used during construction shall be equipped with a properly operating muffler. All impact tools used during construction shall be shielded per manufacturers specifications. Operational Noise The proposed project would consist of the operation of a shopping center. The operation of the proposed project may create an increase of onsite noise levels from onsite stationary noise sources or an increase in vehicular traffic on the nearby roadways, which may result in an offsite increase in noise levels from mobile sources. The onsite stationary, offsite vehicular, and combined noise impacts have been analyzed separately below. Operational Offsite Transportation Noise Policy 3 of the Hercules General Plan details that a significant offsite traffic noise would occur if the proposed project would cause noise at sensitive receptors to increase by (1) 5 dba L dn or greater where the future with project noise is less than 60 dba L dn, or (2) 3 dba L dn or greater where the future with project noise is 60 dba L dn or greater. The offsite transportation noise from the project site has been previously analyzed in the Hercules Updated 2009 Redevelopment Plan Draft Environmental Impact Report, SCH # (City of

3 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 3 Hercules 2009), which analyzed the development of mixed-use project consisting of residential, office, hotel, and retail land uses on the project site. The Traffic Analysis prepared for the 2009 EIR found that the proposed project would generate 11,248 daily trips. The traffic generated for the proposed project was analyzed in the Sycamore Crossing Transportation Assessment (Fehr & Peers 2014), which found that the proposed project would generate 10,240 daily trips or 1,008 fewer daily trips than what were analyzed in the 2009 DEIR. The Noise Analysis prepared for the 2009 EIR found that the previously analyzed project would create a roadway noise impact as high as 2 dba, with the greatest impact occurring on Sycamore Avenue between South Front Street and San Pablo Avenue. The project impact to all roadway segments was found to be within the thresholds of significance detailed in Policy 3 of the Hercules General Plan. Since the proposed project would generate 1,008 fewer daily trips than the previously analyzed project, the proposed project s impacts to roadway noise would be less. This impact would be less than significant. Operational Stationary Noise Potential operational noise sources associated with the proposed project would consist of vehicles operating on the onsite driveway and parking lot, rooftop mechanical equipment, truck loading areas, a drive-thru speaker, and activities at the proposed gas station. Policy 3 of the Hercules General Plan details that a significant noise impact would occur if the proposed project s onsite stationary noise sources would exceed 50 dba L eq or 70 dba L max between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. or 45 dba L eq or 65 dba L max between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. at the nearby residential uses. In order to assess the proposed project s stationary noise impacts on the nearby sensitive receptors, the SoundPLAN modeling software was utilized for the L eq analysis and typical sound propagation rates for point sources were used for the L max analysis. Average Noise Level (L eq ) Impacts In order to determine if the proposed project would exceed the City of Hercules stationary noise standards, the onsite project noise sources were analyzed separately from the offsite noise sources. The results are summarized in Table 1 and the SoundPLAN input parameters and printouts are provided in Attachment B. Table 1: Stationary Only Project Noise Impacts at Nearby Sensitive Receptors Project Noise Levels (dba L eq ) Receiver 1 Description Daytime Nighttime 1 Multi-family home northwest of project site Single-family home north of project site Multi-family home south of project site Multi-family home south of project site Multi-family home south of project site Multi-family home southwest of project site 40 37

4 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 4 Table 1 (cont.): Stationary Only Project Noise Impacts at Nearby Sensitive Receptors Project Noise Levels (dba L eq ) Receiver 1 Description Daytime Nighttime 7 Single-family home west of project site Single-family home west of project site Single-family home west of project site Single-family home west of project site City of Hercules Hourly L eq dba Noise Standard Note: 1 Locations of Receivers are shown in Exhibit 1. Source: SoundPLAN Version 7.3; FirstCarbon Solutions, Table 1 shows that all analyzed receivers would be within both the City s daytime and nighttime average noise standards for stationary noise sources. This Impact would be less than significant. Maximum Noise Level (L max ) Impacts A maximum noise level consists of the highest instantaneous noise level during a specified time period. Maximum noise levels from the proposed project would typically occur from slamming of truck doors or startup and shutdown of trash compactors or other mechanical equipment. The maximum noise levels typically would last around a second and would occur only a few times a day. Therefore, it is very unlikely to have maximum noise levels from multiple sources occurring simultaneously. Because of this, the maximum noise level from each source was analyzed separately through the use of the FHWA-RD model. Each source was analyzed as a point source, since the L max would occur from one action such as the slamming of a truck door. The propagation of each point source was analyzed from a hard-site drop-off rate of 6 db per doubling of distance. A summary of the maximum noise level impacts is shown in Table 2 and the reference noise measurements are detailed in Attachment C. Table 2: Stationary Maximum Noise Levels at Nearby Sensitive Receptors Stationary Noise Source Reference Noise Measurement Distance of Receptor to Source (feet) Noise Level 1 (dba L max ) Nearest Sensitive Receptor Distance of Receptor to Source (feet) Noise Level 1 (dba L max ) Rooftop HVAC Parking Lot Vendor Truck Loading Area Tractor-Trailer Truck Loading Drive Through Speaker Trash Compactor

