Draft Environmental Impact Report - California Off Highway Vehicle ...

3.3 Noise
Construction noise would be temporary and the existing noise environment surrounding Clay Pit
SVRA is already relatively loud because of OHV use, traffic along Larkin Road, and aircraft
operations at the Oroville Municipal Airport. However, anticipated noise levels generated by
construction and maintenance activities (72 dBA Leq) could exceed existing noise levels at this
residence by 5 to 16 dBA. (This residence is located in the 55 CNEL noise contour for the Oroville
Municipal Airport (Figure 3.3‐3), and ambient noise levels measured at the western boundary of
the SVRA closest to this noise‐sensitive receptor ranged from 55.7 to 66.8 dBA Leq [Table 3.3‐1]).
This 5‐ to 16‐dBA noise level increase would exceed the established significance threshold of a 5‐
dBA increase in ambient noise levels (Caltrans 2009:7‐5).
However, Clay Pit SVRA General Plan OM Guideline 5.2 requires implementation of a number of
noise‐reduction measures during construction and maintenance activities within 500 feet of this
residence. Implementing these measures would reduce temporary, short‐term construction and
maintenance noise impacts within 500 feet of noise‐sensitive receptors such that ambient noise
levels would increase less than 5 dBA. These measures include restrictions on hours of operation,
equipment movements, noise barriers, additional noise muffling devices on equipment, and idling
restrictions that would reduce noise related to construction activities. Therefore, with
implementation of OM Guideline 5.2 increases in temporary short‐term off‐site noise levels during
construction and maintenance activities would be a less­than­significant impact.
Mitigation Measures: No mitigation is required.
Headquarters Facilities Impact Analysis
The impact analyses described above under “General Plan Impact Analysis” address potential
impacts related to all aspects of the General Plan, including constructing and operating the
headquarters facilities. The discussion of potential vibration impacts related to construction and
operation of the SVRA (Impact 3.3‐3) is also applicable to construction and operation of the
headquarters facilities alone; therefore, no additional analysis related to the headquarters
facilities is necessary. Likewise, discussion of potential noise impacts related to construction of
facilities envisioned in the Clay Pit SVRA General Plan (Impact 3.3‐4) is applicable to the
headquarters facilities alone and no additional analysis is necessary.
The following analysis addresses a potential impact specific to the operation of the headquarters
facilities alone. This potential impact is different from (i.e., less than) the potential impacts
described above that could be caused by implementing the rest of the General Plan elements.
IMPACT
3.3-5
Increased Off-site Noise Levels Related to Operation of the Headquarters Facilities
Operation of the headquarters facilities would involve the addition of minimal noise associated
with no more than five employees coming and going to and from work. However, construction of
Clay Pit State Vehicular Recreation Area
February 2012 3.3-22 Draft EIR