The following words, phrases and terms as used in this chapter shall have the following meanings:
“Abutting” means physically adjacent to or coterminous with or separated by means of an alley or a private street less than thirty (30) feet in width.
“Ambient noise level” means the composite of noise from all sources excluding the alleged offensive noise. In this context it represents the normal or existing level of environmental noise at a given location for a specific time of the day or night.
“A weighted sound level” means the sound level in decibels as measured with a sound level meter using the A:P weighted network (scale) at slow meter response. The unit of measurement is referred to herein as dB(A).
“Construction” means construction, erection, enlargement, alteration, conversion or movement of any building, structures or land together with any scientific surveys associated therewith.
“Cumulative period” means an additive period of time composed of individual time segments which may be continuous or interrupted.
“Decibel” means a unit for measuring the amplitude of a sound, equal to twenty (20) times the logarithm to the base ten of the ratio of the pressure of the sound measured to the reference pressure, which is twenty (20) micropascals.
“Emergency work” means the use of any machinery, equipment, vehicle, manpower or other activity in a short term effort to protect, or restore safe conditions in the community, or work by private or public utilities when restoring utility service.
“Fixed noise source” means a device, machine or combination thereof which creates sounds which is affixed or installed on real property, including but not limited to residential, agricultural, industrial and commercial machinery and equipment, pumps, fans, compressors, air conditioners and refrigeration equipment.
“Hospital” means any building or portion thereof used for the accommodation and medical care of sick, injured or infirm persons including rest homes and nursing homes.
“Impulsive noise” means a noise of short duration, usually less than one second, with an abrupt onset and rapid decay.
“Intruding noise level” means the sound level created, caused, maintained or originating from an alleged offensive source, measured in decibels, at a specified location while the alleged offensive source is in operation.
“Mobile noise source” means any source other than a fixed noise source.
“Noise disturbance” means any sound which violates the standards set forth in this chapter.
“Noise sensitive land use” means residential uses (excluding residential uses associated with a horizontal or vertical mixed use development project located in a Mixed Use Zone), churches, hospitals, schools, public library, or other such uses which are identified in the noise element of the general plan.
“Pure tone noise” means any noise which is distinctly audible as a single pitch (frequency) or set of pitches. For the purpose of this chapter, a pure tone shall exist if the one-third octave band sound pressure level in the band which the tone exceeds the arithmetic average of the sound pressure levels of the two continuous one-third octave bands by five dB for center frequencies of five hundred (500) Hz and above and by eight dB for center frequencies between one hundred sixty (160) and four hundred (400) Hz and by fifteen (15) dB for frequencies less than or equal to one hundred twenty-five (125) Hz.
“Residential property” means a parcel of real property which is zoned in whole or in part of residential purposes.
“School” means public or private institutions conducting regular academic instruction at preschool, kindergarten, elementary, secondary or collegiate levels.
“Sound level meter” means an instrument meeting American National Standard Institute (ANSI) Standard S1.4-1971 for Type 1 or Type 2 sound level meters or an instrument and the associated recording and analyzing equipment which will provide equivalent data.
(Ord. 2021-09, 2021: prior code § 5090.2)