(a) "Ambient" means the lowest sound level repeating itself during a minimum ten-minute period as measured with a type 1, precision sound level meter, using slow response and "A " weighting. The minimum sound level shall be determined with the noise source at issue silent, and in the same location as the measurement of the noise level of the source or sources at issue. However, for purposes of this chapter, in no case shall the ambient be considered or determined to be less than: (1) Thirty-five dBA for interior residential noise, and (2) Forty-five dBA in all other locations. If a significant portion of the ambient is produced by one or more individual identifiable sources of noise that contribute cumulatively to the sound level and may be operating continuously during the minimum ten-minute measurement period, determination of the ambient shall be accomplished with these separate identifiable noise sources silent or otherwise removed or subtracted from the measured ambient sound level.
(b) "Director" means the Director or department head of any City department having administrative or enforcement responsibilities under this Article or any other provision of the Municipal Code regarding noise control, as well as his or her designee.
(c) "Dwelling Unit" means
(1) a dwelling space consisting of essentially complete independent living facilities for one or more persons, including, for example, permanent provisions for living and sleeping;
(2) a room in group housing, even if such room lacks private cooking facilities and private plumbing facilities, such as rooms in senior citizen housing, single room occupancy or residential hotels, dorms, hostels, or shelters; or,
(3) a housekeeping room as defined in the Housing Code.
(d) "Emergency work" means work made necessary to restore property to a safe condition following a public calamity or work required to protect persons or property from an imminent exposure to danger or work by private or public utilities when restoring utility service. This term shall not include testing of emergency equipment.
(e) "Fixed source" means a machine or device capable of creating a noise level at the property upon which it is regularly located, including but not limited to: industrial and commercial process machinery and equipment, pumps, fans, air-conditioning apparatus or refrigeration machines.
(f) "Low frequency ambient" means the lowest sound level repeating itself during a ten-minute period as measured with a sound level meter, using slow response and "C" weighting. The minimum sound level shall be determined with the music or entertainment noise source at issue silent, and in the same location as the measurement of the noise level of the source or sources at issue. However, for purposes of this chapter, in no case shall the local ambient be considered or determined to be less than: (1) Forty-five dBC for interior residential noise, and (2) Fifty-five dBC in all other locations. If a significant portion of the ambient is produced by one or more individual identifiable sources that would otherwise be operating continuously during the minimum ten-minute measurement period, determination of the low-frequency ambient shall be accomplished with these separate identifiable noise sources silent or otherwise removed or subtracted from the measured ambient sound.
(g) "Noise level" means the maximum continuous sound level or repetitive peak sound level, produced by a source or group of sources as measured with a sound level meter. In order to measure a noise level, the controls of the sound level meter should be arranged to the setting appropriate to the type of noise being measured. For example, the settings should be slow response for continuous noise sources and fast response for noises with rapid onset and decline.
(h) "Person" means a person, firm, association, copartnership, joint venture, corporation, or any entity, public or private in nature, but shall not include the City and County of San Francisco.
(i) "Place of Entertainment" has the same meaning as the term is defined in San Francisco Police Code Section 1060.
(j) "Powered construction equipment" means any tools, machinery, or equipment used in connection with construction operations which can be driven by energy in any form other than manpower, including all types of motor vehicles when used in the construction process of any construction site, regardless of whether such construction site be located on-highway or off-highway, and further including all helicopters or other aircraft when used in the construction process except as may be preempted for regulation by State or Federal law.
(k) "Property plane" means a vertical plane including the property line that determines the property boundaries in space.
(l) "Public Property " means property leased or owned by a governmental entity, to which the public or a substantial group of persons has access, including but not limited to any street, highway, parking lot, plaza, transportation facility, school, place of amusement, park, or playground located within the City and County of San Francisco.
(m) "Residential Property" means any property that has at least one dwelling unit and has been approved for human habitation by the City and County of San Francisco.
(n) "Sound level," expressed in decibels (dB), means a logarithmic indication of the ratio between the acoustic energy present at a given location and the lowest amount of acoustic energy audible to sensitive human ears and weighted by frequency to account for characteristics of human hearing, as given in the American National Standards Institute Standard S1.1, "Acoustic Terminology," paragraph 2.9, or successor reference. All references to dB in this chapter refer to the A-level or C-level weighting scale, abbreviated dBA or dBC, measured as set forth in this section.
(o) "Limited Live Performance Locale" has the same meaning as the term is defined in San Francisco Police Code Section 1060.
(Repealed by Ord. 278-08, File No. 081119, App. 11/25/2008)