5 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 5 Table 2 (cont.): Stationary Maximum Noise Levels at Nearby Sensitive Receptors Stationary Noise Source Reference Noise Measurement Distance of Receptor to Source (feet) Noise Level 1 (dba L max ) Nearest Sensitive Receptor Distance of Receptor to Source (feet) Noise Level 1 (dba L max ) Gas Station City of Hercules Maximum Noise Standard (daytime/nighttime) 70/65 Note: 1. L max = maximum noise level based on slow meter response. Source: FirstCarbon Solutions, Table 2 shows that the proposed project s stationary noise sources would not exceed the City s daytime or nighttime maximum noise standards. This impact would be less than significant. Combined Transportation and Stationary Noise Policy 3 of the Hercules General Plan details that a significant offsite traffic noise would occur if the proposed project would cause noise at sensitive receptors to increase by (1) 5 dba L dn or greater where the future with project noise is less than 60 dba L dn, or (2) 3 dba L dn or greater where the future with project noise is 60 dba L dn or greater. In order to provide a conservative analysis, this standard was applied to the combined transportation and stationary noise impacts as well. The combined transportation and stationary noise impacts have been analyzed for the existing and cumulative year 2035 scenarios for without and with project conditions. The scenarios were chosen since the existing conditions is the scenario where the project would contribute the highest increase to daily traffic volumes, and the year 2035 scenario is the scenario that would have the highest traffic volumes and corresponding noise levels. The combined transportation and stationary exterior noise levels were calculated for the façades of the same nearby receptors that were analyzed for the stationary only conditions. The results are summarized in Table 3 and the SoundPLAN input parameters are provided in Attachment A and SoundPLAN printouts are provided in Attachment B. Exhibit 1 shows the Existing without project noise contours, Exhibit 2 shows the Existing with project noise contours, Exhibit 3 shows the year 2035 without project noise contours, and Exhibit 4 shows the year 2035 with project noise contours. Table 3: Combined Offsite Roadway and Onsite Noise Level Contributions Existing (dba CNEL) Year 2035 (dba CNEL) Receiver 1 Description 1 Multi-family home northwest of project site 2 Single-family home north of project site No Project With Project Increase No Project With Project Increase

6 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 6 Table 3 (cont.): Combined Offsite Roadway and Onsite Noise Level Contributions Existing (dba CNEL) Year 2035 (dba CNEL) Receiver 1 Description 3 Multi-family home south of project site 4 Multi-family home south of project site 5 Multi-family home south of project site 6 Multi-family home southwest of project site 7 Single-family home west of project site 8 Single-family home west of project site 9 Single-family home west of project site 10 Single-family home west of project site Note: 1 Locations of Receivers are shown in Exhibits 1, 2, 3, and 4. Source: SoundPLAN Version 7.3; FirstCarbon Solutions, No Project With Project Increase No Project With Project Increase Table 3 shows that the combined offsite roadway and onsite noise level contributions from the proposed project to the analyzed nearby sensitive receptors would range from -2 dba to 1 dba CNEL. The decrease in noise levels at Receivers 7 and 10 that are located west of the project site is primarily due to the proposed structures effectively acting as a sound wall between the receivers and Interstate 80 (I-80). The project noise increase at Receiver 5 would be within the thresholds of significance detailed in Policy 3 of the Hercules General Plan. This Impact would be less than significant. b) Exposure of persons to or generation of excessive groundborne vibration or groundborne noise levels? Less than significant impact. The proposed project consists of development of a shopping center. The construction and operational vibration impacts have been analyzed separately below. Construction Vibration Grading activities and building construction associated with the proposed project have the potential to cause noticeable groundborne vibration in the project vicinity. The proposed project would not require the use of pile drivers or explosives, which have been found to cause significant levels of vibration. Construction activities would occur as near as 60 feet from the nearest homes, located west of the project site.

