Nevada City City Council
June 29, 2023

Critical Facilities at Risk
An analysis was performed on the critical facility inventory in Nevada City in identified FEMA DFIRMs.

GIS was used to determine whether the facility locations intersect a DFIRM flood hazard area, and if so, which zone it intersects. Details of critical facilities in the floodplain in Nevada City are shown in Figure B-5 and Table B-17. As shown on the table and figure, Nevada City has 4 critical facilities located in 1% annual chance and 0 critical facilities in the 0.2% annual chance DFIRM flood zones. Details of critical facility definition, type, name and address and jurisdiction by flood zone are listed in Appendix F. Note, as previously described, the mapped GIS data for the County’s critical facility layer only includes data for Category 1, Essential Services, and Category 2 – At-risk Populations, thus the Category 3, Hazardous Materials facilities, were not included in this analysis. However, given the number of facilities that use and store hazardous materials in the City, there are likely some that are present within identified floodplains.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-32
Figure B-5 City of Nevada City – Critical Facilities and Flood Zones Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-33
Table B-17 City of Nevada City – Critical Facilities and Flood Zones Flood Zone / Critical Facility Category Critical Facility Type Critical Facility Count 1% Annual Chance Flood
Essential Services
Airport 0
Bridge 4
Church 0
Fire 0
Government Building 0
Hospital 0
School 0
Shelter 0
Total 4
1% Annual Chance Flood Total 4
Source: FEMA 2010 DFIRM; Nevada County GIS
Historical, Cultural, and Natural Resources at Risk
The City of Nevada City has significant cultural and natural resources located throughout the City as previously described. Vulnerability analysis of these resources was not possible due to data limitations.

However, anything located inside the 1% or 0.2% annual chance floodplain would potentially be vulnerable.

Insurance Coverage, Claims Paid, and Repetitive Losses
The City of Nevada City joined the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) on February 3, 2010. The City does not participate in CRS program. NFIP data indicates that as of August 19, 2016, there were 11 flood insurance policies in force in the City, $1,312,900 of coverage, and $14,038 in annual premiums. Of the 11 policies, 2 were residential (single-family homes), 6 were multi family, and 3 were nonresidential. 1 of the policies were in A zones; the remaining 10 were in B, C, and X zones. The GIS parcel analysis detailed above identified 18 improved parcels in the 100-year flood zone. 1 policies for 18 improved parcels in the 100-year floodplain equates to insurance coverage of 5.3 percent.

There has been 1 historical claim for flood losses totaling $3,572.37; however, details on the flood zone or type of property were unavailable. There are no repetitive loss (RL), severe repetitive loss (SRL), or substantial damage claims for structures in the City.

California Department of Water Resources Best Available Maps (BAM) The FEMA regulatory maps provide just one perspective on flood risks in Nevada County. Senate Bill 5 (SB 5), enacted in 2007, authorized the California DWR to develop the Best Available Maps (BAM) displaying 1% and 0.5% (200-year) annual chance floodplains for areas located within the Nevada-San Joaquin (SAC-SJ) Valley watershed. This effort was completed by DWR in 2008. DWR has expanded the BAM to cover all counties in the State and to include 0.2% annual chance floodplains.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-34
Different than the FEMA DFIRMs which have been prepared to support the NFIP and reflect only the 1$ annual chance flood risk, the BAMs are provided for informational purposes and are intended to reflect current 1%, 0.5% (200-year) as applicable, and 0.2% annual chance flood risks using the best available data. The 100-year floodplain limits on the BAM are a composite of multiple 1% annual chance floodplain mapping sources. It is intended to show all currently identified areas at risk for a 100-year flood event, including FEMA’s 1% annual chance floodplains. The BAM are comprised of different engineering studies performed by FEMA, Corps, and DWR for assessment of potential 1%, 0.5%, and 0.2% annual chance floodplain areas. These studies are used for different planning and/or regulatory applications, and for each flood frequency may use varied analytical and quality control criteria depending on the study type requirements.

The value in the BAMs is that they provide a bigger picture view of potential flood risk to the City than that provided in the FEMA DFIRMs. This provides the community and residents with an additional tool for understanding potential flood hazards not currently mapped as a regulated floodplain. Improved awareness of flood risk can reduce exposure to flooding for new structures and promote increased protection for existing development. Informed land use planning will also assist in identifying levee maintenance needs and levels of protection. By including the FEMA 1% annual chance floodplain, it also supports identification of the need and requirement for flood insurance. The BAM map for Nevada City is shown in Figure B-6.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-35
Figure B-6 City of Nevada City Best Available Map
Source: California DWR
Legend explanation: Blue - FEMA 1%, Orange – Local 100-Year (developed from local agencies), Red – DWR 1%r (Awareness floodplains identify the 1% annual chacne flood hazard areas using approximate assessment procedures.), Pink – USACE 1% (2002 Sac and San Joaquin River Basins Comp Study), Yellow – USACE 0.5% (2002 Sac and San Joaquin River Basins Comp Study), Tan – FEMA 0.2%, Grey – Local 0.2% (developed from local agencies), Purple – USACE 0.2%(2002 Sac and San Joaquin River Basins Comp Study)
Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-36
Future Development
The City enforces their floodplain ordinance. If any development is to occur in the floodplain, it would have to conform to the elevation standards of the City’s floodplain ordinance. More information of the floodplain ordinance can be found in Section B.6.1 below.

Flood: Localized Stormwater Flooding
Likelihood of Future Occurrence–Highly Likely
Vulnerability–Medium
Hazard Profile and Problem Description
Nevada City has reoccurring flooding at natural water courses (two creeks and five ravines) that flow through historic areas of the City. In particular, Little Deer Creek, Deer Creek, and Oregon Ravine have had flooding for storms at 10-yr or greater frequency. In addition to impacts on businesses and private properties, heavy storm flows have impacted City Streets including the ‘Plaza’ intersection of Broad/Boulder/Sacramento/Nevada streets; and the intersection of Commercial/ Main / Union streets.

Pioneer Park has also had extensive flooding from Little Deer Creek for storms at 10-yr or greater frequency. This has impacted recreation areas and City buildings and infrastructure at the park.

Past Occurrences
In the following years, 1986, 1995, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2016, 2017 – there have been several locations in the City that have been affected by localized flooding. Areas affected are:
➢ Little Deer Creek and Deer Creek - flooding at the ‘Plaza’, located at the intersection of Broad/Boulder/Sacramento/Nevada streets
➢ Flooding in Oregon Ravine through downtown and along Commercial Street. Includes intersection of Commercial/ Main/Union streets
➢ Damage to Pioneer Park caused by flooding from overflow from Little Deer Creek, with resulting damage to the tennis courts, baseball diamond and horse shoe pits. ➢ Failure of an underground culvert that connects Deer Creek and Little Deer Creek in a parking lot at the intersection of Sacramento Street and Broad Street resulting in failure of the parking lot surface.

Residential flooding has occurred in the past primarily as a result of clogged drainage ditches and seasonal dry creeks. When flooding does occur, it is usually confined to a portion of the property and recedes usually within a few minutes to a few hours.

Vulnerability to Localized Flooding
Flooding and other issues caused by severe weather events, primarily heavy rains and thunderstorms, can often pose a risk to the community. Primary concerns include impacts to infrastructure that provides a means of ingress and egress throughout the community. Table B-18 identifies known and past occurrences of such areas and the associated problems encountered. This list is an initial inventory of key problem areas and is not intended to be a complete inventory of all problems and locations associated with severe weather events and localized flooding in the City of Nevada City.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-37
Table B-18 City of Nevada City’s Road List of Localized Flooding Problem Areas Road Name Flooding Pavement
Deterioration
Washout High
Water
Landslide/
Mudslide
Debris Downed
Trees
Broad/Boulder Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Commercial/Main Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Pioneer Park Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Source: City of Nevada City
Future Development
Future development in the City will add more impervious surfaces and need to drain those waters. The City will need to be proactive to ensure that increased development has proper siting and drainage for stormwaters. The risk of localized flooding to future development can also be minimized by accurate recordkeeping of repetitive localized storm activity. Mitigating the root causes of the localized stormwater flooding will reduce future risks of losses.

Hazardous Materials Transportation
Likelihood of Future Occurrence–Unlikely
Vulnerability–Medium
Hazard Profile and Problem Description
Hazardous materials include a wide variety of substances commonly used in households and businesses.

Used motor oil, paint, solvents, lawn care and gardening products, household cleaners, gasoline and refrigerants are among the diverse range of substances classified as hazardous materials. Nearly all businesses and residences generate some amount of hazardous waste; certain businesses and industries generate larger amounts of such substances, including gas stations, automotive service and repair shops, printers, dry cleaners and photo processors. Hospitals, clinics and laboratories generate medical waste, which is also potentially hazardous.

Use, storage and transportation of hazardous wastes is heavily regulated by federal, State and local agencies, including the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, which is authorized to implement the regulations of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency. The Nevada County Environmental Health Department monitors commercial storage and use of hazardous materials, including issuing permits for use and storage of significant quantities of hazardous materials or substances.

Highways and railways constitute a major threat due to the myriad chemicals and hazardous substances, including radioactive materials, transported in vehicles, trucks, and rail cars. Much of the hazardous materials transported through Nevada County are carried by truck on the State Highway, railway systems, and underground pipelines. In the City, highways 20 and 49 carry hazardous materials.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-38
Past Occurrences
There have been no federal or state disaster declarations for hazardous materials transportation releases in the City of Nevada City.

Vulnerability to Hazardous Materials Transportation
Values at Risk
It is often quite difficult to quantify the potential losses from human-caused hazards, such as that associated with a hazardous material transportation release or spill. While buildings within the City have a tangible dollar value, loss from a human-caused hazard such as a release of hazardous materials often inflicts an even greater toll on a community, both economically and emotionally. The impact to identified assets will vary from event to event and depend on the type, location, and nature of a specific hazardous material incident. Given the difficulty in quantifying the losses to Nevada City associated with a hazardous materials transporation release, this section focuses on analyzing key City assets relative to the hazardous materials sites and transportation corridors (highway, rail, and pipeline).

An analysis of the potential vulnerability of the City to a transportation-related hazardous materials release was conducted using GIS within identified transportation corridors. To evaluate the areas most vulnerable, a one mile buffer was applied to both sides of Interstate 80 and State Routes 20, 49, 89, 174, and 267; the Union Pacific railroad tracks (which roughly parallel I-80) and the Kinder Morgan petroleum pipeline. The result is a two-mile buffer zone around each transportation corridor that is used for risk-analysis. More information on this methodology can be found in Section 4.3.10 of the Base Plan. The buffer zone and residential parcels at risk are shown in Figure B-7.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-39
Figure B-7 City of Nevada City – Residential Parcels in Hazardous Materials Buffer Zones Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-40
Populations at Risk
To determine the populations at risk in Nevada City from a transportation-related hazardous materials release within identified transportation corridors, an analysis was performed using GIS to determine the residential population that resides within the two-mile buffer zone of the highway, railroad, and pipeline corridors. Using GIS, the buffered corridor was overlaid on the improved residential parcel data and results tabulated for the City of Nevada City as found in Table B-19. Those parcel centroids that intersect the buffered corridor were counted and multiplied by the 2010 Census Bureau average household factors for the City. According to this analysis, there is a total population of 4,496 in the buffered corridor. All of these are in highway corridors, none are in rail or pipeline corridors.

Table B-19 City of Nevada City – Populations at Risk in Hazardous Materials Corridors Jurisdiction Residential Parcels Population
Nevada City 2,151 4,496
Source: Cal Trans, Nevada County GIS, US Census Bureau
* Census Bureau 2010 average household sizes are: Nevada City – 2.09 Historical, Cultural, and Natural Resources at Risk
The City of Nevada City has significant cultural and natural resources located throughout the City as previously described. Vulnerability analysis of these resources was not possible due to data limitations.

However, any resource in the buffer zone would be potentially at risk.

Critical Facilities
To determine the critical facilities at risk from a transportation-related hazardous materials release within identified transportation corridors, an analysis was performed using GIS to determine the facilities located within the two-mile buffer zone of the highway and railroad corridors. Using GIS, the buffered corridor was overlaid on the Nevada County critical facilities layer and results tabulated for the City, shown in Figure B-8 and detail in Table B-20. There are 58 facilities in the buffered corridor in the City. All of these are in highway corridors, none are in rail or pipeline corridors. Note, as previously described, the mapped GIS data for the County’s critical facility layer only includes data for Category 1, Essential Services, and Category 2 – At-risk Populations, thus the Category 3, Hazardous Materials facilities, were not included in this analysis.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-41
Figure B-8 City of Nevada City – Critical Facilities in Hazardous Materials Buffer Zones Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-42
Table B-20 City of Nevada City – Critical Facilities in Hazardous Materials Buffer Zones Critical Facility Type Critical Facility Count
Essential Services
Airport 0
Bridge 14
Church 9
Fire 3
Government Building 15
Hospital 0
School 0
Shelter 2
Essential Services Total 43
At Risk Populations
Airport 0
Bridge 0
Church 0
Fire 0
Government Building 4
Hospital 0
School 11
Shelter 0
At Risk Populations Total 15
Grand Total 58
Source: Cal Trans, National Pipeline Mapping System 2016, Nevada County GIS Future Development
Development will continue to happen within hazardous materials transportation zones. Those who choose to develop in these areas should be made aware of the risks associated with living within close proximity to a hazardous materials transportation route.

Landslides, Debris, and Mudflows
Likelihood of Future Occurrence–Unlikely
Vulnerability–Medium
Hazard Profile and Problem Description
The susceptibility of an area to landslides depends on many variables including steepness of slope, type of slope material, structure and physical properties of materials, water content, amount of vegetation, and Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-43
proximity to areas undergoing rapid erosion or changes caused by human activities. These activities include mining, construction, and changes to surface drainage areas.

Landslides often accompany other natural hazard events, such as floods, wildfires, or earthquakes.

Landslides can occur slowly or very suddenly and can damage and destroy structures, roads, utilities, and forested areas, and can cause injuries and death.

Past Occurrences
There have been no disaster declarations associated with landslides in Nevada City. Further, although the City could not identify any specific landslide prone areas or past occurrences, the City noted that the potential for future damaging landslide events remains in the sloped areas of the City.

Vulnerability to Landslides, Debris and Mudflows
The City remains at risk to future landslide events. Landslides, debris flows, and mud flow impacts vary by location and severity of any given event and will likely only affect certain areas of the City during specific times. Based on the risk assessment, it is evident that landslides will continue to have potentially large economic impacts to certain areas. However, many of the landslides in the City are minor, localized events that are more of a nuisance than a disaster. Impacts that are not quantified, but can be anticipated in large future events, include:
➢ Injury and loss of life;
➢ Commercial and residential structural and property damage; ➢ Disruption of and damage to public infrastructure and services; ➢ Damage to roads/bridges resulting in loss of mobility; ➢ Significant economic impact (jobs, sales, tax revenue) to the community; ➢ Negative impact on commercial and residential property values; and ➢ Impact on the overall mental health of the community.

Future Development
Although new growth and development corridors could potentially fall in areas affected by risk of landslide, given the small chance of a major landslide and the building codes and erosion ordinance in effect, development in the landslide area will continue to occur.

Severe Weather: Extreme Cold, Snow, and Freeze
Likelihood of Future Occurrence–Occasional
Vulnerability–Medium
Hazard Profile and Problem Description
According to the WRCC, in the western portion of Nevada County, monthly average minimum temperatures from November through April range from the low to mid-30s. The lowest recorded daily extreme was 3°F on December 9, 1972. In a typical year, minimum temperatures fall below 32°F on 72.7 days with no days falling below 0°F. Average snowfall is 10.0 inches. The highest annual snowfall fell in Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-44
1972, when 26.7 inches fell. Highest monthly snowfall accumulation came in March of 1974, when 23.0 inches fell. Average snow depths in January through March fall at 1 inches.

Past Occurrences
A disaster declaration for Nevada County was issued by the state government in 1972 for freeze and severe weather conditions, however extreme cold, snow and freeze is an annual occurrence in the City and will continue to occur based on our geographic location in California.

Vulnerability to Severe Weather: Extreme Cold, Snow, and Freeze Wintersnow storms, including strong winds and blizzard conditions can result in localized power and phone outages and closures of streets, highways, schools, businesses, and nonessential government operations.

During periods of heavy snow there is also an increase in the number and severity of traffic accidents.

People can become isolated in their homes and vehicles and are unable to receive essential services. Snow removal costs can impact budgets significantly. Heavy snowfall during winter can lead to flooding or landslides during the spring if the area snowpack melts too quickly and also create numerous challenges for emergency responders.

Extreme cold often accompanies a winter storm or is left in its wake. Prolonged exposure to cold can cause frostbite or hypothermia and can be life-threatening. Infants and the elderly are most susceptible. Pipes may freeze and burst in homes or buildings that are poorly insulated or without heat.

