H-22 Correspondence – Linda Scholl
From: Linda Scholl [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, June 5, 2023 7:42 PM
To: CityClerk <[email protected]>
Subject: For Item 22 (23-0586) City Council Meeting June 6, 2023
-EXTERNAL-
Dear City Clerk,
Please include with meeting information for Item 22 (23-0586) City Council Meeting June 6, 2023. ————————
Dear Mayor and City Council Members,
Our neighbors and I are harmed by the lack of noise limits for special events that are held adjacent to our residences. While some improvements have been made during the last 7 years, they have not eliminated the excessive noise health problem. We believe these health problems will not be resolved unless Special Events are no longer exempted from the noise limits. The amplified music needs to conform to the Noise Ordinance limits when the music reaches residences.
To restate what we have described previously:
1. There are more than 1300 residences adjacent to special events venues such as the Convention Center Parking Lot, Rainbow Lagoon, Marina Green. Residents are often unable to talk, conduct business on the phone, watch tv or sleep when events pump prolonged, hazardous, continuous booming bass into our homes. It often vibrates our doors, windows, and bodies. It’s painful. Even Council Members have experienced it.
2. We documented 73 days during 2017-2019 when the music was at least twice the loudness as that allowed by the noise ordinance. Because of this loud music and vibration, residents were forced to leave their homes multiple times to avoid harming their health and well being and the well being of their pets. Seventy-three days is not acceptable. It is not “occasional”.
3. Noise has similarities to cigarette smoking. Some people like it, others don’t. But whether you like the noise or not is not the issue. The issue is that noise is still a health hazard above certain levels whether you like it or not.
That’s why there is a Noise Element and Noise Ordinance with noise limits and for which special events too must be required to comply.
4. We note that many events are good neighbors and we like and welcome these events. But it only takes one bad neighbor to cause harm to our health and well being.
5. The Noise Element emphasizes that management of noise should "prioritize the health and well-being of City residents." Yet, the revised Noise Ordinance does not support this prioritizing the health of all City residents and does not offer any protections for those residents adjacent to City permitted concerts. It also lacks provisions to measure the bass noise that causes the most complaints (measured in dBC).
We’re not asking for total quiet. We just want to live in our homes in relative peace—just like you do! We want to be treated the same way you are treated, and the same way the other 450,000 people in Long Beach are treated. As our elected representatives responsible to manage the city and protect its people, you can conform Special Events amplified concerts and announcements to meet the Noise Ordinance noise safety limits when that amplified noise reaches residences.
Sincerely,
Dr. Linda Scholl, Long Beach, CA resident