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11 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 11 Section (c) of the Hercules Municipal Code requires that grading operations be controlled to vent nuisances to public and private property from noise and vibration. Section (c) does not provide a quantitative threshold for vibration, nor does any other section of the Municipal Code or General Plan. However, Caltrans provides guidance for vibration impacts from construction activities, which found that a 0.25 inch-per-second peak particle velocity (PPV) is the threshold before damage may occur to older structures with plaster walls. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has analyzed the vibration levels of various types of construction equipment and found that of the construction equipment that would most likely be used on the project site, a vibratory roller would create the highest level of vibration at 0.21 inch-per-second PPV at 25 feet. Based on typical vibration propagation rates, this would result in a vibration level of 0.08 inch-per-second PPV at the nearest home. This vibration level would not exceed the 0.25 inch-per-second PPV significance threshold for construction activities. This impact would be less than significant. Operational Vibration The proposed project would result in the operation of up to 10 tractor-trailer truck deliveries to the project site per day. These tractor-trailer truck trips would access the project site via the project driveway on Sycamore Avenue east of Front Street or one of the driveways on San Pablo Avenue. The nearest homes to the proposed truck routes would be located 300 feet away on Front Street. Neither the Municipal Code nor the General Plan provides vibration standards for operational activities; however, Caltrans has determined that the threshold for perception for transient sources is 0.04 inchper-second PPV. Caltrans has studied the effects of propagation of vehicle vibration on sensitive land uses in its Transportation- and Construction-Induced Vibration Guidance Manual, June 2004, and notes that heavy trucks, and quite frequently buses, generate the highest earthborn vibration of normal traffic. Caltrans further notes that the highest traffic-generated vibrations are along freeways and state routes. Its study finds that vibrations measured on freeway shoulders (five meters [15 feet] from the centerline of the nearest lane) have never exceeded 0.08 inches per second, with the worst combinations of heavy trucks. Based on typical vibration propagation, this would result in a vibration level of inch-persecond PPV at the nearest homes. This vibration level would not exceed the 0.04-inch-per-second PPV threshold of perception for transient sources. This impact would be less than significant. c) A substantial permanent increase in ambient noise levels in the project vicinity above levels existing without the project? Less than significant impact. The proposed project consists of development of a shopping center. The operation of the proposed project would result in an increase in roadway noise and would introduce new stationary noise sources to the project site. The combined transportation and onsite stationary noise impacts from the proposed project was analyzed above in Impact a) and summarized above in Table 3, which shows that the combined offsite roadway and onsite noise level contributions from the proposed project to the analyzed nearby sensitive receptors would range from -2 dba to 1 dba CNEL. The decrease in noise levels at the homes west of the project site is primarily due to the proposed structures effectively acting as a sound wall between the receivers and I-80. The project noise increase at Receiver

12 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 12 1 would be within the thresholds of significance detailed in Policy 3 of the Hercules General Plan. For these reasons, the proposed project would not create a substantial permanent increase in ambient noise levels in the project vicinity above levels existing without the project. This impact would be less than significant. d) A substantial temporary or periodic increase in ambient noise levels in the project vicinity above levels existing without the project? Less than significant impact. Construction activities related to the development of the proposed project may cause temporary increases in ambient noise levels. The greatest construction noise impacts are anticipated to occur at the nearby homes that are located as near as 60 feet from the proposed grading and building construction activities. Construction activities are anticipated to be completed in approximately one year and would occur only when allowed as detailed in Section (a) of the Hercules Municipal Code, which limits construction activities to the hours between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Section (c) of the Hercules Municipal Code requires that grading operations be controlled to vent nuisances to public and private property from noise and vibration. However, the City s construction noise standards do not provide any quantifiable noise limits to the noise levels that may be created during construction activities at the nearby sensitive receptors. In order to determine if the proposed construction activities would create a significant substantial temporary noise increase, the Guidelines on the negative effects on humans provided in Caltrans Technical Noise Supplement (Caltrans 2013) have been utilized. The guidelines outline three potential impacts to humans and include (1) hearing damage, (2) interference with activities, and (3) stress-related diseases. For hearing damage, the Guidelines recommend the use of the OSHA noise standard that limits noise exposure to workers to 90 db or less over 8 continuous hours and this standard was used to analyze the construction noise impacts occurring at the exterior of the nearby homes. For interference with activities, the Guidelines found that speech interference occurs when noise exceeds 60 dba and the distance to the listener is 10 feet or greater, and this standard was used to analyze the noise impacts at the interior of the nearby homes, where conversations typically take place on a property. For stress-related diseases, the Guidelines state that higher frequencies, pure tones, and fluctuating noise levels tend to be more stressful than lower frequencies, broadband, and constant-level noise. Since, construction activities would not require the use of pile drivers or air drills, which are known sources of fluctuating noise levels and high frequencies and would be primarily limited to noise from diesel off-road equipment with primarily low frequency noise, no stress-related noise impacts are anticipated from construction of the proposed project. Construction noise impacts for each phase of construction have been calculated through use of the Federal Highway Administration s Roadway Construction Noise Model (RCNM). The default construction equipment assumptions from the CalEEMod model were utilized in order to determine the number and type of equipment that would operate during each phase of construction. The interior noise level is based on the Caltrans Technical Noise Supplement (Caltrans 2013), which found that the exterior to interior attenuation of a light frame building with ordinary windows is 20 db. The calculated construction noise levels are detailed in Table 4 and the input parameters and RCNM printouts are provided in Attachment C.