Future Development
Future development built to code should be able to withstand snow loads from severe winter storms. Pipes at risk of freezing should be mitigated be either burying or insulating them from freeze as new facilities are improved or added. Current County codes provide such provisions for new construction. Vulnerability to extreme cold will increase as the average age of the population in the City shifts. Greater numbers of future senior citizens will result from the large number of baby boomers in the City as well as people retiring to the area.

Severe Weather: Heavy Rains and Storms (Hail, Lightning/Wind/Tornadoes) Likelihood of Future Occurrence–Likely
Vulnerability–High
Hazard Profile and Problem Description
Storms in the Nevada City Planning Area are generally characterized by heavy rain often accompanied by strong winds and sometimes lightning and hail. Approximately 10 percent of the thunderstorms that occur each year in the United States are classified as severe. A thunderstorm is classified as severe when it contains one or more of the following phenomena: hail that is three-quarters of an inch or greater, winds in excess of 50 knots (57.5 mph), or a tornado. Heavy precipitation in the City falls mainly in the fall, winter, and spring months.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-45
Nevada County—West (Grass Valley Weather Station, Period of Record 1966 to 2016) According to the WRCC, average annual precipitation in the western side of Nevada County is 53.26 inches per year. The highest recorded annual precipitation is 94.77 inches in 1983; the highest recorded precipitation for a 24-hour period is 7.02 inches on December 31, 2005. The lowest recorded annual precipitation was 16.51 inches in 1976.

Past Occurrences
Heavy rains and severe storms are not stranger to Nevada City. These events occur annually in Nevada City and will continue.

Vulnerability to Severe Weather: Heavy Rains and Storms (Hail, Lightning/Wind/Tornadoes)
According to historical hazard data, severe weather is an annual occurrence in Nevada City. Damage and disaster declarations related to severe weather have occurred and will continue to occur in the future. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are the most frequent type of severe weather occurrences. Wind and lightning often accompany these storms and have caused damage in the past. However, actual damage associated with the primary effects of severe weather have been limited. It is the secondary hazards caused by weather, such as floods, fire, and agricultural losses that have had the greatest impact on the City.

Future Development
New critical facilities should be built to withstand hail damage, lightning, and thunderstorm winds. While minimal damages have occurred to critical facilities in the past due to lightning, hail, or high winds and tornadoes, there still remains future risk. With development occurring in the region, future losses to new development may occur.

Subsidence
Likelihood of Future Occurrence–Unlikely
Vulnerability–Medium
Hazard Profile and Problem Description
Subsidence, the sinking of the ground due to the movement of underground material causing a shift or collapse, is a concern to the Nevada County Planning Area. There are several major sources of subsidence present in Nevada County: water drawdown, abandoned mines, karst and any underground voids caused by a variety of factors including underground utilities and culverts. One of the primary sources for the City, abandoned mines, had data available to conduct additional analysis of possible locations of future minerelated subsidence, and is thus the focus of the remainder of this section. Past mining activities have created surface subsidence in some areas and have created the potential for subsidence in other areas. Nevada County is home to many abandoned mines.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-46
A substantial portion of the Nevada City area is underlain by a deep, extensive labyrinth of abandoned mine tunnels. Dozens of mining claims were worked in the Nevada City area during the heyday of gold mining.

Some were large, mechanized operations. Most were small and more labor-intensive.

Past Occurrences
There have been no disaster declarations related to subsidence in Nevada City.

Vulnerability to Subsidence
Values at Risk
GIS was used to determine the possible impacts of flooding within the City of Nevada City. The methodology described in Section 4.3.15 of the Base Plan was followed in determining structures and values at risk known mine areas. Areas susceptible to subsidence based on the historic mining operations (a mine inventory) are shown in Figure B-9 and detailed in Table B-21 and Table B-22. Table B-23 shows the property use, improved parcel count, improved values, estimated contents, total values and estimated loss of parcels that fall in a known mine area in the City.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-47
Figure B-9 City of Nevada City – Subsidence (Known Mine) Inventory Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-48
Table B-21 City of Nevada City – Mine Types and Counts
Jurisdiction / Mine Type Mine Count
Borrow Pit 0
Building 3
Diggings 0
Dredger Tailings 0
Gravel Pit 0
Intricate Surface Area 0
Mine Shaft 2
Mine Tunnel 1
Open Pit 0
Placer Diggings 0
Prospect 1
Quarry 0
Strip Mine 0
Tailings 0
Tailings Pond 0
Grand Total 7
Source: TOMS 2011
Table B-22 City of Nevada City – Mine Names Located on Affected Parcels Mine Name Mine Count
Banner Mtn Mine 2
Gracie Mine 1
Unknown 4
Grand Total 7
Source: TOMS 2011
Table B-23 City of Nevada City – Parcel County and Values at Risk from Subsidence (Known Mine Inventory) by Property Use with Content Replacement Values Property Use Total
Parcel
Count
Improved
Parcel Count
Total Land
Value
Improved
Structure
Value
Estimated
Contents
Value
Total Value
Agricultural 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Commercial 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Government 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Industrial 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Institutional 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Miscellaneous 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-49
Property Use Total
Parcel
Count
Improved
Parcel Count
Total Land
Value
Improved
Structure
Value
Estimated
Contents
Value
Total Value
Residential 4 4 $754,953 $1,048,683 $524,342 $2,327,978 Total 4 4 $754,953 $1,048,683 $524,342 $2,327,978
Source: TOMS 2011, Nevada County 2016/2017 Parcel/Assessor’s Data Population at Risk
The known mine areas were overlayed on the parcel layer. Those residential parcel centroids that intersect the known mine areas were counted and multiplied by the 2010 Census Bureau average household factors for Nevada City. According to this analysis, there is a total population of 8 residents of the City at risk to known mine areas. This is shown in Table B-24.

Table B-24 City of Nevada City – Count of Improved Residential Parcels and Population in Subsidence (Known Mine Inventory) Areas
Improved Residential Parcels Population*
4 8
Source: FEMA 2010 DFIRM, Nevada County 2016/2017 Parcel/Assessor’s Data, US Census Bureau * Average household populations from the 2010 US Census were used: Nevada City– 2.09.

Historical, Cultural, and Natural Resources at Risk
The Nevada City Planning Area has significant historical, cultural, and natural resources located throughout the County as previously described. Risk analysis of these resources was not possible due to data limitations. However, any resource that falls into an abandoned mine area could be at risk.

Critical Facilities at Risk
A separate analysis was performed on the critical facility inventory for the Nevada County Planning Area including all jurisdictions to determine critical facilities in known mine areas. Using GIS, the mine inventory data were overlayed on the critical facility GIS layer. There are no critical facilities in the known mine areas in Nevada City. Note, as previously described, the mapped GIS data for the County’s critical facility layer only includes data for Category 1, Essential Services, and Category 2 – At-risk Populations, thus the Category 3, Hazardous Materials facilities, were not included in this analysis. H Future Development
Many of the subsidence and mine areas in the City are known, but many still remain unknown and untracked. The risk of subsidence to future development can be minimized by accurate recordkeeping and tracking of previously unknown abandoned mines. Knowing these locations and choosing not to develop in those areas or mitigating against future issues will reduce future risks of losses due to subsidence.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-50
Wildfire (smoke, tree mortality, conflagration)
Likelihood of Future Occurrence–Highly Likely
Vulnerability–High
Hazard Profile and Problem Description
Three types of fires are of concern to the City of Nevada City: wildland, wildland urban interface, and, to a lesser extent, structural fires. According to the Safety Element of Nevada City’s General Plan, wildland and urban interface fires have occurred close to or encroached into the City, especially in the heavily fueled areas to the east and south. Urban structural fires have been due largely to human accidents, with are the older buildings in the City business districts the most vulnerable.

The drought and water shortage events in 2014 through 2016 caused the City to be at greater risk to wildfire due to stress placed on the forested areas in and around the City. Between the drought and the beetles, many trees in the area died, which increases the risk of fire due to the increased fire fuel load in and around the City.

Past Occurrences
Nevada City is surrounded by natural wooded areas and open space. Wildfires have affected the City on an annual basis with the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas. According to the 2011 LHMP, from 1950 to 2011 there were no past occurrences directly in Nevada City, however with the terrain, climate, rainfall, and forest land/urban mix, it is a certainty that significant wildland fires are going to continue as a threat Vulnerability to Wildfire
Wildland fire is a serious concern to Nevada City. Many of the roadways in the city are not city maintained roads so there are a great number of single lane roads and double lane roads that are not to current standards for city maintained roads. Many residential parcels have driveways that are also only single lane, some paved but most not, that may have only sporadic clearing of encroaching vegetation.

A second and probably more significant issue is the large amount of fuel load remaining on unincorporated lands. Nevada City is surrounded federal forest lands where fire suppression has been the recently, most dominant fire management strategy. Any fire in the unincorporated areas of Nevada County has a significant potential to become a catastrophic fire when wind, temperature and humidity can combine to enlarge fires very quickly.

Following the methodology described in Section 4.3.2 Vulnerability of Nevada County to specific hazards, a wildfire map for the City of Nevada City was created (see Figure B-10). Fire Severity Zones within the City ranges from high to very high, with most of the City in the very high severity zone.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-51
Figure B-10 City of Nevada City’s Fire Severity Zones
Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-52
Values at Risk
GIS was used to determine the possible impacts of wildfire within the City of Nevada City. The methodology described in Section 4.3.16 of the Base Plan was followed in determining structures and values at risk in CAL FIRE fire hazard severity zones. Analysis results for Nevada City are shown in Table B-25, which summarizes total parcel counts, improved parcel counts, land values, structure values, and estimated contents values by occupancy type. The estimated contents replacement values are based on the CRV factors detailed in Table 4 35 in Section 4.3.1 of the Base Plan.

Table B-25 City of Nevada City– Count and Value of Parcels by Property Use and Fire Severity Zone with Contents Replacement Values
Fire Hazard Severity
Zone / Property Use
Total
Parcel
Count
Improved
Parcel
Count
Total Land
Value
Improved
Structure
Value
Estimated
Contents
Value
Total Value*
Very High
Agricultural 5 1 $267,882 $448,000 $448,000 $1,163,882
Commercial 252 203 $48,729,787 $89,276,521 $89,276,521 $227,282,829 Government 94 1 $148,458 $226,808 $226,808 $602,074
Industrial 20 20 $4,139,466 $11,850,950 $17,776,425 $33,766,841 Institutional 16 13 $1,071,530 $5,219,266 $5,219,266 $11,510,062 Miscellaneous 11 1 $804,566 $80,838 $80,838 $966,242
Residential 2,957 2,599 $280,198,276 $536,549,806 $268,274,903 $1,085,022,985 Total 3,355 2,838 $335,359,965 $643,652,189 $381,302,761 $1,360,314,915 High
Agricultural 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Commercial 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Government 1 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Industrial 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Institutional 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Miscellaneous 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Residential 22 14 $2,419,234 $4,479,816 $2,239,908 $9,138,958 Total 23 14 $2,419,234 $4,479,816 $2,239,908 $9,138,958 Moderate
Agricultural 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Commercial 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Government 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Industrial 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Institutional 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Miscellaneous 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Residential 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-53
Fire Hazard Severity
Zone / Property Use
Total
Parcel
Count
Improved
Parcel
Count
Total Land
Value
Improved
Structure
Value
Estimated
Contents
Value
Total Value*
Total 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Non-Wildland/Non-Urban
Agricultural 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Commercial 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Government 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Industrial 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Institutional 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Miscellaneous 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Residential 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Total 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Non-Very High
Agricultural 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Commercial 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Government 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Industrial 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Institutional 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Miscellaneous 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Residential 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Total 0 0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Grand Total 3,378 2,852 $337,779,199 $648,132,005 $383,542,669 $1,369,453,873 Source: Nevada County 2016/2017 Parcel/Assessor’s Data, CAL FIRE Population at Risk
The fire hazard severity zone dataset was overlayed on the parcel layer. Those residential parcel centroids that intersect the severity zones were counted and multiplied by the 2010 Census Bureau average household factors for the City of Nevada City. According to this analysis, there is a total population of 5,461 residents of Nevada City at risk to high or very high wildfire risk. This is higher than the number of residents in the City, most likely due to one of the two following factors: the Census Bureau household size is an estimate and not entirely accurate, or that there are residential homes in the City that are second homes and not always occupied. In either instance, it can be assumed that the entire population of the City is in a high or higher fire hazard severity zone, or mapped into the non-very high areas. This is shown in Table B-26.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-54
Table B-26 City of Nevada City – Count of Improved Residential Parcels and Population by Fire Severity Zone
Fire Severity Zone Improved Residential Parcels Population* Very High 2,599 5,432
High 14 29
Moderate 0 0
Total 2,613 5,461
Source: Nevada County 2015 Parcel/Assessor’s Data, CAL FIRE * Average household populations for Nevada City (2.09) from the 2010 US Census were used Critical Facilities at Risk
Wildfire analysis was performed on the critical facility inventory in Nevada County and all jurisdictions.

GIS was used to determine whether the facility locations intersect a fire severity zone provided by CAL FIRE, and if so, which zone it intersects. There are 59 facilities in the high or very high fire severity zone in the City. These are shown in Figure B-11 and detailed in Table B-27. Details of critical facility definition, type, name and address and jurisdiction by fire severity zone are listed in Appendix F.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-55
Figure B-11 City of Nevada City – Critical Facilities in Fire Hazard Severity Zones Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-56
Table B-27 City of Nevada City – Critical Facilities in Fire Hazard Severity Zones Fire Hazard Severity Zones /
Critical Facility Category
Critical Facility Type Critical Facility Count
Very High
Essential Services
Airport 0
Bridge 14
Church 9
Fire 3
Government Building 15
Hospital 0
School 0
Shelter 2
Total 43
At Risk Populations
Airport 0
Bridge 0
Church 0
Fire 0
Government Building 4
Hospital 0
School 11
Shelter 0
Total 15
Very High Total 58
High
Essential Services
Airport 0
Bridge 1
Church 0
Fire 0
Government Building 0
Hospital 0
School 0
Shelter 0
Total 1
High Total 1
Grand Total 59
Source: CAL FIRE, Nevada County GIS
Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-57
Historical, Cultural, or Natural Resources at Risk
Nevada City has substantial historical, cultural and natural resources located throughout the City. In addition, there are other natural resources at risk when wildland-urban interface fires occur. One is the watershed and ecosystem losses that occur from wildland fires. This includes impacts to water supplies and water quality as well as air quality. Another is the aesthetic value of the area. Major fires that result in visible damage detract from that value. Other assets at risk include wildland recreation areas, wildlife and habitat areas, and rangeland resources. The loss to these natural resources can be significant.

Future Development
Development will continue to occur in the wildfire severity areas; however, City ordinances for building in these areas are enforced. Population growth and development in Nevada City has recently slowed.

However, additional growth and development within the WUI areas of the City would place additional assets at risk to wildfire.

B.6 Capability Assessment
Capabilities are the programs and policies currently in use to reduce hazard impacts or that could be used to implement hazard mitigation activities. This capabilities assessment is divided into five sections:
regulatory mitigation capabilities, administrative and technical mitigation capabilities, fiscal mitigation capabilities, mitigation education, outreach, and partnerships, and other mitigation efforts.

B.6.1. Regulatory Mitigation Capabilities
Table B-28 lists regulatory mitigation capabilities, including planning and land management tools, typically used by local jurisdictions to implement hazard mitigation activities and indicates those that are in place in the City of Nevada City.

Table B-28 City of Nevada City’s Regulatory Mitigation Capabilities Plans
Y/N
Year
Does the plan/program address hazards?
Does the plan identify projects to include in the mitigation strategy?
Can the plan be used to implement mitigation actions?
Comprehensive/Master Plan Y The Safety Element addresses hazards.

Capital Improvements Plan Y Includes infrastructure improvements (limited by funding) Economic Development Plan Y Active Member with Economic Resource Council Local Emergency Operations Plan Y Fire/ Police
Continuity of Operations Plan
Transportation Plan Y Updated every five years by Nevada County Transportation Commission
Stormwater Management Plan/Program N The City does not have a current plan Engineering Studies for Streams Y In collaboration with Sierra Streams and Sierra Fund non-profit groups
Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-58
Community Wildfire Protection Plan Y In coordination with County, CALFIRE Other special plans (e.g., brownfields
redevelopment, disaster recovery, coastal
zone management, climate change
adaptation)
Y Brownfileds cleanup in collaboration with Sierra Streams and Sierra Fund non-profit groups.

