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(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)
A person measuring the outside noise level shall take measurements with the microphone not less than four feet above the ground, at least four and one-half feet distant from walls or similar large reflecting surfaces, and protected from the effects of wind noises and other extraneous sounds by the use of appropriate windscreens. A person measuring the inside noise level measurements shall take measurements with the microphone at least three feet distant from any wall, and the average measurement of at least three microphone positions throughout the room shall be used to determine the inside noise level measurement.
(Added by Ord. 274-72, App. 9/20/72; Ord. 278-08, File No. 081119, App. 11/25/2008)
(Added by Ord. 274-72, App. 9/20/72; repealed by Ord. 278-08, File No. 081119, App. 11/25/2008)
It shall be unlawful for any person authorized to engage in waste removal, collection, or disposal services or recycling removal or collection services to provide such services so as to create an unnecessary amount of noise, in the judgment of the Director of Public Health. For the purpose of this Section, noise emitted by equipment shall not be deemed unnecessary or without justification if the person engaged in such services hast to the extent the Director of Public Health has Judged reasonably feasible, incorporated available sound-deadening devices into equipment used in rendering those services.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, it shall be unlawful for any person authorized to engage in waste removal, collection, or disposal services, or recycling removal or garbage-collection services to operate hydraulic compaction or mechanical processing systems on any truck-mounted waste, recycling, or garbage loading and/or compacting equipment or similar mechanical device so as to create mechanical or hydraulic noise exceeding 75 dBA when measured at a distance of 50 feet from the equipments. This maximum noise level does not apply to the noise associated with crushing, impacting, dropping, or moving garbage on the truck, but only to the truck's mechanical processing system. All other waste disposal or collection noises are subject to the Director of Public Health's judgment as described in this Section.
(Added by Ord. 274-72, App. 9/20/72; Ord. 278-08, File No. 081119, App. 11/25/2008)
It shall be unlawful for any person within any residential area of the City and County to repair, rebuild, or test any motor vehicle or nonstationary source in such a manner as to cause unnecessary, excessive or offensive noise.
(Added by Ord. 274-72, App. 9/20/72)
(Added by Ord. 274-72, App. 9/20/72; repealed by Ord. 278-08, File No. 081119, App. 11/25/2008)
(a) Except as provided for in Subsections (b), (c), and (d) hereof, it shall be unlawful for any person to operate any powered construction equipment if the operation of such equipment emits noise at a level in excess of 80 dBA when measured at a distance of 100 feet from such equipment, or an equivalent sound level at some other convenient distance.
(b) The provisions of Subsections (a) of this Section shall not be applicable to impact tools and equipment, provided that such impact tools and equipment shall have intake and exhaust mufflers recommended by the manufacturers thereof and approved by the Director of Public Works or the Director of Building Inspection as best accomplishing maximum noise attenuation, and that pavement breakers and jackhammers shall also be equipped with acoustically attenuating shields or shrouds recommended by the manufacturers thereof and approved by the Director of Public Works or the Director of Building Inspection as best accomplishing maximum noise attenuation.
(c) The provisions of Subsection (a) of this Section shall not be applicable to construction equipment used in connection with emergency work.
(d) Helicopters shall not be used for construction purposes for more than two hours in any single day or more than four hours in any single week.
(Amended by Ord. 309-73, App. 8/10/73; Ord. 278-08, File No. 081119, App. 11/25/2008)
It shall be unlawful for any person, between the hours of 8:00 p.m. of any day and 7:00 a.m. of the following day to erect, construct, demolish, excavate for, alter or repair any building or structure if the noise level created thereby is in excess of the ambient noise level by 5 dBA at the nearest property plane, unless a special permit therefor has been applied for and granted by the Director of Public Works or the Director of Building Inspection. In granting such special permit the Director of Public Works or the Director of Building Inspection shall consider: if construction noise in the vicinity of the proposed work site would be less objectionable at night than during daytime because of different population levels or different neighboring activities if obstruction and interference with traffic, particularly on streets of major importance, would be less objectionable at night than during daytime; if the kind of work to be performed emits noises at such a low level as to not cause significant disturbance in the vicinity of the work site, if the neighborhood of the proposed work site is primarily residential in character wherein sleep could be disturbed: if great economic hardship would occur if the work were spread over a longer timers if the work will abate or prevent hazard to life or property; and if the proposed night work is in the general public interest. The Director of Public Works or the Director of Building Inspection shall prescribe such conditions, working times, types of construction equipment to be used, and permissible noise emissions, as required in the public interest.