13 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 13 Table 4: Construction Noise Levels at Nearest Home Receptor Location Site Preparation Construction Noise Levels (dba L eq ) 1 Grading Building Construction Paving Painting Exterior of Nearest Home Interior of Nearest Home Note: 1. Construction noise level calculations included 5 db of attenuation from the existing 6-foot-high sound wall located between the nearest homes and the project site. Source: Federal Highway Administration, Table 4 shows that the greatest noise impacts would occur during the site preparation and grading phases of construction, with noise levels as high as 74 dba L eq at the exterior and 54 dba L eq at the interior of the nearest offsite residential use. Table 4 shows that the noise levels from each phase of construction activities would be within the 90 db exterior noise threshold and 60 db interior noise threshold detailed above. For these reasons, the proposed project would not create a substantial temporary increase in ambient noise levels in the project vicinity above levels existing without the project. This impact would be less than significant. e) For a project located within an airport land use plan or, where such a plan has not been adopted, within two miles of a public airport or public use airport, would the project expose people residing or working in the project area to excessive noise levels? No impact. As detailed in the 2009 EIR, there are no public airports in the project vicinity and the project site is not located within an airport land use plan. Furthermore, there are no public airports within at least 10 miles of the project site. Therefore, the proposed project would not expose people to excessive airport- or aircraft-related noise levels. f) For a project within the vicinity of a private airstrip, would the project expose people residing or working in the project area to excessive noise levels? No impact. As detailed in the 2009 EIR, there are no private airstrips in the project vicinity. Furthermore, there are no private airports within at least 10 miles of the project site. Therefore, the proposed project would not expose people to excessive airport- or aircraft-related noise levels. Sincerely, Mary Bean, Project Director FirstCarbon Solutions 1350 Treat Boulevard, Suite 380

14 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 14 Walnut Creek, CA Enc: Attachment A: Existing Noise Environment, Noise Analysis Methodology, and In-Depth Project Noise Analysis Attachment B: SoundPLAN Data Attachment C: Roadway Construction Noise Model (RCNM) Output H:\Client (PN-JN)\4481\ \Noise Analysis Memo\ Sycamore Crossing Noise Memo.doc

15 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 15 Attachment A: Existing Noise Environment, Noise Analysis Methodology, and In-Depth Project Noise Analysis

16 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 16 Existing Noise Environment Noise in the project study area is primarily created from vehicle traffic on Interstate 80 (I-80), San Pablo Avenue and Sycamore Avenue and rail noise from the BNSF railroad. The nearby sensitive receptors consist of single-family residences located to the west and north of the project site and multi-family residences located to the south. To determine the existing noise level environment, long-term (24-hour) noise measurements were taken at four locations. Noise measurement locations were selected in the field based on the methodology presented in Section 3.2 of the Caltrans Technical Noise Supplement (Caltrans 2013) with the intent of representatively sampling of the existing noise environment. Exhibit A-1 depicts the noise measurement locations. The results of the long-term noise level measurements are presented in Table 5. The measured sound pressure levels in dba have been used to calculate the minimum and maximum L eq averaged over 1-hour intervals. Table 5 also shows the L eq, L max, and CNEL, based on the entire measurement time. In addition, a graph of the calculated L eq averaged over 1-hour intervals for the long-term noise measurements are shown in Exhibit A-2. Table 5: Existing (Ambient) Noise Measurements Site A Site Description On tree north of home at 1102 Devonwood B On tree behind home at 109 Rocky Pointe Court C D On power pole on east side of project site On tree on east side of home at 2180 Lewis Street Average (dba L eq ) Maximum (dba L max ) Minimum 1-Hour Interval (dba L eq /Time) :17 p.m :33 p.m :52 p.m :30 p.m. Maximum 1-Hour Interval (dba L eq /Time) :28 p.m :55 a.m :02 a.m :04 a.m. Average (dba CNEL) Note: 1 Construction noise standard from Section of the Municipal Code, which limits the time of construction that exceeds 50 dba Source: RCNM Version 1.1; FirstCarbon Solutions, Existing Noise Environment The existing noise levels were modeled using the SoundPLAN model, which is described below under Methodology. The SoundPLAN-modeled noise levels at the façades of nearby sensitive receptors are provided in Table 6 for the existing conditions. The SoundPLAN model was also used to produce noise contour maps showing the existing dba CNEL in the project vicinity and has been shown above in Exhibit 1 for the existing conditions. The SoundPLAN Model printouts for the existing conditions are provided in Attachment B.

