2.
Response
to
Comments
2.9
Individual
Responses
to
Comments
from
Organizations
Page
4.J-33
of
the
Draft
EIR
assesses
noise
impacts
under
the
DSP
and
DSP-V
scenarios,
where
intermittent
pile-driving
noise
of
up
to
91
dBA
would
be
expected
to
occur
for
several
weeks,
depending
on
the
size
of
the
buildings
constructed.
This
noise
increase
would
be
more
than
10
dBA
in
excess
of
existing
ambient
levels
and
would
exceed
the
86-dBA
construction
noise
standard
of
the
City
of
Brisbane
Noise
Ordinance.
Consequently,
a
significant
construction
noise
impact
was
identified
for
these
scenarios.
Under
the
CPP
and
CPP-V
scenarios,
the
nearest
off-site
receptors
to
areas
mid-
and
high-rise
office,
entertainment
uses
or
hotel
structures
would
be
1,600
feet
away
(Desmond
Street
and
in
the
Little
Hollywood
neighborhood
in
San
Francisco)
at
which
distance
noise
from
pile
driving
would
be
attenuated
to
a
less-than-significant
level.
The
Draft
EIR
analyzes
impacts
of
proposed
Baylands
development
in
relation
to
whether
people
residing
or
working
within
the
Baylands
would
be
subject
to
“excessive
noise
levels
related
to
operations
of
a
public
airport.”
The
term
“excessive
noise
levels”
is
defined
as
a
CNEL
18
in
excess
of
65
dBA,
consistent
with
the
provisions
of
the
City’s
General
Plan
Noise
Element.
Future
noise
contours
for
year
2020
at
SFO
indicate
that
the
nearest
CNEL
65
contour
is
over
one
mile
to
the
south
of
the
City
of
Brisbane
(C/CAG,
2012).
Noise
levels
at
sensitive
receptor
locations
proposed
under
the
DSP
and
DSP-V
scenarios
would,
at
some
locations
exceed
the
planning
noise
compatibility
standards
of
the
Brisbane
General
Plan
Noise
Element.
However,
these
elevated
noise
levels
are
the
result
of
proximity
to
Caltrain
operations.
As
shown
in
Table
4.J-1
of
the
Draft
EIR,
existing
noise
levels
on
the
western
Baylands
site
vary
from
60
to
66
CNEL,
depending
on
distance
from
the
Caltrain
alignment.
This
potential
impact
is
addressed
in
Draft
EIR
Impact
4.J-1.
Draft
EIR
Impact
4.J-5,
which
addresses
solely
aircraft
noise,
identifies
a
less-than-
significant
impact.
A
noise
monitoring
station
operated
by
SFO
on
Kings
Road
on
San
Bruno
Mountain,
well
away
from
Caltrain,
reports
monitored
noise
levels
for
2013
of
55.4
CNEL,
well
below
the
state
and
federal
threshold
for
noise
abatement
pursuant
to
Caltrans
and
FAA
guidelines
and
within
the
noise
compatibility
standards
of
the
City
of
Brisbane
General
Plan
Noise
Element
(SFO
Aircraft
Noise
Abatement
Office,
2014).
18
CNEL
is
the
Community
Noise
Exposure
Level
which
adds
a
5-dBA
“penalty”
for
the
evening
hours
between
7:00
p.m.
and
10:00
p.m.
in
addition
to
a
10-dBA
penalty
between
the
hours
of
10:00
p.m.
and
7:00
a.m.
CNEL
is
the
noise
metric
used
by
both
the
Federal
Aviation
Administration
and
the
State
of
California
to
assess
noise
compatibility
with
noise
sensitive
uses.
However,
the
CNEL
noise
metric
may
not
fully
reflect
annoyance
caused
by
short-term
single
event
aircraft
noise.
Brisbane
Baylands
Final
EIR
2.9.2-129
May
2015