Water Conservation / Drought Plan developed in 2014
Building Code, Permitting, and
Inspections Y/N Are codes adequately enforced?
Building Code Y Version/Year: January 2016
Building Code Effectiveness Grading
Schedule (BCEGS) Score
N Score:

Fire department ISO rating: Y Rating: 03 / 3X
Site plan review requirements Y City Planning, Engineering and Fire Department Land Use Planning and Ordinances Y/N
Is the ordinance an effective measure for reducing hazard impacts?
Is the ordinance adequately administered and enforced?
Zoning ordinance Y Yes
Subdivision ordinance N
Floodplain ordinance Y Yes
Natural hazard specific ordinance
(stormwater, steep slope, wildfire)
Y Yes, implemented with development review in accordance with Municipal Code and Zoning requirements.

Flood insurance rate maps Y Updated by FEMA
Elevation Certificates Y If needed, provided by registered Land Surveyors Acquisition of land for open space and
public recreation uses
Y City acquired and privately designated as open space.

Erosion or sediment control program Y By Ordinance
Other
How can these capabilities be expanded and improved to reduce risk? Increase capacity through staffing, training, and enhanced coordination among all department and jurisdictions; emergency management/hazard specific program enhancements, training, and exercising; increased funding opportunities and capacity; and implementation of mitigation actions and projects.

Source: City of Nevada City
The City of Nevada City General Plan Program, 1986
The City of Nevada City General Plan Program serves as the blueprint for future growth and development and provides comprehensive planning for the future. It encompasses what the City is now, and what it intends to be, and provides the overall framework of how to achieve this future condition (see the discussion in Section 4.3.1 Growth and Development Trends).

The General Plan includes a Safety Element that focuses on safety issues to be considered in planning for the present and future development of the Nevada City Planning Area. Identified hazards include wildfire, geologic/seismic, flooding, and other natural and human-caused hazards. Mitigation-related goals, are presented below.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-59
Safety Element Goals
Goal 1 Protect the citizens and visitors of the City of Nevada City area from loss of life while protecting property and watershed resources from unwanted fires through preplanning, education, fire defense improvements, and fire suppression.

Goal 2 Protect the lives and property of the citizens of the City of Nevada City area from unacceptable risk resulting from flood hazards.

Goal 3 Minimize hazards to public health, safety, and welfare resulting from natural and man-made hazards.

Goal 4 Protect all residents from hazardous materials and the hazards associated with transport of such materials.

Goal 5 Maintain and enhance City emergency services.

City of Nevada City Disaster Plan, 2011
The City has a comprehensive Disaster plan in place to address an all hazards response within the City. It describes the roles and responsibilities of the City and outlines the requirements to respond to a disaster in California.

Mitigation Related Ordinances
The City has implemented a Floodplain Management Plan with regulations designed to promote the public health, safety, and general welfare of its citizenry. Methods and provisions for reducing flood losses include:
➢ Restrict or prohibit uses which are dangerous to health, safety, and property due to water or erosion hazards, or which result in damaging increases in erosion or flood heights or velocities; ➢ Require that uses vulnerable to floods, including facilities which serve such uses, be protected against flood damage at the time of initial construction;
➢ Control the alteration of natural floodplains, stream channels, and natural protective barriers, which help accommodate or channel flood waters;
➢ Control filling, grading, dredging, and other development which may increase flood damage; and ➢ Prevent or regulate the construction of flood barriers which will unnaturally divert flood waters or which may increase flood hazards in other areas.

B.6.2. Administrative/Technical Mitigation Capabilities Table B-29 identifies the City department(s) responsible for activities related to mitigation and loss prevention in Nevada City.

Table B-29 City of Nevada City’s Administrative and Technical Mitigation Capabilities Administration Y/N
Describe capability
Is coordination effective?
Planning Commission Y
Mitigation Planning Committee N
Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-60
Maintenance programs to reduce risk
(e.g., tree trimming, clearing drainage
systems)
Y Ongoing programs by City Public Works, Parks, and Fire Department. The City uses outside assistance from jail crews, conservation corp and other volunteer groups.

Mutual aid agreements Y Police and Fire
Other
Staff
Y/N
FT/PT
Is staffing adequate to enforce regulations?
Is staff trained on hazards and mitigation?
Is coordination between agencies and staff effective?
Chief Building Official Y Outsourced to Nevada County
Floodplain Administrator Y City Engineer
Emergency Manager Y City Assistant Manager
Community Planner Y City Planner
Civil Engineer Y City Engineer
GIS Coordinator Y City Engineer
Other
Technical
Warning systems/services
(Reverse 911, outdoor warning signals)
Y 911 through police dept
Hazard data and information Y Through County OES
Grant writing Y By City with assistance from County OES Hazus analysis N
Other
How can these capabilities be expanded and improved to reduce risk? Increase capacity through staffing, training, and enhanced coordination among all department and jurisdictions; emergency management/hazard specific program enhancements, training, and exercising; increased funding opportunities and capacity; and implementation of mitigation actions and projects.

Source: City of Nevada City
B.6.3. Fiscal Mitigation Capabilities
Table B-30 identifies financial tools or resources that the City could potentially use to help fund mitigation activities.

Table B-30 City of Nevada City’s Fiscal Mitigation Capabilities Funding Resource
Access/
Eligibility
(Y/N)
Has the funding resource been used in past
and for what type of activities?
Could the resource be used to fund future
mitigation actions?
Capital improvements project funding Y The City Capital Improvement Plan is updated annually as required by Govt. Code. This
includes projects with funding sources
identified and projects that are necessary but
lack financial backing.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-61
Funding Resource
Access/
Eligibility
(Y/N)
Has the funding resource been used in past
and for what type of activities?
Could the resource be used to fund future
mitigation actions?
Authority to levy taxes for specific purposes Y Voter Approved Tax Measure B approved in 2016 provides funding for additional City
Fire and Police staff
Fees for water, sewer, gas, or electric services Y
Impact fees for new development Y This is used as a funding source to mitigate the effects of new development on existing
infrastructure and City services.

Storm water utility fee N
Incur debt through general obligation bonds and/or
special tax bonds
Y
Incur debt through private activities N
Community Development Block Grant Y
Other federal funding programs Y Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program is used for street and
sidewalk improvements.

Highway Bridge Replacement & Rehabilitation
Program (HBRRP) is used for bridges
State funding programs Y CAL FIRE Fire Prevention Grant was used in 2017 for High Tree Mortality Areas
CABY grant for the Integrated Regional Water
Management (IRWM) group Prop 184 used for
water facility improvements in 2014 -2017
Other
How can these capabilities be expanded and improved to reduce risk? Funding for infrastructure is needed due to the fact that much of the City was constructed more than 100 years ago.

Narrow roads, aging water lines, sewer lines and drainage systems are in need of improvement and rehabilitation.

Source: City of Nevada City
B.6.4. Mitigation Education, Outreach, and Partnerships Table B-31 identifies education and outreach programs and methods already in place that could be/or are used to implement mitigation activities and communicate hazard-related information. More information can be found below the table.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-62
Table B-31 City of Nevada City’s Mitigation Education, Outreach, and Partnerships Program/Organization Yes/No
Describe program/organization and how
relates to disaster resilience and mitigation.

Could the program/organization help
implement future mitigation activities?
Local citizen groups or non-profit organizations
focused on environmental protection, emergency
preparedness, access and functional needs
populations, etc.

Y
Ongoing public education or information program
(e.g., responsible water use, fire safety, household
preparedness, environmental education)
Y Informational brochures from the Nevada
County OES office
Natural disaster or safety related school programs Y School programs are provided by City police and fire department
StormReady certification N
Firewise Communities certification
Public-private partnership initiatives addressing
disaster-related issues
Y
Other
How can these capabilities be expanded and improved to reduce risk? Increase capacity through staffing, training, and enhanced coordination among all department and jurisdictions; emergency management/hazard specific program enhancements, training, and exercising; increased funding opportunities and capacity; and implementation of mitigation actions and projects.

Source: City of Nevada City
B.6.5. Other Mitigation Efforts
The City of Nevada City has many other ongoing mitigation efforts that include the following:
➢ Annual assessment of capital improvement needs and research of available funding sources. ➢ A Brushing and Debris Chipping and ladder fuel reduction on public lands and street rights-of-way is currently ongoing.
➢ Fuel Management for Wildfire Mitigation Fuel Break at Sugarloaf Mountain and Deer Creek Environs was implemented in 2012.
➢ In 2013, as part of Prop 84 CABY, Nevada City installed an Inter-Tie with NID water district near Gracie Road for Water System Reliability.
➢ A Fire Suppression System being implemented as part of building permits for renovation of existing Buildings in Historic Downtown is ongoing and in process.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-63
B.7 Mitigation Strategy
As part of the overall HMPC for the development of this multi-jurisdictional Nevada County LHMP Update, each jurisdiction followed the mitigation strategy development process detailed in Chapter 5 and Appendix C of the Base Plan, which included the development of plan goals and objectives and the resulting mitigation actions and projects.

B.7.1. Mitigation Goals and Objectives
The City of Nevada City adopts the hazard mitigation goals and objectives developed by the HMPC and described in Chapter 5 Mitigation Strategy.

B.7.2. NFIP Mitigation Strategy
The City of Nevada City joined the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) on February 3, 2010. As a participant of the NFIP, the City of Nevada City has administered floodplain management regulations that meet the minimum requirements of the NFIP. The management program objective is to protect people and property within the City. The City of Nevada City will continue to comply with the requirements of the NFIP in the future.

In addition, the City of Nevada City actively participates with the County of Nevada to address local NFIP issues through a regional approach. Many of the program activities are the same for the City of Nevada City as for Nevada County since participation at the County level includes all local jurisdictions.

The City’s regulatory activities apply to existing and new development areas of the City; implementing flood protection measures for existing structures and new development, and maintaining drainage systems.

The goal of the program is to enhance public safety, and reduce impacts and losses while protecting the environment. The City’s Municipal Code has a Flood Damage Prevention Section under the Zoning Ordinance that regulates construction in the floodplain. The City intends to continue to implement the ordinance and participate at the regional level with Nevada County implementing appropriate measures to mitigate exposure and damages within designated flood prone areas.

The National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements. As a result, flood insurance premium rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community actions meeting the three goals of the CRS which are to reduce flood losses, facilitate accurate insurance rating, and promote the awareness of flood insurance. The City of Nevada City is not a current participant in the CRS program.

More information about the floodplain administration in the City of Nevada City can be found in Table B-32.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-64
Table B-32 City of Nevada City Compliance with NFIP
NFIP Topic Comments
Insurance Summary
How many NFIP policies are in the community? What is the total premium and coverage?
11 policies
$14,038 in annual premiums
$1,312,900 of coverage in force
How many claims have been paid in the community? What is the total amount of paid claims? How many of the claims were for substantial damage?
1 paid losses
$3,572.37 in paid claims
0 substantial damage claims
How many structures are exposed to flood risk within the community? 23 (1% annual chance flood) 2 (0.2% annual chance flood)
Describe any areas of flood risk with limited NFIP policy coverage Staff Resources
Is the Community Floodplain Administrator or NFIP Coordinator certified? No Provide an explanation of NFIP administration services (e.g., permit review, GIS, education or outreach, inspections, engineering capability) The City uses outside consultants for
this on an as-needed basis.

What are the barriers to running an effective NFIP program in the community, if any?
No
Compliance History
Is the community in good standing with the NFIP? Yes
Are there any outstanding compliance issues (i.e., current violations)? No When was the most recent Community Assistance Visit (CAV) or Community Assistance Contact (CAC)?
?
Is a CAV or CAC scheduled or needed? ?
Regulation
When did the community enter the NFIP? 2/3/2010
Are the FIRMs digital or paper? Digital
Do floodplain development regulations meet or exceed FEMA or State minimum requirements? If so, in what ways?
Yes, through implementation of the
Floodplain Management Plan and our
Zoning and Planning approval process
Provide an explanation of the permitting process. All projects are reviewed by City Departments and Planning
Commission in accordance with our
Municipal Code which includes the
Floodplain Management Plan
Community Rating System
Does the community participate in CRS? N
What is the community’s CRS Class Ranking? N/A
What categories and activities provide CRS points and how can the class be improved?
N/A
Does the plan include CRS planning requirements? N/A
Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-65
B.7.3. Mitigation Actions
The planning team for the City of Nevada City identified and prioritized the following mitigation actions based on the risk assessment. Background information and information on how each action will be implemented and administered, such as ideas for implementation, responsible office, potential funding, estimated cost, and timeline are also included.

It should be noted that many of the projects submitted by each jurisdiction in Table 5 2 in the Base Plan benefit all jurisdictions whether or not they are the lead agency. Further, many of these mitigation efforts are collaborative efforts among multiple local, state, and federal agencies. In addition, the public outreach action, as well as many of the emergency services actions, apply to all hazards regardless of hazard priority.

Collectively, this multi-jurisdictional mitigation strategy includes only those actions and projects which reflect the actual priorities and capacity of each jurisdiction to implement over the next 5-years covered by this plan. It should further be noted, that although a jurisdiction may not have specific projects identified for each priority hazard for the five year coverage of this planning process, each jurisdiction has focused on identifying those projects which are realistic and reasonable for them to implement and would like to preserve their hazard priorities should future projects be identified where the implementing jurisdiction has the future capacity to implement.

Action 1. Integrate Local Hazard Mitigation Plan into Safety Element of General Plan Hazards Addressed: All hazards
Goals Addressed: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Issue/Background: Local jurisdictional reimbursement for mitigation projects and cost recovery after a disaster is guided by Government Code Section 8685.9 (AB 2140). Specifically, this section requires that each jurisdiction adopt a local hazard mitigation plan (LHMP) in accordance with the federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 as part of the Safety Element of its General Plan. Adoption of the LHMP into the Safety Element of the General Plan may be by reference or incorporation.

Other Alternatives: No action
Existing Planning Mechanisms through which Action will be Implemented: Safety Element of General Plan
Responsible Office: City of Nevada City Planning Department Priority (H, M, L): High
Cost Estimate: Jurisdictional board/staff time
Potential Funding: Local budgets
Benefits (avoided Losses): Incorporation of an adopted LHMP into the Safety Element of the General Plan will help jurisdictions maximize the cost recovery potential following a disaster.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-66
Schedule: As soon as possible
Action 2. Nevada City Tree Removal, Brushing and Debris Chipping Hazards Addressed: Multi-hazard: Tree Mortality (Drought and Bark Beetle Infestation), Fire Hazard, Flooding
Goals Addressed: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Issue/Background: Nevada City is surrounded by natural forested areas with approximately 300 acres of open space that is owned and managed by the City. Hazardous trees that pose a threat to public health and safety should be removed to address the risk and potential impact of wildfire to habitable structures and/or the potential to obstruct storm flows through natural drainage courses.

Project Description: Tree Removal, Brushing and Debris Chipping Program will be used to remove trees that are dead or are dying from invasion of bark beetle and drought conditions and trees that are hazardous.

This project will enhance and contribute to the City's ongoing effort to reduce fire fuel on the City's Open Space Parcels, provide safety for public and provide clear paths for natural drainage.

Other Alternatives: No action
Existing Planning Mechanisms through which Action will be Implemented: Environmental Review and CEQA Notice of Exemption to be completed by City staff.

Responsible Office: City of Nevada City
Priority (H, M, L): High
Cost Estimate: $400,000
Potential Funding: Dept. of Water Resources, CALFIRE
Benefits (avoided Losses): Extensive loss of property and buildings due to fire.

Schedule: 2018-2023
Action 3. Nevada City Tree Management
Hazards Addressed: Multi-hazard
Goals Addressed: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Issue/Background: Annually, tree and/or branches fall from trees located on City property or public streets due to severe storm damage. This project would fund the assessment by a certified arborist; an annual maintenance plan would be created and followed to prevent trees and branches from falling unexpectedly.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-67
Project Description: Implement a program to annually monitor, remove and dispose of hazardous trees and branches.

Other Alternatives: No action
Existing Planning Mechanisms through which Action will be Implemented: Environmental Review and CEQA Notice of Exemption to be completed by City staff.

Responsible Office: City of Nevada City
Priority (H, M, L): High
Cost Estimate: $50,000
Potential Funding: TBD
Benefits (avoided Losses): Trees and/or branches falling put members of public and property at risk.

Schedule: 2017-2023
Action 4. Nevada City Storm Drain / Culvert Replacement for Oregon Ravine through downtown and along Commercial Street. Includes intersection of Commercial/ Main / Union streets Hazards Addressed: Flooding/Localized Flooding
Goals Addressed: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Issue/Background: During flood events the current drainage system overflows causing erosion to the surrounding area and flood damage to City Streets and private properties within the historic district.

Project Description: Replace storm drain pipes, culverts or inlets that are damaged, aging or deficient.

Other Alternatives: No action
Existing Planning Mechanisms through which Action will be Implemented: Environmental Review and CEQA Notice of Exemption to be completed by City staff.