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19 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 19 Table 6: Existing Modeled Noise Levels at Nearby Sensitive Receptors Receiver 1 Description dba CNEL 2 Day dba L eq dba L eq Evening 1 Multi-family home northwest of project site Single-family home north of project site Multi-family home south of project site Multi-family home south of project site Multi-family home south of project site Multi-family home southwest of project site Single-family home west of project site Single-family home west of project site Single-family home west of project site Single-family home west of project site dba L eq Night Notes: 1 Locations of Receivers shown in Exhibit A-3. 2 Noise level includes a 5-dBA penalty for the noise sensitive evening hours (7 p.m. to 10 p.m.) and a 10-dBA penalty for the noise sensitive nighttime hours (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.). Source: SoundPLAN Version 7.3; FirstCarbon Solutions, Methodology FirstCarbon Solutions evaluated the proposed project s noise impacts through noise measurements and modeling of project noise impacts. The analysis is provided below. Noise Measurement Procedure and Criteria The noise measurements were taken using four Extech Model Type 2 integrating sound level meters programmed in slow mode to record the sound pressure level at 3-second intervals for approximately 24 hours in A weighted form. In addition, the L eq averaged over the entire measuring time and L max were recorded. The sound level meters and microphones were mounted on trees or fences approximately 6 feet above the ground and were equipped with windscreens during all measurements. The sound level meters were calibrated before and after the monitoring using an Extech calibrator, Model All noise level measurement equipment meets American National Standards Institute specifications for sound level meters (S identified in Chapter AA). The noise measurements were recorded between 10:02 a.m. on February 19, 2014 and 10:22 a.m. on February 20, When the noise measurements were started on February 19, 2014, the sky was clear, the temperature was 55 degrees Fahrenheit ( F), barometric pressure was inches of mercury, the humidity was 58 percent, and the wind was blowing around 7 miles per hour. Overnight, the temperature dropped to 40 F and there were low clouds. At the conclusion of the noise measurements, the sky was partly cloudy, the temperature was 59 F, barometric pressure was inches of mercury, the humidity was 64 percent, and the wind was around 2 miles per hour.

20 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 20 SoundPLAN Noise Modeling Software Since noise in the project vicinity is created by multiple roadways and a railroad, the SoundPLAN Version 7.3 noise modeling software was used. SoundPLAN s road noise source algorithms are based on the FHWA Traffic Noise Model (FHWA TNM Model), and the parking lot and stationary sources algorithms are based on general prediction methods developed by SoundPLAN. The SoundPLAN Model requires the input of roadways and the locations of the noise measurement receivers. Stationary noise sources with associated frequency spectrums, sound barriers, terrain contour lines, building placement, and specific ground coverage zones may be incorporated as well. The site plan and aerial photos were used to determine the placement of the roadways, parking lots, and stationary sources as well as to establish the terrain in the project vicinity. The default temperature of 20 degrees Celsius (68 F) and default humidity of 50 percent, which can vary the propagation of noise, were used in the analysis and represent reasonable assumptions, since they are near the averages experienced in the project vicinity. Existing Roadway Assumptions The model analyzed the noise impacts from the nearby roadways onto the project vicinity. All roadways were analyzed from a single-lane-equivalent noise source combining both directions of travel. The roadway parameters used for the SoundPLAN modeling are presented in Table 7. The roadway classifications are based on the City of Hercules General Plan Circulation Element. The roadway speed is based on the posted speed limits or the speed standards provided in the General Plan. The existing average daily traffic was calculated by multiplying the PM peak-hour traffic volumes by 12 and the peakhour PM volumes were obtained from the Sycamore Crossing Transportation Assessment (Fehr & Peers, 2014). Table 7: SoundPLAN Model Existing Roadway Parameters Roadway Segment General Plan Classification Vehicle Speed (miles per hour) Existing Average Daily Traffic Interstate 80 South of State Route 4 Freeway ,000 San Pablo Avenue North of Sycamore Avenue Arterial 40 26,470 San Pablo Avenue South of Sycamore Avenue Arterial 40 21,220 San Pablo Avenue West of Supermarket Driveway Arterial 40 21,650 San Pablo Avenue West of Main Entrance Arterial 40 22,120 San Pablo Avenue West of Fuel Center Driveway Arterial 40 22,120 San Pablo Avenue West of Tsushima Street Arterial 40 22,510 Tsushima Avenue North of Sycamore Avenue Local 25 1,130 Tsushima Avenue North of Tsushima Driveway Local Tsushima Avenue North of San Pablo Avenue Local Sycamore Avenue West of Tsushima Street Collector 25 2,530