The provisions of this Section shall not be applicable to emergency work.
(Added by Ord. 274-72, App. 9/20/72; Ord. 278-08, File No. 081119, App. 11/25/2008)
(a) Residential Property Noise Limits.
(1) No person shall produce or allow to be produced by any machine, or device, music or entertainment or any combination of same, on residential property over which the person has ownership or control, a noise level more than five dBA above the ambient at any point outside of the property plane.
(2) No person shall produce or allow to be produced by any machine, or device, music or entertainment or any combination of same, on multi-unit residential property over which the person has ownership or control, a noise level more than five dBA above the local ambient three feet from any wall, floor, or ceiling inside any dwelling unit on the same property, when the windows and doors of the dwelling unit are closed, except within the dwelling unit in which the noise source or sources may be located.
(b) Commercial And Industrial Property Noise Limits. No person shall produce or allow to be produced by any machine, or device, music or entertainment or any combination of same, on commercial or industrial property over which the person has ownership or control, a noise level more than eight dBA above the local ambient at any point outside of the property plane. With respect to noise generated from a licensed Place of Entertainment, licensed Limited Live Performance Locale, or other location subject to regulation by the Entertainment Commission or its Director, in addition to the above dBA criteria a secondary low frequency dBC criteria shall apply to the definition above. No noise or music associated with a licensed Place of Entertainment, licensed Limited Live Performance Locale, or other location subject to regulation by the Entertainment Commission or its Director, shall exceed the low frequency ambient noise level defined in Section 2901(f) by more than 8 dBC.
(c) Public Property Noise Limits. No person shall produce or allow to be produced by any machine or device, or any combination of same, on public property, a noise level more than ten dBA above the local ambient at a distance of twenty-five feet or more, unless the machine or device is being operated to serve or maintain the property or as otherwise provided in this Article.
(d) Fixed Residential Interior Noise Limits. In order to prevent sleep disturbance, protect public health and prevent the acoustical environment from progressive deterioration due to the increasing use and influence of mechanical equipment, no fixed noise source may cause the noise level measured inside any sleeping or living room in any dwelling unit located on residential property to exceed 45 dBA between the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. or 55 dBA between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00p.m. with windows open except where building ventilation is achieved through mechanical systems that allow windows to remain closed.
(e) Noise Caused By Activities Subject To Permits From the City and County of San Francisco. None of the noise limits set forth in this Section apply to activity for which the City and County of San Francisco has issued a permit that contains noise limit provisions that are different from those set forth in this Article.
The Directors of Public Health, Public Works, Building Inspection, or the Entertainment Commission, or the Chief of Police may grant variances to noise regulations, over which they have jurisdiction pursuant to Section 2916. All administrative decisions granting or denying variances are appealable to the San Francisco Board of Appeals.
(Added by Ord. 274-72, App. 9/20/72; Ord. 278-08, File No. 081119, App. 11/25/2008)
(Added by Ord. 274-72, App. 9/20/72; repealed by Ord. 278-08, File No. 081119, App. 11/25/2008)
(a) The Department of Public Health shall designate a Noise Prevention and Control Officer to coordinate the responsibilities of the Department of Public Health under this Article and the Health Code with respect to noise.
(b) The Department of Public Health may monitor the noise complaint response by all City agencies charged with regulating noise under this Article. City Departments and Agencies charged with responsibility for responding to noise complaints shall cooperate and share information with the Department of Public Health in tracking and monitoring complaint responses.
(c) At least every two years the Department of Public Health shall make recommendations to the Planning Commission for noise assessment and prevention in land use planning or environmental review.
(d) The Department of Public Health may investigate and take enforcement action on any noise complaint resulting in human health impacts. The Director of the Department of Public Health shall be the sole determiner of what constitutes a human health impact with respect to noise.
(e) The Department of Building Inspection shall send acoustical reports submitted with each building permit to the Department of Public Health within 15 days of the date the building permit applicant submits the acoustical report to the Department of Building Inspection.