Responsible Office: City of Nevada City
Priority (H, M, L): High
Cost Estimate: $1,000,000
Potential Funding: TBD
Benefits (avoided Losses): Damage to structures in the downtown area during a major flood event could far exceed the costs associated with completing this project.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-68
Schedule: 2017-2023
Action 5. Little Deer Creek and Deer Creek - the ‘Plaza’: intersection of Broad/Boulder/Sacramento/Nevada streets
Hazards Addressed: Flooding/Localized Flooding
Goals Addressed: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Issue/Background: During flood events the two converging creeks overtop banks, roadways and culverts causing stream bank erosion and flood damage to City Streets and private properties. This also results in closure of critical intersection of two arterial roadways and two collector roadways.

Project Description: Replace culverts, storm drain or inlets that are damaged, aging or deficient. Creek remediation to improve conveyance of storm flows. Replacement or realignment of concrete walls, bridge footings or piers where they are limiting capacity of the creek.

Other Alternatives: No action
Existing Planning Mechanisms through which Action will be Implemented: Environmental Review and CEQA Notice of Exemption to be completed by City staff.

Responsible Office: City of Nevada City
Priority (H, M, L): High
Cost Estimate: $2,000,000
Potential Funding: TBD
Benefits (avoided Losses): Damage to structures in the downtown area during a major flood event could far exceed the costs associated with completing this project.

Schedule: 2017-2023
Action 6. Little Deer Creek at Pioneer Park
Hazards Addressed: Flood damage to Pioneer Park
Goals Addressed: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Issue/Background: During flood events the creek overtops banks causing flood damage to City public park facilities. This also results in short term closure of roadways and parking areas at Pioneer Park.

Project Description: Creek restoration to reduce flood potential, and sediment delivery to the stream channel from unstable banks.

Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-69
Other Alternatives: No action
Existing Planning Mechanisms through which Action will be Implemented: Environmental Review and CEQA Notice of Exemption to be completed by City staff.

Responsible Office: City of Nevada City
Priority (H, M, L): High
Cost Estimate: $500,000
Potential Funding: TBD
Benefits (avoided Losses): Damage to park facilities during a major flood event could far exceed the costs associated with completing this project.

Schedule: 2020
Action 7. Nevada City Water Intake Diversion
Hazards Addressed: Flooding
Goals Addressed: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Issue/Background: During high flows, water in the diversion intake is able to bypass the flow control gate and enter the pipeline, resulting an unregulated discharge into the pipeline to the City’s water treatment plant. The raw water then flows into a small intermediate concrete structure known as the "rock box" that prevents large gravel and rocks to pass into the sedimentation box located just downstream of the rock box.

During unregulated flows from the main diversion structure, water overflows the rock box, from washing out soils around the structure itself as well as the sedimentation box.

Project Description: The rock box needs to be modified with an overflow structure and pipe that prevents uncontrolled overflows, and routes the water directly back to the creek. The sedimentation box will also be improved forsettlement ofsmall debristhat passes through the rock box. Water flows will be routed through the rock box and sedimentation box in series prior to release into the raw water pipeline which conveys water to the reservoir.

Other Alternatives: No action
Existing Planning Mechanisms through which Action will be Implemented: Environmental Review and CEQA Notice of Exemption to be completed by City staff.

Responsible Office: City of Nevada City
Priority (H, M, L): High
Cost Estimate: $100,000
Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-70
Potential Funding: TBD
Benefits (avoided Losses): Extensive savings in filter media and water treatment processes for public water use during and after storm events.

Schedule: 2020
Action 8. Nevada City Wastewater Treatment Plant Headworks Hazards Addressed: Flooding
Goals Addressed: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Issue/Background: During large storm events, the plant headworks is inundated with heavy sewer flows with large rocks and pipe fragments in the influent. This large debris can hit and puncture the mechanical screens. There is a bypass channel around the mechanical screens but this is a bottleneck and sandbags and pumps are used to keep high flow contained.

Project Description: Provide a rock trap structure prior to the screens to allow heavy debris to fall out so it can be removed before damaging equipment. Increase the size and capacity of the bypass channel and headworks.

Other Alternatives: No action
Existing Planning Mechanisms through which Action will be Implemented: Environmental Review and CEQA Notice of Exemption to be completed by City staff.

Responsible Office: City of Nevada City
Priority (H, M, L): High
Cost Estimate: $200,000
Potential Funding: TBD
Benefits (avoided Losses): Extensive savings in filter media, screens and wastewater treatment processes during and after storm events.

Schedule: 2020
Action 9. Nevada City Chlorine Gas System Replacement at Wastewater Plant Hazards Addressed: Hazardous Materials Leak
Goals Addressed: 1, 2, 3, 6
Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
City of Nevada City Annex B-71
Project Description: Chlorine gas is used as part of the treatment process at the City of Nevada City Wastewater Plant. Chlorine gas is highly toxic and dangerous and an accidental release would place thousands of people at risk. The existing gas chlorine system at the wastewater treatment plants has the potential of a chlorine gas release and this potential would be mitigated by replacement with an alternative treatment system.

Issue/Background: Conversion of wastewater facilities to remove all gaseous chlorine chemical feed systems and replace this with a new storage tank and piping for Sodium Hypochlorite. This would also require converting the chemical storage building or relocating facilities to accommodate the new tank.

Other Alternatives: Liquid Chlorine (not recommended due to other hazardous risk factors) Existing Planning Mechanisms through which Action will be Implemented: Environmental Review and CEQA Notice of Exemption to be completed by City staff.

Responsible Office: City of Nevada City
Priority (H, M, L): High
Cost Estimate: TBD
Potential Funding: $800,000
Benefits (avoided Losses): Avoidance of catastrophic impact for chlorine gas release.

Schedule: 2019
Action 10. Nevada City Water Line Replacement
Hazards Addressed: Wildfire
Goals Addressed: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6
Issue/Background: The typical life span of a water main is 75 to 100 years, depending on the materials, soils, and other factors. The City's water distribution system consists of approximately 20 linear miles of water mains, of which approximately 25,000 linear feet (or 4.8 linear miles) are greater than 140 years old.

The aging pipe has minimized capacity for fire flow due to internal corrosion and carbuncles.

Project Description: Replace 4,000 linear feet (or 0.75 linear miles annually) of water main, including hydrants and water service connections for domestic and fire sprinkler use.

Other Alternatives: No action
Existing Planning Mechanisms through which Action will be Implemented: Environmental Review and CEQA Notice of Exemption to be completed by City staff.

Responsible Office: City of Nevada City
Nevada County
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
August 2017
Priority (H, M, L): High
Cost Estimate: $6,000,000
Potential Funding: TBD
Benefits (avoided Losses): Fire prevention for residents and businesses within the City.

Schedule: 2017-2023
Appendix C-Noise Element/Exposure Background Report
Background Report & Technical Appendices
Nevada City General Plan Health & Safety/ Noise
Element Update
Nevada City, California
BAC Job # 2021-172
Prepared For:

The City of Nevada City
317 Broad Street Nevada City,
CA 95959
Prepared By:

Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc.

Paul Bollard, President
December 7, 2022
Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC) • P.O. Box 7968 • Auburn, CA 95604 • (530) 537-2328 • BACNOISE.COM Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

Table of Contents
Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................................1 Public Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section Requirements...............................................................2 Acoustical Terminology..........................................................................................................................3 Fundamentals of Noise..........................................................................................................................5 Background on Criteria for Acceptable Noise Exposure.........................................................................7 Overview of Existing & Future Noise Environments in Nevada City........................................................9 Community Noise Survey ....................................................................................................................11 Nevada County Airport ........................................................................................................................14 Roadways ...........................................................................................................................................14 General Business and Light Industrial Uses.........................................................................................19 Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems..................................................................21 Shooting Range...................................................................................................................................21 Outdoor Music Events at Pioneer Park ................................................................................................21 Schools, Playgrounds, and Daycare Centers.......................................................................................24 Construction ........................................................................................................................................24 References..........................................................................................................................................26 Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

Public Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section Requirements The Noise Element requirements contained in California Government Code Section 65302(f) are summarized as follows:
• A Noise Element shall identify and appraise noise problems in the community. The Noise Element shall recognize the guidelines established by the Office of Noise Control in the State Department of Health Services and shall analyze and quantify, to the extent practicable, as determined by the legislative body, current and projected noise levels for all major sources of noise within the City.
• Noise contours shall be shown for major noise sources and stated in terms of the day/night average level (DNL) or other appropriate noise descriptors. The noise contours shall be prepared on the basis of noise monitoring or following generally accepted noise modeling techniques for the various sources identified above.
• The noise contours shall be used as a guide for establishing a pattern of land uses in the land use element that minimizes the exposure of community residents to excessive noise.

The Noise Element shall include policies, implementation measures and possible solutions that address existing and foreseeable noise problems, if any.

Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

Acoustical Terminology
Ambient Noise The distinctive acoustical characteristics of a given area consisting of all noise sources audible at that location. In many cases, the term ambient is used to describe an existing or pre-project condition such as the setting in an environmental noise study.

Attenuation The reduction of noise.

A-Weighting A frequency-response adjustment of a sound level meter that conditions the output signal to approximate human response. All noise level measurements and noise standards associated with this Health and Safety / Noise Element are provided in terms of A-weighted sound levels.

Capacity
Enhancing
A roadway project which would increase roadway capacity. Examples include new roadway construction projects or widening projects. Projects which only re- stripe or otherwise alter roadway configuration without increasing capacity are not included in this definition.

CNEL Community Noise Equivalent Level. Defined as the 24-hour average noise level with noise occurring during evening hours (7 - 10 p.m.) weighted by a factor of three and nighttime hours weighted by a factor of 10 prior to averaging.

Decibel or dB Fundamental unit of sound, defined as ten times the logarithm of the ratio of the sound pressure squared over the reference pressure squared.

Fixed Noise
Source
Fixed noise sources refer to sources of noise occurring on private property which are not regulated at the local level. They may be fixed in a certain position or mobile on the private property, but do not include mobile vehicles on public roadways or aircraft operations. For example, the City of Nevada City cannot regulate how much noise a car on a public roadway can generate, as such levels are regulated at the state level.

However, the City can regulate the level of noise that is generated on private property as it affects other properties. Traffic on public roadways, and aircraft in flight cannot be regulated at the local level.

Frequency The measure of the rapidity of alterations of a periodic acoustic signal, expressed in cycles per second or Hertz.

Infill Project A project which is consistent with the General Plan Land Use Map designations, zoning, and community plan for the property in which at least 50% of the project site is bounded by similar uses and a project which would not expand the perimeter of the development area.

DNL or DNL Day/Night Average Sound Level. Similar to CNEL but with no evening weighting.

Leq Equivalent or energy-averaged sound level.

L50 Median noise level, or level exceeded 50% of time.

Lmax The highest root-mean-square (RMS) sound level measured over a given period of time.

Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

Loudness A subjective term for the sensation of the magnitude of sound.

Noise Unwanted sound.

Noise Reducing
Pavement
Pavement types for which local studies have identified noise-reducing benefits.

Sensitive Outdoor
Areas
The primary outdoor activity area associated with any given land use at which noise-sensitivity exists and the location at which the City’s exterior noise level standards are applied. Additional definitions of sensitive areas of various residential uses follow.

Sensitive Areas of
Single-Family
Residential uses
Normally considered to be backyards or distinct rear patio/deck areas. Front yard spaces may be identified as the sensitive exterior area if there are no other clearly identifiable private outdoor activity areas proposed as part of the residential property. Elevated balconies, front courtyards, front decks, side yards, etc., are not commonly considered to be sensitive outdoor activity areas. Where the location of outdoor activity areas for large lot residential properties cannot be determined, the City’s exterior noise level standards shall be applied within 50 feet of the rear of the residence.

Sensitive Areas of
Multi-family
Residential Uses
Common outdoor recreation areas, such as pools, tot-lots, tennis courts, etc., of multi-family uses are considered to be the sensitive outdoor area. Individual patios and balconies of multi-family developments are not considered to be sensitive outdoor areas.

Sensitive Areas of
Residential
Component of
Mixed-Use
Developments
Mixed-use developments will commonly consist of residential units on elevated floors above office or commercial uses. As a result, such uses may not include a clearly delineated sensitive outdoor area, in which case satisfaction with the City’s interior noise level standards will be considered adequate. The exterior noise standards for the residential component of mixed-use developments shall not be applied to patios or balconies facing the noise source (i.e. street).

Sensitive Areas of
Non-Residential
Uses
The noise-sensitive area of non-residential uses should be evaluated on a case by case basis. For example, the exterior areas surrounding hospitals, schools, and office buildings are not commonly considered to be noise-sensitive, whereas the interior spaces of such uses are noise-sensitive. The noise standards contained in Tables 1 and 2 should only be applied to locations within a proposed use where noise sensitivity can be demonstrated.

Short-Term
Vacation Rentals
(STVRs)
A detached residence, condominium, apartment, or other habitable structure which is available for rental on a short-term basis. A short-term basis is defined as a continuous rental period of less than one month.

Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

Fundamentals of Noise
Noise is often described as unwanted sound. Sound is defined as any pressure variation in air that the human ear can detect. If the pressure variations occur frequently enough (at least 20 times per second), they can be heard and hence are called sound. The number of pressure variations per second is called the frequency of sound, and is expressed as cycles per second, called Hertz (Hz).

Measuring sound directly in terms of pressure would require a very large and awkward range of numbers.

To avoid this, the decibel scale was devised. The decibel scale uses the hearing threshold (20 micropascals), as a point of reference, defined as 0 dB. Other sound pressures are then compared to the reference pressure, and the logarithm is taken to keep the numbers in a practical range. The decibel scale allows a million-fold increase in pressure to be expressed as 120 dB. Another useful aspect of the decibel scale is that changes in levels (dB) correspond closely to human perception of relative loudness.

Figure 1 shows examples of noise levels for several common noise sources and environments.

The perceived loudness of sounds is dependent upon many factors, including sound pressure level and frequency content. However, within the usual range of environmental noise levels, perception of loudness is relatively predictable, and can be approximated by weighing the frequency response of a sound level meter by means of the standardized A-weighing network. There is a strong correlation between A-weighted sound levels (expressed as dBA) and community response to noise. For this reason, the A-weighted sound level has become the standard tool of environmental noise assessment.

Community noise is commonly described in terms of the “ambient” noise level, which is defined as the all-encompassing noise level associated with a given noise environment. A common statistical tool to measure the ambient noise level is the average, or equivalent, sound level (Leq), which corresponds to a steady-state A-weighted sound level containing the same total energy as a time-varying signal over a given time period (usually one hour). The Leq is the foundation of the composite noise descriptor, DNL, and shows very good correlation with community response to noise.

The Day-Night Average Level (DNL) is based upon the average noise level over a 24-hour day, with a +10 decibel weighing applied to noise occurring during nighttime (10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.) hours. The nighttime penalty is based upon the assumption that people react to nighttime noise exposures as though they were twice as loud as daytime exposures. Because DNL represents a 24-hour average, it tends to disguise short-term variations in the noise environment.

Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

Noise in the community has often been cited as being a health problem, not in terms of actual physiological damages such as hearing impairment, but in terms of inhibiting general well-being and contributing to undue stress and annoyance. The health effects of noise in the community arise from interference with human activities such as sleep, speech, recreation and tasks demanding concentration or coordination. When community noise interferes with human activities or contributes to stress, public annoyance with the noise source increases, the acceptability of the environment for people decreases.

This decrease in acceptability and the threat to public well-being are the bases for land use planning policies preventing exposures to excessive community noise levels.

Figure 1
Common Noise Sources and Associated Noise Levels
Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

To control noise from fixed sources which have developed from processes other than zoning or land use planning, many jurisdictions have adopted community noise control ordinances. Such ordinances are intended to abate noise nuisances and to control noise from existing sources. They may also be used as performance standards to judge the creation of a potential nuisance, or potential encroachment of sensitive uses upon noise-producing facilities. Community noise control ordinances are generally designed to resolve noise problems on a short-term basis (usually by means of hourly noise level criteria), rather than on the basis of 24-hour or annual cumulative noise exposures.

In addition to the A-weighted noise level, other factors should be considered in establishing criteria for noise sensitive land uses. For example, sounds with noticeable tonal content such as whistles, horns, droning or high-pitched sounds may be more annoying than the A-weighted sound level alone suggests.

Many noise standards apply a penalty, or correction, of 5 dBA to such sounds. The effects of unusual tonal content are generally more of a concern at nighttime, when residents may notice the sound in contrast to low levels of background noise.

Because many rural residential areas experience very low noise levels, residents may express concern about the loss of "peace and quiet" due to the introduction of a sound which was not audible previously.

In very quiet environments, the introduction of virtually any change in local activities will cause an increase in noise levels. A change in noise level and the loss of "peace and quiet" is the inevitable result of land use or activity changes in such areas. Audibility of a new noise source and/or increases in noise levels within recognized acceptable limits are not usually considered to be significant noise impacts, but these concerns should be addressed and considered in the planning and environmental review processes.