21 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 21 Table 7 (cont.): SoundPLAN Model Existing Roadway Parameters Roadway Segment General Plan Classification Vehicle Speed (miles per hour) Existing Average Daily Traffic Sycamore Avenue West of Front Street Collector 25 2,820 Sycamore Avenue West of Sycamore Driveway Collector 25 3,760 Sycamore Avenue West of San Pablo Avenue Collector 25 3,760 Sycamore Avenue East of San Pablo Avenue Arterial 35 22,000 Front Street North of Sycamore Avenue Local 25 1,010 Source: Fehr & Peers, 2014; California Department of Transportation, Table 8 presents the hourly traffic flow distributions (vehicle mixes) used in this analysis. These distributions were obtained from Caltrans and from field observations of similar local and arterial roads. The vehicle mix provides the hourly distribution percentages of automobiles, medium trucks, and heavy trucks for input into the FHWA and SoundPLAN Models. Table 8: Nearby Roadway Vehicle Mixes Percent of Hourly Distribution Roadway Classification Vehicle Type Day (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.) Evening (7 p.m. to 10 p.m.) Night (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.) Overall Interstate 80 Automobiles Medium Trucks Heavy Trucks Arterials and Local Streets Automobiles Medium Trucks Heavy Trucks Source: California Department of Transportation, 2014; FirstCarbon Solutions, Existing BNSF Railroad Assumptions The BNSF Railroad runs along the south side of San Pablo Avenue in the vicinity of the project site. According to the Pinole to Hercules railroad line operates between 15 and 20 freight trains per day. The BNSF Railroad was modeled based on 20 freight trains per day traveling at 25 miles per hour. Each freight train was modeled with three freight locomotives and 32 freight cars in the SoundPLAN model.

22 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 22 Existing Sound Walls In order to provide an accurate representation of the existing noise environment, the sound walls on the west side of Tsushima Street between Sycamore Avenue and San Pablo Avenue were incorporated into the SoundPLAN model. The walls were modeled based on a 6-foot-high wall with no reflection. Modeling Calibration Receivers were placed at the location of the noise measurement sites in order to assist in the calibration of the noise sources inputted into the model as well as to verify the accuracy of the SoundPLAN Model. Table 9 provides a summary of the calculated results and a comparison of the with the existing ambient noise levels shown above in Table 5. Site A B C D Table 9: Model Calibration to Existing Ambient Noise Levels Site Description On tree north of multi-family home at 1102 Devonwood On tree behind single-family home at 109 Rocky Pointe Court On power pole on east side of project site On tree on east side of single-family home at 2180 Lewis Street Notes: 1 Noise level calculated from SoundPLAN Version Noise measurements taken on February 19 and 20, Source: FirstCarbon Solutions, Calculated Noise Level 1 (dba CNEL) Measured Noise Level 2 (dba CNEL) Difference Table 9 shows the model calibration accuracy to the noise measurements and found that the SoundPLAN model is within 1.5 dba of the measured noise levels, which is within the range of allowed tolerances as described in Section 5.4.1, Routine Model Calibration of the TeNS for multiple range of noise sources impacting the project site. Therefore, based on the field noise measurements, the SoundPLAN model provides an accurate representation of the project area noise levels. Construction Noise Impacts In order to determine the proposed project s construction noise impacts onto the nearby sensitive receptors, the proposed project s construction activities were analyzed using the FHWA Roadway Construction Noise Model (RCNM). Table 10 provides the typical noise levels associated with each piece of equipment that was obtained from the RCNM.

23 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 23 Table 10: Construction Equipment Noise Emissions and Usage Factors Activity Equipment Number Acoustical Use Factor 1 (percent) Spec L max at 50 feet 2 (dba, slow 3 ) Actual Measured L max at 50 feet 4 (dba, slow) Site Preparation Rubber Tired Dozers Tractors N/A Grading Excavators Building Construction Graders N/A Rubber Tired Dozers Tractors N/A Cranes Forklifts (Gradall) Generator Sets Tractors N/A Welders Painting Air Compressor Paving Cement and Mortar Mixers Pavers Paving Equipment Rollers Tractors N/A Notes: N/A = not applicable 1 Acoustical use factor is the percentage of time each piece of equipment is operational during a typical workday. 2 Spec is the equipment noise level utilized by the Roadway Construction Noise Model program. 3 A slow response averages sound levels over 1-second increments. A fast response averages sound levels over second increments. 4 Actual Measured is the average noise level measured of each piece of equipment during the Central Artery/Tunnel project in Boston, Massachusetts primarily during the 1990s. 5 The tractors category includes loaders and backhoes from the Air Quality Analysis; however, according to the RCNM, tractors are the loudest of the three types and have been utilized in this analysis. Source: Federal Highway Administration, 2006; FirstCarbon Solutions, For each phase of construction, the equipment shown in Table 10 was placed on the project site at the nearest locations to the sensitive receptors, and each subsequent piece of equipment was placed an additional 50 feet away, since it is not possible for more than one piece of equipment to operate at the nearest position to the nearest sensitive receptor.