(Added by Ord. 274-72, App. 9/20/72; Ord. 278-08, File No. 081119, App. 11/25/2008)
(a) For purposes of this Section, "Unenclosed Tour Bus" shall mean a privately-owned passenger vehicle for hire with a capacity of nine or more passengers, including the driver, that:
(1) is used primarily for the conveyance of passengers over the public streets, for the purpose of visiting or viewing places of interest; and
(2) lacks either a permanently attached solid roof covering all seating areas of the vehicle or permanently attached side panels, which with any doors or windows closed, fully enclose the sides of the vehicle.
(b) Effective October 1, 2012, it shall be a violation of this Section for any Person to operate an Unenclosed Tour Bus using electronically amplified sound to communicate with passengers without having received authorization from the Director of the Department of Public Health or his or her designee ("Director of Public Health") that the sound system is in compliance with the requirements of this Section.
(c) The Director of Public Health may approve the electronically amplified sound system on an Unenclosed Tour Bus and issue a Certificate of Authorization to Operate Electronically Amplified Sound on Unenclosed Tour Buses ("Certificate") where the Director of Public Health determines that either:
(1) At maximum volume and without modification, the sound system is not audible at a distance of 50 or more feet outside the vehicle with the vehicle windows open and any operable or removable roof or side panels opened or removed; or
(2) The sound system includes volume limiting technology, which in its default mode prevents the sound system from being heard at a distance of 50 or more feet outside the vehicle. Such a system may include an override mode for use in emergencies.
(d) Following a hearing, the Director of Public Health may suspend or revoke a Certificate for any violation of this Section. The Director of Public Health may base such action on 1) the Director of Public Health's determination that the Certificate holder has violated this Section; or 2) a citation from the San Francisco Police Department for any violation of this Section or California Vehicle Code Section 27007, or any successor provisions. A Certificate holder may appeal the suspension or revocation of a Certificate to the Board of Appeals.
(e) The Owner or Operator of the Unenclosed Tour Bus shall post the Certificate in a clearly visible location on the exterior of the vehicle.
(f) The Director of Public Health shall review the compliance history of each approved Unenclosed Tour Bus and reinspect the Unenclosed Tour Bus annually, and upon any change in ownership, and if found in compliance with this Section and any implementing regulations, the Director of Public Health may reissue the Certificate.
(g) The Director of Public Health shall report to the Board of Supervisors one year from the effective date of this ordinance and every two years thereafter:
(1) the number of Certificates issued to Unenclosed Tour Buses;
(2) the number of complaints received by the Director of Public Health regarding Unenclosed Tour Buses; and
(3) the effectiveness of the Department of Public Health's program to regulate amplified sound from Unenclosed Tour Buses and any suggested changes to the program.
(h) Decisions by the Director of Public Health regarding the issuance or reissuance of Certificates may be appealed to the Board of Appeals.
(i) The fee for the initial application to obtain a Certificate and for each yearly renewal shall be $394, payable to the Director of Public Health. The initial application fee shall be due at the time of application. The annual fee to renew the Certificate shall be due on July 1.
Beginning with fiscal year 2013-2014, fees set forth in this Section may be adjusted each year, without further action by the Board of Supervisors, as set forth in this Section.
Not later than April 1, the Director of Public Health shall report to the Controller the revenues generated by the fees for the prior fiscal year and the prior fiscal year's costs of operation, as well as any other information that the Controller determines appropriate to the performance of the duties set forth in this Section.
Not later than May 15, the Controller shall determine whether the current fees have produced or are projected to produce revenues sufficient to support the costs of providing the services for which the fees are assessed and that the fees will not produce revenue that is significantly more than the costs of providing the services for which the fees are assessed.
The Controller shall, if necessary, adjust the fees upward or downward for the upcoming fiscal year as appropriate to ensure that the program recovers the costs of operation without producing revenue which is significantly more than such costs. The adjusted rates shall become operative on July 1.
(j) The requirements of this Section shall not apply to an Unenclosed Tour Bus equipped with and using electronically amplified sound to communicate with passengers where all non-emergency communications through the system are audible to passengers only through technology designed to make such communications audible only to the individual listener, such as individual headsets or headphones.
(k) The noise standards set forth in Section 2909 shall not apply to Unenclosed Tour Buses.
(Former Sec. 2913 repealed by Ord. 278-08, File No. 081119, App. 11/25/2008)
(Repealed by Ord. 278-08, File No. 081119, App. 11/25/2008)
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