Background on Criteria for Acceptable Noise Exposure
The State Office of Planning and Research (OPR) Public Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section Guidelines include recommended exterior and interior noise level standards for local jurisdictions to identify and prevent the creation of incompatible land uses due to noise. The OPR guidelines contain a land use compatibility table which describes the compatibility of different land uses with a range of environmental noise levels in terms of DNL. A noise environment of 60 dB DNL or less is considered to be normally acceptable for residential uses according to those guidelines.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also offers guidelines for community noise exposure in the publication “Information on the Levels of Environmental Noise Requisite to Protect Public Health and Welfare with an Adequate Margin of Safety”. These guidelines consider occupational noise exposure as well as noise exposure in the home. The “Levels Document” recognizes an exterior noise level of 55 dB DNL as a goal to protect the public from hearing loss, activity interference, sleep disturbance and annoyance. The EPA notes, however, that this level is not a regulatory goal, but is a level defined by a negotiated scientific consensus without concern for economic and technological feasibility or the needs and desires of any particular community. The EPA and other Federal agencies have suggested land use compatibility guidelines which indicate that residential noise exposures of 55 to 65 dB DNL are acceptable.

Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has also prepared a Model Community Noise Control Ordinance, using Leq as the means of defining allowable residential noise level limits. The EPA model contains no specific recommendations for local noise level standards, but reports a range of Leq values as adopted by various local jurisdictions. The mean daytime residential noise standard reported by the EPA is 57 dBA (Leq); the mean nighttime residential noise standard is 52 dBA (Leq). Other state laws and regulations regarding noise control are directed towards aircraft, motor vehicles and noise in general.

The California Vehicle Code sets noise emission standards for new vehicles including autos, trucks, motorcycles and off-road vehicles. Performance standards also apply to all vehicles operated on public streets and roadways. Section 216 of the Streets and Highways Code regulates traffic noise received at schools near freeways.

To control noise from fixed sources which have developed from processes other than zoning or land use planning, many jurisdictions have adopted community noise control ordinances. Such ordinances are intended to abate noise nuisances and to control noise from existing sources. They may also be used as performance standards to judge the creation of a potential nuisance, or potential encroachment of sensitive uses upon noise-producing facilities. Community noise control ordinances are generally designed to resolve noise problems on a short-term basis (usually by means of hourly noise level criteria), rather than on the basis of 24-hour or annual cumulative noise exposures.

In addition to the A-weighted noise level, other factors should be considered in establishing criteria for noise sensitive land uses. For example, sounds with noticeable tonal content such as whistles, horns, droning or high-pitched sounds may be more annoying than the A-weighted sound level alone suggests.

Many noise standards apply a penalty, or correction, of 5 dBA to such sounds. The effects of unusual tonal content are generally more of a concern at nighttime, when residents may notice the sound in contrast to low levels of background noise.

Because many rural residential areas experience very low noise levels, residents may express concern about the loss of "peace and quiet" due to the introduction of a sound which was not audible previously.

In very quiet environments, the introduction of virtually any change in local activities will cause an increase in noise levels. A change in noise level and the loss of "peace and quiet" is the inevitable result of land use or activity changes in such areas. Audibility of a new noise source and/or increases in noise levels within recognized acceptable limits are not usually considered to be significant noise impacts, but these concerns should be addressed and considered in the planning and environmental review processes.

Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

Overview of Existing & Future Noise Environments in Nevada City This document presents background information on the existing and projected future noise environments in Nevada City, California. The existing City Limits and General Plan Study Area are shown on Figure

2. The ambient noise environment in the Nevada City is defined by several noise sources. The most prevalent source of near continuous noise in the City is traffic on Highways 20 and 49. Intermittent noise sources consist primarily of local traffic on City streets, commercial activities on Broad Street, and typical neighborhood noise sources. Activities at parks and schools also affect the noise environment within Nevada City, but to a much more localized extent. Noise sources associated with construction and property maintenance also contributed to the noise environment, typically on an intermittent and fairly temporary basis.

As Nevada City grows, coupled with overall growth in the region, traffic volumes on local highways and city streets will increase, resulting in higher traffic noise environments. Similarly, growth in tourismrelated activities, and increased commercial activities in the City will all contribute to higher ambient noise levels over time.

The goals and policies of the Nevada City General Plan Public Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section were developed with these noise environments in mind. This document presents background information on the various types of noise sources affecting the existing and future noise environments within Nevada City. This information will be used by the City to assess the potential for noise impacts related to future development within the City and to require acoustical analyses for new projects as determined appropriate.

The following sections discuss the various noise environments within Nevada City.

Legend
Current City Limits
Nevada City General Plan Study Area
Scale (Feet) 0 1250 2500
Nevada City Noise Element
Nevada City, California Study Area
Figure2
Community Noise Survey
Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
To quantify existing noise levels at areas in Nevada City, a community noise survey was performed.

The community noise survey consisted of seven (7) 24-hour continuous noise measurement locations from Friday, April 1 through Monday, April 4, 2022. The locations of the community noise measurement sites are shown in Figure 3.

Larson-Davis Laboratories (LDL) Model 820 precision integrating sound levels meter were used to complete the noise level measurement survey. The meters were calibrated before use with an LDL Model CAL200 acoustical calibrator to ensure the accuracy of the measurements. The equipment used meets all pertinent specifications of the American National Standards Institute for Type 1 sound level meters (ANSI S1.4). Photographs of the noise survey locations are provided in Appendix A.

As indicated in Table 1, noise levels measured at Sites 2, 3 and 7 were highest due to their proximity to Highways 20 and 49. Site 1 was located within the Broad Street commercial area and exhibited elevated noise levels as a result. The lowest measured ambient conditions within the City occurred at Site 5, which was located on Providence Mine Road, south of Deer Creek School. Overall, the community noise survey results indicate that the noise environment is elevated in close proximity to the local highways and commercial core, and fairly low at areas removed from those noise sources.

The results of the 24-hour continuous measurements are summarized in Table 1 and shown graphically in Appendix B. The results of the community noise surveys were used to develop the noise criteria for new land uses proposed within the Nevada City General Plan. Those criteria are provided in Tables 1 and 2 in the Noise Element Goals and Policies document.

Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

LT-7
LT-3
LT-4
LT-2 LT-1
LT-6
LT-5
Legend
Nevada City Limits (Approximate)
Long-term Noise Measurement Locations
Scale (Feet)
0 750 1500
Nevada City Noise Element
Nevada City, California
Long-term Community Noise
Measurement Locations
Figure 3
Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

Table 1
Long-term Community Noise Survey Results Nevada City, CA.

Day [dB] Night [dB]
Site Date Leq Lmax Leq Lmax DNL [dB]
Friday, April 1, 2022 63 87 57 92 69
Saturday, April 2, 2022 63 100 55 102 69
LT-1 Sunday, April 3, 2022 61 91 52 80 63
Monday, April 4, 2022 61 85 51 84 63
Average 62 91 54 90 66
Friday, April 1, 2022 75 104 65 85 76
Saturday, April 2, 2022 74 92 65 85 75
LT-2 Sunday, April 3, 2022 74 94 63 88 74
Monday, April 4, 2022 75 97 64 86 76
Average 74 97 64 86 75
Friday, April 1, 2022 68 95 58 85 69
Saturday, April 2, 2022 68 105 57 83 68
LT-3 Sunday, April 3, 2022 66 91 56 78 67
Monday, April 4, 2022 68 90 57 79 68
Average 67 95 57 81 68
Friday, April 1, 2022 59 91 48 86 60
Saturday, April 2, 2022 58 90 47 77 59
LT-4 Sunday, April 3, 2022 58 92 46 80 58
Monday, April 4, 2022 58 90 44 81 59
Average 58 91 46 81 59
Friday, April 1, 2022 42 64 36 57 45
Saturday, April 2, 2022 39 62 35 66 44
LT-5 Sunday, April 3, 2022 39 67 38 67 43
Monday, April 4, 2022 44 69 32 61 44
Average 31 49 35 63 44
Friday, April 1, 2022 46 70 40 56 48
Saturday, April 2, 2022 47 81 39 66 49
LT-6 Sunday, April 3, 2022 45 68 39 57 47
Monday, April 4, 2022 47 77 38 55 48
Average 46 74 39 58 48
Friday, April 1, 2022 68 90 60 86 69
Saturday, April 2, 2022 67 90 59 83 68
LT-7 Sunday, April 3, 2022 67 89 57 82 68
Monday, April 4, 2022 67 93 58 84 68
Average 67 90 58 84 68
Source: Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc (2022)
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Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

Nevada County Airport
The Nevada County Airport is located approximately 1 mile south of the General Plan Study Area boundary, as shown in Figure 4. The airport consists of one runway of approximately 4,500 feet.

Operations at the airport consist primarily of single and twin-engine general aviation propeller driven aircraft, general aviation jet aircraft, and Cal Fire aircraft. Occasionally, there are events at the airport such as the Nevada County Airfest twice a year.

Figure 4 shows the airport’s 55 dB CNEL contours from the Nevada County Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan. As indicated in Figure 4, the airport’s 55 dB CNEL contours do not extend into the current City limits or into the General Plan Study Area. As a result, Nevada City is not considered to be appreciably affected by noise related to aircraft operations at the Nevada County Airport even though audible overflights of the City do periodically occur.

Roadways
Highway 20 and Highway 49 are the main sources of traffic noise within the General Plan Study Area.

The Federal Highway Administration Highway Traffic Noise Prediction Model (FHWA-RD- 77-108) was used to predict existing and future traffic noise levels for these roadways. The model is based upon the CALVENO noise emission factors for automobiles, medium trucks, and heavy trucks.

Average Daily Traffic (ADT) volumes for existing (2020) conditions were obtained from published Caltrans traffic data. Future (2045) conditions were conservatively estimated by doubling the existing ADT volumes. The predicted day/night average level (DNL) at a representative distance of 100 feet and the distances from the centerline of the major roadways to the 60, 65 and 70 dB DNL contours are summarized in Tables 2 and 3 for existing and future conditions, respectively. To predict existing or future traffic noise levels at distances other than 100 feet from the roadway centerlines, the offsets provided in Table 4 can be utilized. Figure 5 illustrates the future traffic noise contours within the General Plan Study Area. The complete FHWA model results for the roadways are presented in Appendix C.

It is recognized that vehicle speeds, truck percentages, day/night distributions and topographic shielding vary on the roadways within Nevada City. As a result, it is not feasible to precisely predict existing and future traffic noise levels at the General Plan level. However, because the Table 1 and 2 data is considered to represent reasonable worst-case conditions, it is useful in performing screening analyses to determine if more detailed noise analyses are warranted.

At such time as existing and future traffic volumes for the major local roadways within the City are available, this background report will be updated to include the noise generation of those roadways.

Legend
Nevada City Limits (Approximate)
Nevada City General Plan Study Area (Approximate)
Airport 55dB CNEL Noise Contour
Scale (Mile)
Nevada City Noise Element
Nevada City, California
Airport Noise Contours
0 0.5 1.0 Figure 4
0 750 1500 3000 4500
feet
Nevada City Noise Element
Figure 5
Future Traffic Noise Contours
75 Legend
60 80 DNL, dBA
>= 80
75 - 80
70 - 75
65 - 70
60 - 65
General Plan
Study Area
Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

Table 2
Existing (2020) Traffic Noise Levels and Distances to Traffic Noise Contours Nevada City, CA.

DNL at 100’
[dB]
Distance to DNL Contours [feet]
Segment Roadway Segment Description 70 dB 65 dB 60 dB
1 Highway 20 Banner Ridge to Gold Flat Road 72 146 315 678 2 Highway 20 Gold Flat Road to Sacramento St 72 131 283 609 3 Highway 20 Sacramento St to Broad St 70 95 204 440
4 Highway 20 Broad St to Coyote St 68 75 162 348
5 Highway 20 Coyote St to Highway 49 East Jct. 68 73 158 341 6 Highway 20 East of Highway 49 East Jct. 64 42 91 196
7 Highway 49 West of North Highway 20 Jct. 65 48 103 221 Source: Federal Highway Administration Highway Traffic Noise Prediction Model (FHWA-RD-77-108) with traffic counts from Caltrans.

Table 3
Future (2045) Traffic Noise Levels and Distances to Traffic Noise Contours Nevada City, CA.

DNL at 100’
[dB]
Distance to DNL Contours [feet]
Segment Roadway Segment Description 70 dB 65 dB 60 dB
1 Highway 20 Banner Ridge to Gold Flat Road 75 232 500 1076 2 Highway 20 Gold Flat Road to Sacramento St 75 208 449 967 3 Highway 20 Sacramento St to Broad St 73 151 324 699
4 Highway 20 Broad St to Coyote St 71 119 257 553
5 Highway 20 Coyote St to Highway 49 East Jct. 71 116 251 541 6 Highway 20 East of Highway 49 East Jct. 67 67 144 311 7 Highway 49 West of North Highway 20 Jct. 68 76 163 351 Source: Federal Highway Administration Highway Traffic Noise Prediction Model (FHWA-RD-77-108) with traffic counts from Caltrans.

As noted above, the Table 2 and 3 data are provided in terms of DNL at a reference distance of 100 feet from the roadway centerline. If the distance from the sensitive receptor location to the roadway centerline is different than 100 feet, then the offsets provided in Table 4 can be used to adjust the predicted traffic noise levels to reflect the appropriate distance.

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Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

Table 4
Offsets to the Predicted Table 1 & 2 DNL Values to Adjust for Varying Distances Distance [feet] Offset [dB] Distance [feet] Offset [dB] 50 +5 510 -11
60 +3 520 -11
70 +2 530 -11
80 +1 540 -11
90 +1 550 -11
100 0 560 -11
110 -1 570 -11
120 -1 580 -11
130 -2 590 -12
140 -2 600 -12
150 -3 610 -12
160 -3 620 -12
170 -3 630 -12
180 -4 640 -12
190 -4 650 -12
200 -5 660 -12
210 -5 670 -12
220 -5 680 -12
230 -5 690 -13
240 -6 700 -13
250 -6 710 -13
260 -6 720 -13
270 -6 730 -13
280 -7 740 -13
290 -7 750 -13
300 -7 760 -13
310 -7 770 -13
320 -8 780 -13
330 -8 790 -13
340 -8 800 -14
350 -8 810 -14
360 -8 820 -14
370 -9 830 -14
380 -9 840 -14
390 -9 850 -14
400 -9 860 -14
410 -9 870 -14
420 -9 880 -14
430 -10 890 -14
440 -10 900 -14
450 -10 910 -14
460 -10 920 -14
470 -10 930 -15
480 -10 940 -15
490 -10 950 -15
500 -10 960 -15
Source: Offset = 15*Log10(100/Distance)
Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

General Business and Light Industrial Uses
Existing or planned commercial/industrial operations may result in noise impacts when they are proposed near noise sensitive land uses, or when noise-sensitive land uses are proposed near commercial or industrial noise sources. Commercial and Light Industrial noise sources are commonly associated with tire shops (pneumatic wrenches, compressors, tire breakers), auto repair facilities (air chisels, paint sprayers), powder-coating facilities, metal shops, woodshops, shopping centers, drive-up windows, car washes, loading docks, etc.

Noise generation within an industrial or commercial facility has the potential to exceed locally acceptable standards at nearby noise-sensitive land uses. Typical commercial and industrial noise sources within Nevada City include, but are not limited to, the following:

A. The Lower Grass Valley Road area located in Light Industrial zoning. This area includes various facilities including a tire shop, heavy equipment contractor, and repair shops.

B. The Gold Flat Road/New Mohawk Road area located in Light Industrial zoning. This area includes an automotive repair facility.

C. Seven Hills Business Park located in Light Industrial zoning. This area is located on Searls Avenue and Argall Way. It consists of several small businesses including tire and automotive repair facilities.

D. Railroad Avenue area south of Sacramento Street and west of Highway 20. This includes a gas station and an automotive service facility.

E. Hollow Way/Golf Flat Road are located in Local Business zoning. It includes a car wash and automotive service facility.

F. The large Light Industrial zone on Providence Mine Road that is widely undeveloped but includes truck loading docks.

Figure 6 indicates the general locations of the commercial/industrial areas described above. The noise emissions of these types of uses are dependent on many factors, and are therefore, difficult to quantify precisely. Nonetheless, noise generated by these uses contribute to the ambient noise environment in the immediate vicinity of these uses, and should be considered where either new noise-sensitive uses are proposed nearby or where similar uses are proposed in existing residential or other noise-sensitive areas.

D
F
C
G
E
B
A
Legend
Nevada City Limits (Approx.) General Plan
Study Area (Approx.)
D Railroad Ave
E Hollow Way
Nevada City Noise Element
Nevada City, California
A Lower Grass Valley Rd
B Gold Flat Rd/New Mohawk Rd
C Seven Hills Business Park
F Providence Mine Rd
F Gun Club Scale (Feet)
0 2000 4000
Fixed Noise Source Locations
Figure 6
Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems HVAC noise sources include fans, pumps, cooling towers, compressors, condensers, and boilers.

