Noise Element

The purpose of the Noise Element is to appraise noise levels in the community, prepare noise contours to guide land use decisions, and establish measures that address current and future noise impacts. This element works to ensure that the City limits the exposure of the community to excessive noise levels in noise-sensitive areas and at noise-sensitive times of day.
This Element works in tandem with other elements of the General Plan, such as the Mobility Element, which has policies related to the mitigation of transportation-related noise.

Noise is defined as unwanted sound—anything from a barking dog to the clatter of a jackhammer—and can disrupt the way people live and work. Many sources of noise—such as freeways—also produce vibration, which can adversely affect health and well-being. Because of these known effects of noise and vibration, local, state, and federal government agencies have established noise thresholds to protect public health and safety.

The greatest source of noise throughout Santa Ana is vehicle traffic on the I-5, I-405, SR-22, and SR-55 freeways and the city’s large streets. Other major noise sources are Amtrak and Metrolink trains, aircraft departing from and arriving at John Wayne Airport, stationary equipment at commercial and industrial uses, and parks with active sports fields.

Certain land uses are more sensitive to noise and vibration. Residential uses, schools, health care centers, libraries, churches, senior homes, and recreational areas are much more sensitive to noise than commercial and industrial uses. Siting new development of any of these sensitive receptors in the vicinity of substantial traffic or noise-intensive industrial uses is considered a land use conflict.

The California Building Code and the Santa Ana Noise Ordinance are the City’s primary tools to regulate activity and land uses to maintain a healthy noise environment. John Wayne Airport is regulated by the noise requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration and noise standards under the California Code of Regulations.

Through the community engagement process for this General Plan, participants identified numerous noise-related considerations and values that they believe should form the basis of and be addressed by this element. Specifically, participants highlighted the following topics, areas of concern, and community strengths:

• Traffic noise
• Noise from overcrowded residential structures
• Noise generated by industrial facilities
• Noise generated by commercial businesses

Ensure that existing and future land uses are compatible with current and projected local and regional noise conditions.

• Policy N-1.1
  Noise Standards
  Utilize established Citywide Noise Standards and guidelines to inform land use decisions and guide noise management strategies.
  
• Policy N-1.2
  Sound Design
  Encourage functional and attractive designs to mitigate excessive noise levels.
  
• Policy N-1.3
  Regional Noise Impacts
  Collaborate with local and regional transit agencies and other jurisdictions to minimize regional traffic noise and other sources of noise in the city.
  
• Policy N-1.4
  Sensitive Uses
  Protect noise sensitive land uses from excessive, unsafe, or otherwise disruptive noise levels.
  

Reduce the impact of known sources of noise and vibration.

• Policy N-2.1
  Transportation Related Noise
  Reduce noise generated from traffic, railroads, transit, and airports to the extent feasible.
  
• Policy N-2.2
  Stationary Related Noise
  Minimize noise impacts from commercial and industrial facilities adjacent to residential uses or zones where residential uses are permitted.
  
• Policy N-2.3
  Temporary and/or Nuisance Noise
  Minimize the effects of intermittent, short‐term, or other nuisance noise sources.
  

Protect sensitive land uses from airport related noise impacts.

• Policy N-3.1
  Residential Development
  Residential development within the John Wayne Airport (JWA) 65 dB(A) CNEL Noise Contour or greater is not supported.
  
• Policy N-3.2
  Flight Paths
  Advocate that future flight path selection be directed away from existing noise sensitive land uses.
  
• Policy N-3.3
  Residential Mitigation
  Require all residential land uses in 60 dB(A) CNEL or 65 dB(A) CNEL Noise Contours to be sufficiently mitigated so as not to exceed an interior standard of 45 dB(A) CNEL.
  

An implementation plan is a coordinated series of actions the City desires to take in the future that are intended to advance, over the long term, the City’s Shared Vision, Core Values, and the General Plan goals and policies. An implementation plan is thus a follow-up measure for this element. Taken as a whole, these programs represent the City’s best thinking today on what actions should be taken to address the considerations and concerns of the community and make sure that the plan’s aspirations are achieved.

Implementation is in large part contingent upon adequate funding. Many of these actions can be pursued through initiatives already underway. Other programs will require additional resources. Therefore, the exact mix and timing of programs the City may pursue will in part be opportunity driven, dependent on the availability of funding, staffing, and other necessary resources. The Time Frame in the Implementation Table below is the target for completion of the Action.

This element may be implemented by amendments to existing plans, ordinances, development standards and design guidelines; capital investments/projects; and interagency/interjurisdictional coordination. The following table identifies the implementation action, the responsible City agency, and targeted timeline for accomplishment.