24 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 24 Stationary Noise Assumptions The proposed project may cause potential stationary noise impacts onto the nearby residences from the proposed parking lot areas, rooftop mechanical equipment, truck loading areas, drive through speaker, and gas station activities. In order to determine the proposed project stationary noise impacts onto the nearby residences, the average noise level impacts were analyzed using the SoundPLAN model, and the maximum noise level impacts were calculated using a version of the FHWA-RD Model. The SoundPLAN model was utilized for the average noise level analysis, since it is capable of analyzing the noise level at a receiver from multiple sources averaged over a day. The maximum noise levels created by each noise source were analyzed separately using a version of the FHWA-RD model, since each of the analyzed noise sources would only occasionally create maximum noise levels, which makes it highly unlikely that multiple noise sources would simultaneously create maximum noise levels. For example, the maximum noise from the truck loading areas and parking lots typically occurs when doors are closed and metal-onmetal contact occurs, which lasts less than a second. The maximum noise from rooftop mechanical equipment typically occurs during startup and shutdown and may last for a few seconds. The following describes the anticipated stationary noise sources that would occur during the ongoing operations of the proposed project. With Project Onsite Driveways The onsite driveways on the project site have been analyzed as stationary sources, since the driveways are located on private property and thus are not exempt from local noise regulations. A list of the onsite driveways that have been modeled in the SoundPLAN model is provided in Table 11. The project daily traffic shown in Table 11 was calculated by adding the PM peak-hour traffic from (Fehr & Peers 2012) for each driveway and then multiplying the result by the ratio of the summation of PM peak-hour traffic to 16,820, which is the anticipated daily trips generated by the proposed project without the pass-by trip reductions, since the trips would still occur onsite. Table 11: SoundPLAN Model Onsite Driveway Parameters Roadway Segment Vehicle Speed (miles per hour) Project Daily Traffic Supermarket Driveway North of San Pablo Avenue 15 1,040 Main Entrance North of San Pablo Avenue 15 5,470 Fuel Center Driveway North of San Pablo Avenue 15 2,060 Tsushima Driveway East of Tsushima Street 15 4,930 Sycamore Driveway South of Sycamore Avenue 15 3,310 Source: Fehr & Peers, The hourly traffic flow distributions (vehicle mixes) used for the onsite driveways was based on the Arterial and Local Streets vehicle mix shown above in Table 8. The roadway width for each driveway was set to 20 feet in the SoundPLAN model.

25 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 25 With Project Parking Lots The SoundPLAN model analyzed the noise impacts from the proposed project s parking lots. The parking lot emission source is based on the different tonal contents typically created from parking lots and is primarily from engine and tire noise, slamming of doors, pedestrians, and street sweepers. The proposed project would have 541 parking spaces. The movement per parking space per hour was calculated from the project trip generation volumes from the Sycamore Crossing Transportation Assessment (Fehr and Peers 2014), which included the trip reduction from the internal capture and walk/bike/transit trips but not the pass-by trip reductions (since these trips would still occur onsite), which resulted in 16,820 trips per day. Based on the assumption that 80 percent of the trips would occur between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., this resulted in 1.66 movements per parking space per hour between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. and 0.69 movement per space per hour between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. In order to determine the maximum noise impacts from a parking lot, a 24-hour noise measurement was taken of a similarly sized commercial retail center parking lot, which measured a noise level of 86.9 dba L max, at 2:30 a.m. and was likely caused by a street sweeper. With Project Rooftop Mechanical Equipment The SoundPLAN also analyzed the noise impacts from the proposed rooftop mechanical equipment on the proposed structures. The rooftop mechanical noise levels were calibrated to a 24-hour noise measurement of a similar 30-ton rooftop unit as is anticipated to be installed on the proposed store. All of the other proposed structures are anticipated to have smaller and quieter rooftop units, so utilization of this unit represents a worst-case condition. The noise measurement was taken 10 feet from the condenser and fan unit, which measured a noise level of 73.7 dba L eq and 77.9 dba L max. The octave center frequency sound pressure levels from the reference noise measurement were inputted into the SoundPLAN Model, in order for the Model to calculate the appropriate sound attenuation rates. The reference noise measurement was also cross-checked for pure tones, which found no pure tones were created during the noise measurement of the rooftop mechanical equipment. Each rooftop mechanical equipment unit was modeled for running 50 percent of each hour between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and 20 percent of each hour between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., which was based on field observations during the reference noise measurement. Each building was modeled with rooftop mechanical equipment covering 20 percent of the roof area, located at the nearest portion of each roof to the nearest offsite sensitive receptor; however, for the proposed Safeway, this was broken up into multiple units, since the rooftop parking lot takes up most of the roof area. Each rooftop unit was modeled as an area source located 3 feet above the roof level and calibrated to a noise level of 73.7 dba L eq at 10 feet. With Project Truck Loading Areas The SoundPLAN also analyzed the noise impacts from the truck loading docks on the northwest side of the proposed Safeway and on the east side of the proposed Major 2 structure. The vendor truck areas on the northwest side of the proposed Safeway and in front of the other commercial structures were also analyzed in the SoundPLAN model. The proposed Safeway would receive up to four semi-truck deliveries and up to 16 vendor truck deliveries per day. The other commercial structures would receive up to six semi-trucks and 22 vendor trucks per day. Since some of these semi-truck trips would include tractor trailers with operational transportation refrigeration unit (TRU) units, a field noise measurement was taken of a semi-trailer truck with an