HVAC equipment is associated with virtually every type of inhabited structure, including residential, commercial, and industrial uses. Large HVAC components are often housed in mechanical equipment rooms, which reduce the transmitted noise. However, HVAC equipment must sometimes be located outdoors to provide adequate ventilation or heat exchange. Noise generated by HVAC equipment contributes to the ambient noise environment in the immediate vicinity of the HVAC equipment, and should be considered where either new noise-sensitive uses are proposed nearby or where HVAC equipment is proposed in existing residential or other noise- sensitive areas.

Shooting Range
The Nevada County Sportsmen’s Club is located on Banner Mountain Trail outside the current City limits but within the General Plan area. This is an outdoor facility open to the public and provides target practice with rifles and pistols, archery, and trap shooting. The noise produced by this facility ranges widely due to the number of shots and type of gun being used. According to the Nevada County General Plan Final EIR, Volume 1, the Nevada County Department of Planning measured maximum noise levels of 86-96 dB on Rocker Way, 60-72 dB on Caledonia Way, and 60-69 dB on Melanie Court. The noise generation of this shooting range should be considered if new noisesensitive uses are proposed in the vicinity of this facility. The shooting range location is identified on Figure 6 as “G”.

Outdoor Music Events at Pioneer Park
Concerts are periodically held within the Pioneer Park subject to a permit issued by the City. The Nevada City Parks & Recreation Facility Rental Policies are attached as Appendix D. The policy states that the “Bandshell” area is designated for amplified sound.

Many local residents in the Pioneer Park vicinity have expressed concerns related to noise generated during amplified music events held at the park. Other comments were received from event sponsors interested in maintaining the ability to host events in the park with amplified speech or music. Given the proximity of nearby residences to the park it would be infeasible to reduce the output of the sound amplification systems to levels which would be satisfactory to all nearby residences without affecting the event experience to which event attendees have become accustomed. As a result, policy pertaining to amplified music events will require balancing the requirements of the event promoters/hosts with the noise-sensitivity of the surrounding residents.

To assess how sound propagates from the bandshell area into the neighboring community a concert simulation was conducted at the park site on March 16, 2022. The simulation consisted of playing amplified music at high sound levels through four (4) Yamaha DXR-12, 1,200-watt concert speakers with built-in amplifiers and a Yamaha DXS15, 1,200-watt subwoofer with built in amplifier, using an MP3 player as the music source. Three (3) speakers and a subwoofer were directed away from the stage and one (1) speaker was used as a stage floor monitor (directed toward the stage).

Appendix E shows photographs of the event simulation speaker array.

Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

While sound was played through the sound system to a reference level of approximately 84-88 dB at 100 feet from the speakers, noise level measurements were conducted at nine (9) locations in the vicinity of the park. The measurement locations are shown on Figure 7. The simulation measurement results are presented in Table 5.

Table 5
Pioneer Park Concert Simulation Results
Site
Dist. to
Speakers
[feet] Description
Ref. Leq
[dB]1
Site Leq
[dB]
Ref. Lmax
[dB]1
Site Lmax
[dB] Notes
A 260 At facility between Tennis
Courts and Ball Field
86 75 96 80
1 140 Behind the stage (west of
park) at the nearest
residential front lawn
84 76 96 80
2 460 South park boundary – near
an elevated residential front
lawn
87 56 97 60 45 dB
ambient; echo
3 650 West park boundary –
residential front lawn with
view of stage
88 69 97 75 Music is clear
4 550 North park boundary –
elevated residential front lawn
with view of stage
86 68 96 75 Music is clear
5 850 Residence on Upper Park
Avenue
86 54 96 61 Audible music
6 2,300 At Forest View Cemetery, 200’
from Red Dog Road
86 55 96 65 55-60 dB
traffic
7 1,600 On Park Ave Ext. 45’ from Park
Avenue Ext.
86 51 96 56 56-63 dB
traffic
8 850 Residence on Silva Avenue 86 50 95 61 54 dB ducks Notes

1. Reference sound measured at 100 feet from speaker array.

2. Values in red indicates a noise level of greater than 75 dB; yellow indicates 71 to 75 dB; green indicates 66 to 70 dB; blue indicates 61 to 65 dB; and black indicates 60 dB or less.

The concert simulation indicates that future noise mitigation would be required near residences at Site 1 and possibly at residences near Sites 3 and 4. Because this park is owned by the City, with events held at this location requiring permits from the City, noise generated during concert events held at this location would be subject to the City’s Parks & Recreation Facility Rental Policies shown in Appendix D.
6 5
4 3
A
1 2
8 Legend
Pioneer Park Boundary (Approximate)
Short-term Noise Measurement Locations
Pioneer Park Bandshell Location Scale (Feet)
0 250 500
Nevada City Noise Element
Nevada City, California
Amplified Music Event Simulation Noise
Measurement Locations
Figure 7
7 Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

Schools, Playgrounds, and Daycare Centers
Children playing on school playgrounds, at neighborhood parks and in daycare centers are often considered potentially significant noise sources which could adversely affect adjacent noisesensitive land uses. Typical noise levels associated with groups of approximately 50 children playing at a distance of 50 feet generally range from 55 to 60 dB Leq, with maximum noise levels ranging from 70 to 75 dB.

Given the proximity of most schools, parks and daycare centers to residential uses, the potential for exceedance of the City’s Noise Element standards exists, depending on the orientation and proximity of the play areas to the nearest residences, the number of children using the play areas at a given time, and the types of activities the children are engaged in.

Practical noise mitigation measures could be utilized to reduce the potential for adverse noise impact associated with children playing at these types of uses. Such measures could include requiring minimum setbacks between play areas and residential property lines, requiring noise barriers at the perimeter of the play areas, and by limiting the number of children using the play areas at a given time. Nonetheless, because sounds consisting of speech have been shown to be more annoying that broad-band noise, and because children often take great pride in being loud, the potential for annoyance associated with these may not practically be eliminated.

Construction
During the construction phases of projects, noise from construction activities adds to the noise environment in the immediate project vicinity. Activities involved in typical construction would generate maximum noise levels, as indicated in Table 6, ranging from 76 to 90 dBA at a distance of 50 feet.

Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

Table 6
Construction Equipment Reference Noise Levels
Equipment Description Maximum Noise Level at 50 feet [dBA] Air compressor 80
Backhoe 80
Ballast equalizer 82
Ballast tamper 83
Compactor 82
Concrete mixer 85
Concrete pump 82
Concrete vibrator 76
Crane, mobile 83
Dozer 85
Generator 82
Grader 85
Impact wrench 85
Loader 80
Paver 85
Pneumatic tool 85
Pump 77
Saw 76
Scarifier 83
Scraper 85
Shovel 82
Spike driver 77
Tie cutter 84
Tie handler 80
Tie inserter 85
Truck 84
Source: Federal Transit Administration Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment Manual, Table 7-1 (2018) Bollard Acoustical Consultants, Inc. (BAC)
Background Report & Technical Appendices Nevada City General Plan Safety Element/Noise Exposure Section

References

1. General Plan Guidelines. State of California Office of Planning and Research (OPR). https://opr.ca.gov/docs/OPR_Appendix_D_final.pdf

2. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Model Community Noise Control Ordinance, using Leq as the means of defining allowable residential noise level limits. https://www.nonoise.org/library/epamodel/epamodel.pdf

3. California Vehicle Code.
https://california.public.law/codes/ca_sts_and_high_code_section_216

4. Federal Highway Administration Highway Traffic Noise Prediction Model (FHWA-RD-77- 108).

5. State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Annual Traffic Counts. https://dot.ca.gov/programs/traffic-operations/census/traffic-volumes

6. FTA. 2018 (September) Federal Transit Administration Publication. Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment Manual.
https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/researchinnovation/118131/transit-noise-and-vibration-impact-assessment-manual-fta-report-no0123_0.pdf Legend Nevada City Noise Element
A Site LT-1
B Site LT-2
C Site LT-3
D Site LT-4
Noise Measurement Microphone Nevada City, California
Photographs of Community Noise Survey
Locations
Appendix A
A B
C D
Sound Level, dBA
110
100
90 80
70 60
50 40
30 Appendix B-1
Nevada City Noise Element - Nevada City, California Friday, April 1, 2022 - Monday, April 4, 2022
Site LT-1
Friday, April 1, 2022 Saturday, April 2, 2022
110
100
90 80
70 60
50 40
30 Ldn, dB = 69 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Ldn, dB = 69 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Sunday, April 3, 2022 Monday, April 4, 2022
110 110
100 100
90 90
80 80
70 70
60 60
50 50
40 40
30 30
Ldn, dB = 63 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Ldn, dB = 63 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Sound Level, dBA Sound Level, dBA 12 AM 12 AM 4 AM 4 AM
8 AM 8 AM
12 PM 12 PM
4 PM 4 PM8 PM 8 PM
11 PM 11 PM
Sound Level, dBA
12 AM 12 AM
4 AM 4 AM
8 AM 8 AM
12 PM 12 PM
4 PM 4 PM8 PM 8 PM
11 PM 11 PM
Sound Level, dBA
110
100
90 80
70 60
50 40
30 Appendix B-2
Nevada City Noise Element - Nevada City, California Friday, April 1, 2022 - Monday, April 4, 2022
Site LT-2
Friday, April 1, 2022 Saturday, April 2, 2022
110
100
90 80
70 60
50 40
30 Ldn, dB = 76 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Ldn, dB = 75 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Sunday, April 3, 2022 Monday, April 4, 2022
110 110
100 100
90 90
80 80
70 70
60 60
50 50
40 40
30 30
Ldn, dB = 74 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Ldn, dB = 76 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Sound Level, dBA Sound Level, dBA 12 AM 12 AM 4 AM 4 AM
8 AM 8 AM
12 PM 12 PM
4 PM 4 PM8 PM 8 PM
11 PM 11 PM
Sound Level, dBA
12 AM 12 AM
4 AM 4 AM
8 AM 8 AM
12 PM 12 PM
4 PM 4 PM8 PM 8 PM
11 PM 11 PM
Sound Level, dBA
110
100
90 80
70 60
50 40
30 Appendix B-3
Nevada City Noise Element - Nevada City, California Friday, April 1, 2022 - Monday, April 4, 2022
Site LT-3
Friday, April 1, 2022 Saturday, April 2, 2022
110
100
90 80
70 60
50 40
30 Ldn, dB = 69 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Ldn, dB = 68 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Sunday, April 3, 2022 Monday, April 4, 2022
110 110
100 100
90 90
80 80
70 70
60 60
50 50
40 40
30 30
Ldn, dB = 67 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Ldn, dB = 68 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Sound Level, dBA Sound Level, dBA 12 AM 12 AM 4 AM 4 AM
8 AM 8 AM
12 PM 12 PM
4 PM 4 PM8 PM 8 PM
11 PM 11 PM
Sound Level, dBA
12 AM 12 AM
4 AM 4 AM
8 AM 8 AM
12 PM 12 PM
4 PM 4 PM8 PM 8 PM
11 PM 11 PM
Sound Level, dBA
110
100
90 80
70 60
50 40
30 Appendix B-4
Nevada City Noise Element - Nevada City, California Friday, April 1, 2022 - Monday, April 4, 2022
Site LT-4
Friday, April 1, 2022 Saturday, April 2, 2022
110
100
90 80
70 60
50 40
30 Ldn, dB = 60 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Ldn, dB = 59 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Sunday, April 3, 2022 Monday, April 4, 2022
110 110
100 100
90 90
80 80
70 70
60 60
50 50
40 40
30 30
Ldn, dB = 58 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Ldn, dB = 59 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Sound Level, dBA Sound Level, dBA 12 AM 12 AM 4 AM 4 AM
8 AM 8 AM
12 PM 12 PM
4 PM 4 PM8 PM 8 PM
11 PM 11 PM
Sound Level, dBA
12 AM 12 AM
4 AM 4 AM
8 AM 8 AM
12 PM 12 PM
4 PM 4 PM8 PM 8 PM
11 PM 11 PM
Sound Level, dBA
110
100
90 80
70 60
50 40
30 Appendix B-5
Nevada City Noise Element - Nevada City, California Friday, April 1, 2022 - Monday, April 4, 2022
Site LT-5
Friday, April 1, 2022 Saturday, April 2, 2022
110
100
90 80
70 60
50 40
30 Ldn, dB = 45 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Ldn, dB = 44 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Sunday, April 3, 2022 Monday, April 4, 2022
110 110
100 100
90 90
80 80
70 70
60 60
50 50
40 40
30 30
Ldn, dB = 44 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Ldn, dB = 44 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Sound Level, dBA Sound Level, dBA 12 AM 12 AM 4 AM 4 AM8 AM 8 AM
12 PM
12 PM
4 PM
4 PM
8 PM
8 PM
11 PM
11 PM
Sound Level, dBA
12 AM 12 AM
4 AM 4 AM
8 AM 8 AM
12 PM 12 PM
4 PM 4 PM8 PM 8 PM
11 PM 11 PM
Sound Level, dBA
110
100
90 80
70 60
50 40
30 Appendix B-6
Nevada City Noise Element - Nevada City, California Friday, April 1, 2022 - Monday, April 4, 2022
Site LT-6
Friday, April 1, 2022 Saturday, April 2, 2022
110
100
90 80
70 60
50 40
30 Ldn, dB = 48 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Ldn, dB = 49 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Sunday, April 3, 2022 Monday, April 4, 2022
110 110
100 100
90 90
80 80
70 70
60 60
50 50
40 40
30 30
Ldn, dB = 47 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Ldn, dB = 48 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Sound Level, dBA Sound Level, dBA 12 AM 12 AM 4 AM 4 AM
8 AM 8 AM
12 PM 12 PM
4 PM 4 PM8 PM 8 PM
11 PM 11 PM
Sound Level, dBA
12 AM 12 AM
4 AM 4 AM
8 AM 8 AM
12 PM 12 PM
4 PM 4 PM8 PM 8 PM
11 PM 11 PM
Sound Level, dBA
110
100
90 80
70 60
50 40
30 Appendix B-7
Nevada City Noise Element - Nevada City, California Friday, April 1, 2022 - Monday, April 4, 2022
Site LT-7
Friday, April 1, 2022 Saturday, April 2, 2022
110
100
90 80
70 60
50 40
30 Ldn, dB = 69 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Ldn, dB = 68 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Sunday, April 3, 2022 Monday, April 4, 2022
110 110
100 100
90 90
80 80
70 70
60 60
50 50
40 40
30 30
Ldn, dB = 68 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Ldn, dB = 68 Average (Leq) Maximum (Lmax) Sound Level, dBA Sound Level, dBA 12 AM 12 AM 4 AM 4 AM
8 AM 8 AM
12 PM 12 PM
4 PM 4 PM8 PM 8 PM
11 PM 11 PM
Sound Level, dBA
12 AM 12 AM
4 AM 4 AM
8 AM 8 AM
12 PM 12 PM
4 PM 4 PM8 PM 8 PM
11 PM 11 PM
Appendix C-1
FHWA-RD-77-108 Highway Traffic Noise Prediction Model Data Input Sheet
Project #: 2021-172
Description: Existing (2020) Ldn/CNEL:

Ldn
Hard/Soft: Soft
Segment Roadway Name Segment Description ADT Day % Eve % Night % % Med.

Trucks
% Hvy.

Trucks Speed Distance
Offset
(dB)
1 Highway 20 Banner Ridge to Gold Flat Road 26,500 80 20 3.0 3.0 65 100 2 Highway 20 Gold Flat Road to Sacramento St 23,400 80 20 2.8 2.5 65 100 3 Highway 20 Sacramento St to Broad St 21,300 80 20 2.8 2.5 55 100 4 Highway 20 Broad St to Coyote St 15,000 80 20 2.8 2.5 55 100 5 Highway 20 Coyote St to Highway 49 East Jct. 14,500 80 20 2.8 2.5 55 100 6 Highway 20 East of Highway 49 East Jct. 4,750 80 20 4.7 5.8 55 100 7 Highway 49 West of North Highway 20 Jct. 11,000 80 20 1.0 1.6 50 100 Appendix C-2
FHWA-RD-77-108 Highway Traffic Noise Prediction Model Data Input Sheet
Project #: 2021-172
Description: Future (2045)
Ldn/CNEL: Ldn Hard/Soft:

Soft
Segment Roadway Name Segment Description ADT Day % Eve % Night % % Med.

Trucks
% Hvy.

