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Pam Hardy Apri19, 2008 Page 5 Regulatory Thresholds The Pleasanton Noise Element of the General plan sets forth noise and land use compatibility guidelines. The guidelines compare land use categories to the community noise levels. Planned single-family residential development is considered normally acceptable where the exterior noise exposure measured using the La„ noise metric is 60 dBA or less. Where the noise exposure ranges from 60-75 dBA, the site is considered conditionally acceptable. Sites exposed to noise levels within this range maybe permitted after a detailed analysis of noise reduction requirements has been completed and needed noise insulation features included in the design. Sites exposed to noise levels exceeding 75 dBA La„ are considered unacceptable and new construction or development should generally not be undertaken because mitigation is usually not feasible to comply with Noise Element policies. The City also regulates noise in Section 9.04 of the Municipal Code. There does not appear to be a code section that would regulate the noise from the City Operation's Service Center. The code does provide guidance regarding compatible noise levels. Section 9.04.035 states that any business establishment which is located within 300 feet from any residential zone and which remains open for business at any time between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM shall not produce noise levels exceeding 60 dBA at any point outside of the property plane. Section 9.04.060 establishes noise limits for public property. These limits, however, do not appear to be applicable to the OSC. Existing Noise Environment The preliminary site plan for the project is shown on Figure 1. The project site is bounded by Mohr Avenue on the north, vacant lands owned by Kaiser Sand and Gravel Company on the east, the City of Pleasant OSC on the south, and Tracts 7381 and 7431 on the west. The site is located about 1.8 miles southwest of the Livermore Airport and about 1.4 miles south of Interstate 580. Kaiser Sand and Gravel operations are located about %-mile south of the site. The Operations Service Center provides support to various City departments, including Parks, Streets, Sewer, and Water, a Fire Department training tower, and a Police Department firing range. Figure 2 is an aerial photograph showing the Operations Service Center and the location of various activities on the site. We visited the project site and the Operations Service Center to determine whether or not activities there had changed since 1996 in a way that could affect the results of the previous noise study. Short-term noise measurements were also made during the site visit. There have not been any substantive changes to the Operations Service Center since the 1996 noise study. The physical layout and the level of activity have not changed in any way that is known to affect noise levels generated by the OSC. The 1996 study included firing range noise measurements. As shown on Figure 2, the firing range is located in the southeast corner of the OSC at a distance of about 700 feet from the southern site property boundary. The facility is used for training with handguns, rifles, and shotguns. It accommodates six shooters at a time. The firing range is used periodically during