14 ATTACHMENT 04 - Laserfiche WebLink

with a landscaped-median dividing the directions of travel. In the northbound direction, there are two left turn lanes and one right turn lane. West Las Positas Boulevard runs east and west with two through lanes in each direction separated by a concrete median. There are also two left turn lanes along West Las Positas Boulevard in the westbound direction. The Las Positas Gardens Townhomes complex is located west of the project site opposite Santa Rita Road. This multi-family residential development has several two-story buildings with separate covered car ports. Though a six-foot fence shields the parking area from roadway traffic, the residential facades are unshielded, and fully exposed to roadway traffic and future project-generated noise. The nearest townhome structure is approximately 140 feet from the western property line of the project site and approximately 290 feet from the proposed carwash exit. A fire station is directly north, and another townhome complex is northeast of the project site opposite West Las Positas Blvd. The townhomes in this complex are also two-stories. The nearest townhome building is approximately 115 feet from the property line of the project site and approximately 220 feet from the entrance of the proposed carwash. The fire station is approximately 100 feet from the project site boundary, and due to the placements of the fire station and the proposed carwash buildings, it would be approximately 225 feet northwest from the entrance of the proposed carwash. A restaurant and commercial/retail uses surrounded by public parking areas are adjacent to the project site to the east and south. The restaurant is approximately 50 feet from the proposed carwash entrance. The commercial retail has direct line-of-sight to the exit of the proposed carwash and is at distances of 160 to 185 feet from the exit. Single-family residences are located to the east of the commercial/retail uses. The commercial/retail uses are expected to provide noise shielding from the project-generated noise at these residences. However, some private-use areas in the backyards of the residences could have some exposure to the proposed carwash exit. These noise-sensitive areas would be approximately 350 feet from the exit. Additionally, the Valley Care Medical Center is located to the northwest of the project site (approximately 600 feet from the project site) and the Fairlands Elementary School to the northeast(approximately 680 feet from the project site). Due to the distance from the project site, the proposed carwash would have minimal impact on these land uses. FUNDAMENTALS OF ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE Noise may be defined as unwanted sound. Noise is usually objectionable because it is disturbing or annoying. The objectionable nature of sound could be caused by its pitch or its loudness. Pitch is the height or depth of a tone or sound, depending on the relative rapidity (frequency) of the vibrations by which it is produced. Higher pitched signals sound louder to humans than sounds with a lower pitch. Loudness is intensity of sound waves combined with the reception characteristics of the ear. Intensity may be compared with the height of an ocean wave in that it is a measure of the amplitude of the sound wave. In addition to the concepts of pitch and loudness, there are several noise measurement scales which are used to describe noise in a particular location. A decibel (dB) is a unit of measurement which indicates the relative amplitude of a sound. The zero on the decibel scale is based on the lowest sound level that the healthy, unimpaired human ear can detect. Sound levels in decibels Page