26 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 26 operational TRU, located approximately 10 feet from a truck loading area in Los Banos. The noise measurements of the truck loading area recorded noise levels of 63.3 dba L eq and 76.4 dba L max. The entire truck visit lasted for approximately 30 minutes and during the duration of the noise measurement, the TRU was operational. The proposed truck loading area was modeled as an area source located 11 feet above ground level and was calibrated to the measured 63.3 dba L eq at 10 feet. The octave center frequency sound pressure levels from the reference noise measurement were inputted into the SoundPLAN Model, in order for the Model to calculate the appropriate sound attenuation rates. The reference noise measurement was also cross-checked for pure tones, which found no pure tones were created during the noise measurement. The percent of truck activity for each semi-truck loading area is shown in Table 12. In order to determine the noise created from the vendor truck loading areas a field noise measurement was taken approximately 30 feet from a vendor truck unloading at a Fresno retail store, which measured noise levels of 54.8 dba L eq and 67.9 dba L max. The entire vendor truck visit lasted for approximately 10 minutes. The vendor truck loading area was modeled as an area source located 8 feet above ground level and was calibrated to the measured 54.8 dba L eq at 30 feet. The octave center frequency sound pressure levels from the reference noise measurement were inputted into the SoundPLAN Model, in order for the Model to calculate the appropriate sound attenuation rates. The reference noise measurement was also cross-checked for pure tones, which found no pure tones were created during the noise measurement. The percent of truck activity for each vendor loading area is shown in Table 12. Table 12: Proposed Project Truck Loading Area Activities Building Type of Truck Total Daily Truck Trips Percent of Truck Activity 1 7 a.m. 10 p.m. 10 p.m. 7 a.m. Safeway Tractor-trailer Vendor Major 1 Vendor Major 2 Vendor Tractor-trailer Stores A Vendor Stores B Vendor Stores C Vendor Pad 1 Vendor Pad 2 Vendor Pad 3 Vendor Gas Station Tractor-trailer Note: 1 Based on tractor-trailers remaining onsite for 30 minutes per delivery and vendor trucks remaining onsite for 10 minutes per delivery. Source: FirstCarbon Solutions, 2014.

27 Holly P. Smyth September 25, 2014 Page 27 With Project Drive-Through Speakers The SoundPLAN model also analyzed the noise impacts from the proposed drive-thru speakers on Pad 1 and Pad 2. In order to determine the noise created from a drive-thru speaker, a reference noise measurement was taken 10 feet from an existing drive-thru speaker, which measured a noise level of 61.1 dba L eq and 71.3 dba L max at 10 feet. The noise measurement captured the sound pressure level in octaves and the frequency spectrum was entered into the SoundPLAN model. The drive-thru speaker was modeled as an area source based on a noise level calibrated to 61.1 db L eq at 10 feet and operational 50 percent of the time between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. and operational 20 percent of the time between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., which was based on field observations during the reference noise measurement. With Project Trash Compactor The SoundPLAN model also analyzed the noise impacts from the proposed trash compactor at the proposed Safeway. None of the other proposed structures are anticipated to have a trash compactor. A reference noise measurement was taken approximately 10 feet from the noise-producing part of a trash compactor located at an existing shopping center, which was used to calibrate the trash compactor noise source. The field noise measurement recorded the sound power spectrum in octaves and found that a trash compactor produced a noise level of 65.3 dba L eq and 73.8 dba L max. The trash compactor cycle lasted for approximately 45 seconds, and according to staff at the shopping center, the trash compactor may run as many as three times per hour. The trash compactor noise was modeled as an area source placed 4 feet above ground level and modeled on running 4 percent per hour, based on a noise level calibrated to the measured 65.3 dba L eq. With Project Gas Station The SoundPLAN model also analyzed the noise impacts from the proposed gas station. In order to determine the noise created from a gas station, a reference noise measurement was taken 20 feet from an active gas station, which measured a noise level of 61.7 dba L eq and 73.4 dba L max at 20 feet. The noise measurement captured the sound pressure level in octaves and the frequency spectrum was entered into the SoundPLAN model. The gas station was modeled as an area source based on a noise level calibrated to 61.7 db L eq at 20 feet and operational 80 percent of the time between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. and operational 20 percent of the time between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., which was based on field observations during the reference noise measurement. With Project Sound Walls The SoundPLAN model also analyzed the noise impacts from the proposed sound walls that would be constructed on the north side of the returnables yard that is located adjacent to the proposed truck loading dock for Safeway. The walls were modeled as 6-foot-high sound walls with the same sound attenuation qualities as for the existing sound walls. Combined Transportation and Stationary Noise Assumptions In order to determine the combined stationary and transportation noise impacts created by the proposed project, the SoundPLAN Model modeling software was utilized. The following describes the input parameters of the SoundPLAN model that were modified from the existing and stationary only scenarios for the combined transportation and stationary noise scenario.