Trucks Speed Distance
Offset
(dB)
1 Highway 20 Banner Ridge to Gold Flat Road 53,000 80 20 3.0 3.0 65 100 2 Highway 20 Gold Flat Road to Sacramento St 46,800 80 20 2.8 2.5 65 100 3 Highway 20 Sacramento St to Broad St 42,600 80 20 2.8 2.5 55 100 4 Highway 20 Broad St to Coyote St 30,000 80 20 2.8 2.5 55 100 5 Highway 20 Coyote St to Highway 49 East Jct. 29,000 80 20 2.8 2.5 55 100 6 Highway 20 East of Highway 49 East Jct. 9,500 80 20 4.7 5.8 55 100 7 Highway 49 West of North Highway 20 Jct. 22,000 80 20 1.0 1.6 50 100 1 Appendix D-1
Nevada City Parks & Recreation Facility
Rental Policies
Contact Information:

For questions or information:

Phone #: 530-265-2496 x129, www.nevadacityca.gov
Facility Addresses (Do NOT mail anything to these addresses.):

Pioneer Park – Bandshell: 421 Nimrod St, Nevada City, CA 95959 Pioneer Park – Picnic Areas: 425 Nimrod St., Nevada City, CA 95959 Pioneer Park – Seaman’s Lodge: 427 Nimrod St, Nevada City, CA 95959 Firehouse #2: 422 Broad St, Nevada City, CA 95959
Robinson Plaza and Calanan Park: Union St, Nevada City, CA 95959 Before Using a Facility:

The following items are required prior to having access to the facility you are renting. If items are not turned in by the required due dates, your event will be cancelled. Details about each checklist item below are included in the Policies. Refer to the Facility Rental Fee Schedule to confirm fees. □ Non-Refundable Deposit to reserve rental date: Due within 2 weeks of requesting your date. □ Completed Contract: Due 40 days prior to event date. It is recommended to turn it in sooner, so all questions and concerns can be addressed.
□ Rental Fees & Refundable Security Deposit: Due 30 days prior to event date. □ Certificate of Insurance: Due 30 days prior to event date. □ Large events at the Bandshell or outdoor areas may require a pre-event meeting. This meeting with City staff must take place at least 60 days prior to the event date. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss special needs & set-up information, confirm fees, and discuss event details.
□ ABC Alcohol Permit (if selling alcohol): Copy of the Permit is due to the Recreation Department prior to being allowed access to the facility.
□ Events that are running past 9:00pm must notify neighbors at least 30 days prior to your event date.

In Addition:
• The Contact Person (Day of), named on the contract, must be at least 21 years of age and monitor the facility throughout the entire rental.
• If alcohol will be sold at the event, the Renter is responsible for acquiring a Daily License from ABC (www.abc.ca.gov or call 916-419-1319). You must get a signature from the Recreation Dept. and the Police Dept. Plan ahead to give time to acquire the appropriate signatures. The Police Dept. charges a fee for processing alcohol permit requests. A copy of the permit must be provided to the Recreation Dept.
• If you would like to drop off supplies the day before your event or pick-up supplies the day after your event, those dates and times must be included on your Rental Contract and Proof of Insurance. Additional fees apply.

Appendix D-2
2 Payments
• Cash and Check payments should be made payable to: City of Nevada City and delivered to City Hall, Attn. Parks & Recreation; 317 Broad St., Nevada City, CA 95959. Write “Parks & Rec” on the memo line. When coming into City Hall, it is the Renters responsibility to know what fees are due as Parks & Recreation staff are not always available and City Hall staff do not have access to this information.
• Recreation staff will email an invoice to the Renter for the non-refundable deposit and all other fees. Payments can be made online. A 3% convenience fee will be added to your total for online payments.
• The Non-refundable Deposit is due within 2 weeks of reserving your event date. This will be credited towards your rental fee. If a rental is allowed within 30 days or less of the rental date, the rental fee will include the Non-refundable Deposit. • Rental fees are due at least 30 days prior to the rental date. • The Refundable Security Deposit is due at least 30 days prior to the rental date. If the Rental Policies are followed and the facility is cleaned as directed, the Refundable Security Deposit will be refunded to the Renter within 30 days of the event or 30 days after the facility key(s) are returned. This refund will be in the form of a check that will be mailed to the name and address provided on the Facility Rental Contract.
• Refunds for cancellations will only be granted up to 30 days prior to the event date, minus the Non-refundable Deposit.
• If forecasted foul weather (rain, smoke, lightening, etc), scheduled power outages or changes in COVID-19 guidelines cause a cancellation of the event, Renters may request a 50% refund of their Rental Fee or transfer fees to another date. There are no refunds or date transfers if foul weather or a power outage interrupt your rental. If another date is not available or a date is not available that works for the Renter, the Renter will receive a 50% refund. • All Rental Contracts that involve ongoing or repeated events for more than a single occasion will be invoiced quarterly and charged a late fee for each month that fees are late. • If rental fees are waived by City Council, renters are still required to complete a Rental Contract, provide proof of insurance, pay the Refundable Security Deposit and follow all Facility Rental Policies.
• Refer to the Facility Rental Fee Schedule for all fees.

Insurance
Proof of insurance is required from all Renters. A current and valid certificate of General Liability Insurance must be provided, in the amount of $1,000,000 and an endorsement (CG2026 or equivalent) naming the City of Nevada City 317 Broad St. Nevada City, CA 95959 (not the facility) as additional insured. Proof of Insurance must be provided at least 30 days prior to the rental date. A sample copy of the required insurance is available on the City’s website.

If you are renting the Bandshell or another outdoor area at Pioneer Park and your event will have more than 400 attendees/participants, a $2,000,000 limit is required.

During Use of the Facility:
• The Renter is responsible for alcohol consumption by event guests. If alcohol is being sold, the Renter is responsible for enforcing and following all ABC regulations. No alcohol is allowed in Firehouse #2.
• No rice, birdseed or confetti can be used inside or around the facility. • No tape of any kind is to be used on floors and walls inside Seaman’s Lodge or Firehouse #2.

Painters tape or Gaff tape can be used at all other facilities.

Appendix D-3
3 • No tacks, nails or staples are to be put in the walls at any time. • If guidelines are not being followed police or facility management have the authority to shut down the event. There are NO refunds on Rental Fees or the Security Deposit if an event is shut down.
• If Renters do not comply with all Facility Policies, the Security Deposit will be retained and the Renter may be banned from renting City facilities in the future. • Smoking is not allowed inside City facilities, anywhere in Pioneer Park or in Robinson Plaza or Calanan Park per Municipal Code section 8.24.010. Renters are responsible for enforcement of this rule. Posting of signs is encouraged for large events. • Any event charging admission or asking for donations must be a licensed non-profit in good standing with the CA Secretary of State.
• The procedure for monitoring noise levels is provided in Section 8.20 of the City’s Municipal Code.
• Any music, loud voices & other noise must be terminated by the appropriate time for the facility that you are renting. Exceptions must be approved in advance, by City Council. ✓ Bandshell: 10:00pm; An exception will be made for movies in the park, as it is understood that it needs to be dark before a movie can start. Movies with a running time longer than

2.25 hours will not be approved.
✓ Seaman’s Lodge: 11:00pm
✓ Picnic Areas or other outdoor spaces at Pioneer Park: 9:00pm ✓ Firehouse #2: 10:00pm
✓ Robinson Plaza & Calanan Park: 11:00pm
Public Events, Amplified Music or Large Events
• Events that are requesting an exemption from any policies must be approved in advance by City Council.
• Events that are open to the public, are only allowed at Pioneer Park on Friday’s, Saturday’s, Sunday’s and Holidays.
• The procedure for monitoring noise levels is provided in Section 8.20 of the City’s Municipal Code. The City reserves the right to modify the limits should it be determined the limit applicable to amplified sound is either too restrictive or too lenient. A City Liaison may be on site during the sound check time and during the event to monitor sound levels and will inform event planners if changes need to be made. The sound meter used by this City employee will be the deciding factor for any adjustments to sound.
• Events with amplified music may play recorded music for ½ hour prior to their event. No music, live or recorded, can be played after the 4 hour limit or past the designated end time.

Sound check times must take place during the “Set-up time” included on the Rental Contract. • Events open to the public, having amplified music or expecting more than 200 people are encouraged to have security on site during the event. Security personnel should be independent certified personnel. The City reserves the right to require security personnel. • Events open to the public, having amplified music/sound or expecting more than 200 people are required to provide to the City a flyer/marketing materials and a link to any related websites.

Electronic copies of the flyer are acceptable.
• Events open to the public should share parking information provided on page 10. • If guidelines are not being followed police or facility management have the authority to shut down the event. There are NO refunds on Rental Fees or Security Deposit if an event is shut down. Renters who have their event shut down will not be allowed to rent in the future. • Renters must provide a map showing the layout/set-up of your event.

Appendix D-4
4 • Renters may be required to have a pre-event meeting with City Staff at least 60 days prior to your event date.
• Events running past 9:00pm, must notify neighbors at least 30 days prior to your event date.

Flyers or some form of notification to the neighbors is required. See page 9 for a map of the neighbors that should be included.
• Portable Toilets are required for events with 400 people or more. # of people # of portable toilets required
400 people 2
600 people 4
800 people 6
1,000 people 8
• Events with 400 people or more may be required to provide a 2-yard dumpster or haul off their own garbage.

Other:
• Outdoor facilities at Pioneer Park are only rented May-October of each year, weather allowing. • The City does not carry a music license. Any renters playing copy righted music must have their own license to play that music for public events. • Keys to the facility must be picked up at City Hall during business hours. An email will be sent letting the Renter know when the keys are ready to pick up. Keys must be returned to City Hall the first business day following the event, unless approved for later drop off. Keys can also be returned to the drop box that is located outside the front doors of City hall. There is a $100 fee for each lost key.
• Renters may only access the facility during the dates and times listed on their Contract. • All pets must be on leashes. Pets are not allowed inside City facilities unless they are a service animal or part of a training class at that facility. • Items lost or left behind are not the responsibility of the City of Nevada City. • Renters must provide their own supplies & equipment (i.e.: presentation, audiovisual, extension cords, etc.)
• In the event that the Rental Contract provides for ongoing or repeated events using the facility for more than a single occasion, either party may terminate the Rental Contract at any time by giving two weeks advance written notice. Processing fees may apply. If Renter is in violation of Rental Policies, the City reserves the right to cancel at any time. • There may be other events taking place at Pioneer Park on the same day or time as your event. You can find out about some of these events by checking the City’s online reservation calendar: http://www.nevadacityca.gov/facilityview.aspx?fid=43&catid=564, NC Little League website:
http://nevadacitybaseball.com/Org/Home.aspx?d=uSrmLaewjHFDP7ndqSIS%2bw%3d%3d, or calling the swimming pool during the summer season (530-265-8223).

Before leaving the Facility:
• Cleaning Checklist items must be completed (see facility specific pages). • The premises shall be cleaned and vacated by the appropriate time for the facility that you are renting:
✓ Bandshell: Midnight
✓ Seaman’s Lodge: Midnight
✓ Picnic Areas or other outdoor spaces at Pioneer Park: 11:00pm ✓ Firehouse #2: 11:00pm
✓ Robinson Plaza & Calanan Park: 11:00pm
Appendix D-5
5 • Renters that do not follow Facility Rental Policies will forfeit their Refundable Security Deposit.

Renters may also be charged an additional $30 per hour for City staff cleaning time or the cost to replace missing items.
• These are community facilities. Fees are kept low by expecting each person and group who uses the facilities to be good stewards and clean up after their use. Keep in mind that the way you leave the facility is how the next renter or the public is going to find it. If you have any questions about where to find cleaning supplies, please ask in advance of your use.

Appendix D-6
6 Bandshell Additional Rental Information
• There should be no vehicles on the lawn at Pioneer Park. Renters will be charged $50 per broken sprinkler head and will lose their Security Deposit if the lawn is damaged. • Event activities may not block tennis court parking lot unless approved in advance. • Renters will be given a key to the gate located next to the tennis courts. This access road is to be used for loading and unloading only. Renters and their participants should not park inside the gate. The service road (entrance from the tennis courts) must remain clear during set-up and during the event for emergency vehicle access.
• Do not leave the lock unlatched. A missing lock will cost $100 of your Security Deposit. • 6 garbage cans & 6 recycle containers with bags are included with rental. • 4 handicap parking barricades are included with rental. • 10 construction barricades are included with the rental • A map showing the field area that is included with a Bandshell rental is on page 7. And a diagram of the electrical outlets is on page 8.

CLEANING CHECKLIST FOR RENTERS
➢ Sweep or pick up any debris & garbage inside the Bandshell, on the stage and around the facility, including the field area included with your rental. ➢ Return all items inside the Bandshell to the location where you found them (barricades, garbage cans, recycle bins, etc)
➢ Empty and clean the refrigerator.
➢ Turn off power to outside outlets & lights. Instructions are posted inside the Bandshell. ➢ Take full garbage & recycle bags to the dumpster next to Seaman’s Lodge. If garbage or recycling dumpsters are full, renters must remove the bags from the park. Leaving bags, boxes, etc next to dumpsters will result in the loss of your Refundable Security Deposit.

ADDITIONAL CLEANING CHECKLIST FOR GROUPS LARGER THAN 200 PEOPLE ➢ Portable Toiltes and rented dumpsters must be picked up by 10:00am on the first business day following your event or at a time approved by City staff. ➢ Barricades must be returned to the City Corporation Yard on the first business day following your event or at a time approved by City staff.
➢ All personal items must be removed from the Bandshell by the clean-up end time listed on your Facility Rental Contract.
➢ Areas beyond the Bandshell that may have been used by participants at your event should be checked for messes that you can clean before leaving the park.

Appendix D-7
7 Appendix D-8
8 Appendix D-9
9 Neighbors along the highlighted streets must receive notification of events open to the public that are running past 9:00pm. This notification must take place at least 30 days prior to your event date.

Appendix D-10
10 Appendix D-11
11 Firehouse #2 Additional Rental Information
• Firehouse #2 is only available for meetings and classes. This is not an event venue. • Tables and chairs are provided.
• No alcohol is allowed in Firehouse #2.

Facility Details
• Room Capacity is 34
• Room size: approximately 33’ long x 12’ wide
• There are 7 outlets located around the room
• This upstairs room is not ADA accessible.
• Bathroom access is outdoors.

CLEANING CHECKLIST FOR RENTERS
➢ Put all garbage in can. Additional bags are provided if needed. ➢ Put all tables and chairs back in the formation that you found them ➢ Wipe up any spills on tables, chairs and floors.
➢ Turn off all lights and the heat/AC. The outdoor light may be left on for safety. ➢ Close and lock all windows & doors.

Appendix D-12
12 Picnic Area Additional Rental Information
• Renters will be given a key to the gate at Picnic-Left & Picnic-Right Areas. (No keys are required for use of the Upper Picnic Area or Tennis Court Picnic Area.) In Picnic-Left this is for loading & unloading purposes only. Renters & participants should park in designated parking lots. In Picnic-Right there are approximately 5 parking spaces near the horseshoe pits. • Do not leave the gate lock unlatched. A lost lock will cost $100 of your Security Deposit. • Power and water are available at Picnic-Left & Picnic-Right. • Renters may request use of Bocce Ball or Petanque equipment with their rental. • Access to electricity in the picnic areas is available on page 14.

Facility Information:

Picnic Tables
• Picnic-Left & Right: there are approximately 12 picnic tables in each area • Upper Picnic Area: typically there are 5 tables in this area • Tennis/ADA Area: 3 tables

CLEANING CHECKLIST FOR RENTERS
➢ Pick up all garbage in and around the Picnic Area and place it in garbage cans. ➢ All garbage bags must be in the garbage cans.
➢ Recycling & garbage dumpsters are located next to Seaman’s Lodge if garbage will not fit in cans provided. If garbage or recycling dumpsters are full, renters must remove the bags from the park. Leaving bags, boxes, etc next to dumpsters or on the ground next to garbage cans will result in the loss of your Security Deposit. .

Appendix D-13
13 Appendix D-14
14 Robinson Plaza & Calanan Park Additional Rental
Information
• Robinson Plaza and Calanan Park should not be reserved for events where more than 100 participants are expected to attend. If more than the designated number of attendees is expected, additional space should be requested. Additional fees may apply or the event may be denied.
• Food vendors may have carts and booths in the Plaza & Park. All vendors must comply with Environmental Health and Business License policies.
• No walkways should be obstructed at Calanan Park.
• There are no loading zones for Robinson Plaza or Calanan Park. All parking laws must be obeyed.
• If these areas are being used in conjunction with a Special Event/Street Closure, the use of these areas might be managed by the Special Event Application process, but the general guidelines for care that are included in these Policies would be adhered to.

CLEANING CHECKLIST FOR RENTERS
➢ Pick up all garbage from the ground.
➢ Garbage and recycling that does not fit in receptacles at the Plaza & Park must be removed from the site.
➢ No garbage bags may be left on the ground next to the City garbage cans.

Appendix D-15
15 Seaman’s Lodge Additional Rental Information
• The building has heat and AC. Instructions for turning on the heat/AC are located on the wall next to the thermostat.
• If participants are outside, voices should be low and considerate of neighboring homes. • Instructions for turning on the stove/oven are posted on the kitchen wall.

Facility Information
Room Capacities 257
assembly
120 dining
Items Available for Renter Use
• 6ft & 8ft, Rectangle Tables
• Metal Folding Chairs
• Podium
• Microwave
• Rolling Cart
• Screen

CLEANING CHECKLIST FOR RENTERS GENERAL CLEANING CHECKLIST ➢ Put all chairs and tables back to their appropriate spaces. ➢ Wipe up any spills on tables, chairs and floors.
➢ Sweep floors. If there are any spills, wipe them up with a cloth. ➢ Mop floors using water only, no cleaners or chemicals. ➢ Remove all decorations, string, etc. that were used to hang decorations. ➢ Empty trash & recycling containers and place in the dumpster outside.* ➢ Cardboard should be broken down flat and placed in the dumpster outside.* ➢ Turn off all lights and fans.
➢ Close and lock ALL windows and doors.
➢ Close all outside shutters.

KITCHEN CLEANING CHECKLIST
➢ Remove all food from the refrigerator and oven. This includes bags of ice. Wipe up any spills inside the refrigerator and freezer.
➢ Wipe off stove burners & the tray under stove burners ➢ Wipe out oven – remove any food scraps or spills
➢ Clean counter tops and sinks
➢ Clean any spills on cabinets or walls
➢ Turn off gas to stove & oven (Directions are posted in the kitchen.) ➢ Sweep & mop floor
➢ Empty garbage.* If items miss the bag and spill into the garbage can, wipe out garbage can. * All garbage and recycling must be removed from the facility and placed in the appropriate dumpster. If either dumpster is full the renter must dispose of the garbage and/or recycling on their own. Garbage & recycling may not be left on the ground next to the dumpster.

Legend
A Reference Meter Facing Pioneer Park Bandshell
B Pioneer Park Bandshell
C Site 2
Nevada City Noise Element
Nevada City, California
Photographs of Event Noise Simulation
Survey Locations
Appendix E-1
C
B
A
A B C
Legend
A Site 4
B Site 6
C Site 8
Nevada City Noise Element
Nevada City, California
Photographs of Event Noise Simulation Survey Locations
Appendix E-2
Nevada City 1
Safety Element Update
March 2023
Appendix D-Critical Facilities and Essential Services
(See Definition of Critical Facility at end of this list) (See attached map that cross references these facilities) Critical Facilities - Nevada City and General Plan Area Critical
Facility
Category
/Facility
Type
Name Address /
Location
Flood Zone Fire Hazard
Severity Zone
Dam Inundation -
Extremely High
(EH) and High
(H)
Critical
Facility
Count
Essential Services Facilities
Bridge Nevada Street
Bridge at Deer
Creek
Nevada Street
at Deer Creek
Zone A
(elevated
structure)
Very High EH - Scotts Flat, H
- Deer Creek
Diversion
1 Bridge Broad Street
Bridge 2 at
Deer Creek
Broad Street at
Deer Creek
Zone A
(elevated
structure)
Very High EH - Scotts Flat, H
- Deer Creek
Diversion
1 Bridge Broad Street
Bridge 1 at State
Route 20
Broad Street at
State Route 20
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High EH - Scotts Flat, H
- Deer Creek
Diversion
1 Bridge South Pine
Street Bridge
South Pine
Street at Deer
Creek
Zone A
(elevated
structure)
Very High EH - Scotts Flat, H
- Deer Creek
Diversion
1 Bridge Caltrans
Washington
Street Bridge
Washington
Street at State
Route 20
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High EH - Scotts Flat 1
Bridge Gold Flat
Bridge
Gold Flat
Road at State
Route 20
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Church and
Possible
Weather
Shelter
First
Community
Church
300 Main
Street
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High EH - Scotts Flat 1
Emergency
Radio Station
KVMR 120 Bridge
Street
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Emergency
Services
Facilities
Nevada County
Emergency
Services Yard
10014 N.

Bloomfield
Rd., Nevada
City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Evacuation
Center and
Possible
Weather
Shelter
Elks Lodge 518 State
Highway 49,
Nevada City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Evacuation
Center and
Possible
Veterans of
Foreign War
415 N. Pine
St., Nevada
City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Nevada City 2
Safety Element Update
March 2023
Critical
Facility
Category
/Facility
Type
Name Address /
Location
Flood Zone Fire Hazard
Severity Zone
Dam Inundation -
Extremely High
(EH) and High
(H)
Critical
Facility
Count
Weather
Shelter
Evacuation
Center and
Possible
Weather
Shelter
Miners Foundry 325 Spring
Street
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High EH - Scotts Flat 1
Fire Nevada City
Station 54
201
Providence
Mine Rd
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Fire Nevada County
Consolidated
Station 84
10135 Coyote
St
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Fire CDF Station 20
- Nevada City
10242 Ridge
Rd
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Fire and other
Government
Services
U.S. Forest
Service
613 Coyote
Street
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Government
Building
Nevada City
Hall and Police
Department
317 Broad
Street
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High EH - Scotts Flat 1
Government
Building
Seamans Lodge
Pioneer Park
425 Nimrod
Street, Nevada
City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High EH - Scotts Flat 1
Government
Building
Warehouse
Facility
10020 E.

Broad St,
Nevada City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Government
Building
DA Office 201
Commercial
Street, Nevada
City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High EH - Scotts Flat 1
Government
Building
Probation 109 1/2 Pine
Street, Nevada
City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High EH - Scotts Flat 1
Government
Building
Public
Defender
224 Main St.,
Nevada City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High EH - Scotts Flat 1
Government
Building
Historical
Library
211 North
Pine St.,
Nevada City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High EH - Scotts Flat 1
Government
Building
Nevada County
Superior
Courthouse
201 Church
Street
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High EH - Scotts Flat 1
Nevada City 3
Safety Element Update
March 2023
Critical
Facility
Category
/Facility
Type
Name Address /
Location
Flood Zone Fire Hazard
Severity Zone
Dam Inundation -
Extremely High
(EH) and High
(H)
Critical
Facility
Count
Government
Building and
Weather
Shelter
Madelyn
Helling Library
980 Helling
Way, Nevada
City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Government
Facility
Nevada City
Wastewater
Treatment Plant
650 Jordan St Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High EH - Scotts Flat 1
Government
Facility
Caltrans
Maintenance
Station
10057 Gold
Flat Road
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Government
Facility
Nevada City
Water
Treatment Plant
11297 Banner
Mountain Trail
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Police Services Nevada County
Sheriff's
Department
15076
Highway 49,
Nevada City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Police, other
Govt Services,
Weather
Shelter
Nevada County
Govt Center;
Sheriff's Office,
other County
Services (OES)
950 Maidu
Ave., Nevada
City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Essential Services Facilities Total 30
At Risk Populations
Church and
Possible
Weather
Shelter
Holy Trinity
Episcopal
201 Nevada
Street
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High EH - Scotts Flat 1
Church and
Possible
Weather
Shelter
St. Canise
Catholic
317
Washington
Street
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Church and
Possible
Weather
Shelter
Latter Day
Saints
615 Hollow
Way
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Church and
Possible
Weather
Shelter
Sierra
Presbyterian
175 Ridge
Road, Nevada
City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
County
Building
Leased for
Non-Gov.

Other
Institutional
Operations
15434
Highway 49,
Nevada City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Nevada City 4
Safety Element Update
March 2023
Critical
Facility
Category
/Facility
Type
Name Address /
Location
Flood Zone Fire Hazard
Severity Zone
Dam Inundation -
Extremely High
(EH) and High
(H)
Critical
Facility
Count
Evacuation
Center and
Possible
Weather
Shelter
United
Methodist
Church
433 Broad
Street
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Government
Building
Progress House 145 Bost Ave,
Nevada City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Government
Building
Wayne Brown
Correctional
Facility
925 Maidu
Ave., Nevada
City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Government
Building
Odyssey House 995 Helling
Way, Nevada
City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Possible
Evacuation
Center
Sierra Academy
of
Expeditionary
Learning School
505 Main
Street, Nevada
City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
School Terence K.

McAteer Family
Resource
Center
400 Hoover
Lane, Nevada
City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
School and
Possible
Evacuation
Center
Deer Creek
Elementary
School
805 Lindley
Avenue,
Nevada City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
School and
Possible
Evacuation
Center
Seven Hills
Intermediate
School
700 Hoover
Lane, Nevada
City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
School and
Possible
Evacuation
Center
Twin Ridges
Home Study
Charter
111 New
Mohawk Road
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
School and
Possible
Evacuation
Center
Earle Jamieson
Educational
Options
112 Nevada
City Highway,
Nevada City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
School and
Possible
Evacuation
Center
Nevada City
Home Study
Charter School
750 Hoover
Lane, Nevada
City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
School and
Possible
Evacuation
Center
Forest Charter
School
470 Searls
Avenue,
Nevada City
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Nevada City 5
Safety Element Update
March 2023
Critical
Facility
Category
/Facility
Type
Name Address /
Location
Flood Zone Fire Hazard
Severity Zone
Dam Inundation -
Extremely High
(EH) and High
(H)
Critical
Facility
Count
At Risk Populations Total 17
Hazardous Materials Facilities
Government
Facility
Nevada City
Water
Treatment Plant
11297 Banner
Mountain Trail
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Oil Bulk Plant Robinson
Enterprises
293 Lower
Grass Valley
Road
Zone X
(Unshaded)
Very High – 1
Hazardous Materials Facilities Total 2
Grand Total 49
Source: City of Nevada City GIS
* The U.S. Forest Service Facility may be relocating to 15434 CA 49, Nevada City 95959 **The Wastewater Treatment Plant is identified both as an essential services facility and a hazardous materials facility.

Definition of Critical Facility
A critical facility is classified by the following categories: (1) Essential Services Facilities: (2) At-risk Populations Facilities, (3) Hazardous Materials Facilities. ➢ Essential Services Facilities include, without limitation, public safety, emergency response, emergency medical, designated emergency shelters, communications, public utility plant facilities and equipment, and government operations. Sub-Categories:
✓ Public Safety - Police stations, fire and rescue stations, emergency operations centers ✓ Emergency Response - Emergency vehicle and equipment storage and essential governmental work centers for continuity of government operations.
✓ Emergency Medical - Hospitals, emergency care, urgent care, ambulance services. ✓ Designated Emergency Shelters and Weather Shelters.
✓ Communications - Main hubs for telephone, main broadcasting equipment for television systems, radio and other emergency warning systems.
✓ Public Utility Plant Facilities - including equipment for treatment, generation, storage, pumping and distribution (hubs for water, wastewater, power and gas). ✓ Essential Government Operations - Public records, courts, jails, building permitting and inspection services, government administration and management, maintenance and equipment centers, and public health.
✓ Transportation Lifeline Systems - Airports, helipads, and critical highways, roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure (Note: Critical highways, roads, etc. will be determined during any hazard-specific evacuation planning and are not identified in this plan).

Nevada City 6
Safety Element Update
March 2023
➢ At Risk Population Facilities include, without limitation, pre-schools, public and private primary and secondary schools, before and after school care centers with 12 or more students, daycare centers with 12 or more children, group homes, and assisted living residential or congregate care facilities with 12 or more residents, churches that have capacity of 12 or more people. Some At Risk Population Facilities may become Essential Service Facilities if they are used for essential services, such as an evacuation center or weather shelter.
➢ Hazardous Materials Facilities include, without limitation, any facility that could, if adversely impacted, release of hazardous material(s) in sufficient amounts during a hazard event that would create harm to people, the environment and property.

Nevada City
7 Safety Element Update
March 2023
1 Appendix E-Public Outreach Program
Public Participation (Additional information to be completed after final planning commission and City Council approval of document)
Public input was received through workshops conducted on July 29, and September 2, 2022, with Planning Commission and City Council to gain input. A public presentation to the City’s Fire Safety Committee was held on September 15, 2021, which included a number of Firewise Neighborhood groups. Subsequently, public hearings were conducted by the Planning Commission on _________, 20__ and with the City Council on _________, 2021. Notices were both emailed and sent through the U.S. Postal Service to public agencies, as referenced in Appendix A of this document. Notices were also published in The Union newspaper. To expand public outreach and understand public preferences, a public safety survey was conducted, via on-line between August 1 and November 1, 2021. The survey and results have been included in this Appendix. Most of the responses of the survey supported the City’s efforts to address public safety needs and many of the programs.

Letters were sent to interested public agencies to obtain input regarding public safety concerns. To comply with Senate Bill (SB) 18, the City consulted the Native American Heritage Commission and various Native American Tribes on the City’s list.

The draft Safety Element was made available at City Hall and was posted on the City’s website for review and comments and public agencies were notified and requested input on the document. The following summarizes all written public input received and responded to by the City/Staff Consultant Team:

Nevada City Safety Element
Public Outreach Program
Responses to Public Comments
Comment Response
September 10, 2021 email to City Manager,
Joan Phillipe from Sam Gitchel, the Greater
Champion Firewise Neighborhood to City
Manager, Joan Phillipe:

Hi Joan,
Happy Friday and weekend. Please forward
this to the appropriate person.

A Greater Champion neighbor, Carol Cox,
pointed out an omission from the map that is
part of the flyer/invitation to participate in
September 15, 2021, email response from
City Manager, Joan Phillipe to Sam Gitchel,
the Greater Champion Firewise
Neighborhood:

Hello Sam,
I forwarded your email to our planning staff
and consultant working on the Safety
Element. A lot of review has been done in
regard to Carol’s comments with comments
forwarded to me this morning. The survey
includes a map taken from the Nevada
2 Comment Response
the safety element survey. Her comments,
below, are self-explanatory.

The document is attached -- I renamed the
original PDF file for my own filing system but
the content is unchanged.

Thanks,
Sam
Hi Sam and Frances,
As a former professor of geography I need to
make this one note regarding the Safety
Elem.pdf map attached in your last email.

For safety planning, the map should be
updated for accuracy to include all city
property north of old Downieville Highway.

For example my property (parcel 05-100-30)
does touch city property . . . so my neighbors
on American Hill Road to the east would also
be impacted. Any property below us in the
Deer Creek drainage, whether city or BLM,
has implications for the safety and fire
planning of residents.

This is offered in response to your request for
opinions about safety priorities and practices.

Planning should rely on accurate tools such
as maps.

Thank you for all you are doing for all of us.

Best regards,
Carol J. Cox
County GIS Portal to describe the city
boundaries as illustrative. Attached is a more
complete map of the city’s jurisdictional
boundaries and General Plan boundaries,
which is more complete. Also attached is a
map that shows the various firewise
communities in relation to the city that
should also be helpful. Please feel free to
send this map to Carol Cox noting that the
city plans to address safety issues in the
Safety Element on a neighborhood scale, not
restricted to just city jurisdictional
boundaries. If you or Carol have any further
questions, you can feel free to contact our
safety element consultant, Gary Price,
directly at 530-272-6434 or at
[email protected].

I hope this helps to clarify the concerns
expressed by Carol.

Best regards,
Joan
3 Comment Response
4 Comment Response
Technical Steering Committee
A technical steering committee was assembled to help drive the Public Safety Element Update with a number of meetings held to start and finish the project. The Committee was composed of various staff and public interests (see attached roster).

Statutory Agency Review:

The Draft Safety Element was circulated for comment to a number of public agencies. As mandated by State law, the document was also circulated for consultation to California Geological Survey of the Department of Conservation between March 5 and April 25, 2023, to determine if all known seismic and other geologic hazards are (Gov. Code § 65302.5)(a). The City submitted a second email to the Department of Conservation on April 29, 2023, to confirm that they did not provide any comments and, therefore, the draft document is in compliance with this section of State law.

Also, since the City has areas that are identified as “Very High Fire Hazard Severity” by the state, the element was reviewed and approved by the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection for review before adoption, and the Board may recommend changes regarding uses of land, policies, or strategies for reducing fire (Gov. Code § 65302.5)(b)).

Community Survey:

A public survey was conducted to obtain input from the community on safety issues. The survey consisted on posting the survey on the City’s Website between August 1 and November 1, 2021, Results from collecting public opinions and input as part of Nevada City’s Safety Element efforts. Digital survey was created to collect public participation through online channels (website, online survey, social media, email). To increase access, the survey was set up an online using Google Form Survey available 24 hours a day 7 days a week from any digital device. The survey was also posted on the City’s website. Flyers were circulated throughout the City to outreach to the community.The following summarizes the results of the survey.

Survey Observations
➢ Fire, drought, and power failure related issues drive the highest safety concerns. ➢ Respondents feel the least prepared for Geological and Mining Related Hazards. ➢ YubaNet has the highest percent of daily usage of communication channels. ➢ Smoke Detectors, Flashlights, Property Maintenance, and a Disaster Go Bag are how most respondents are preparing for a safety hazard event. 5 37 Unique Responses
If you represent an organization or have a special interest in safety, please specify below. 19 responses

1. I am on the committee of the Deer Creek South Side Fire Wise Community

2. City Employee

3. I have worked on neighborhood fire safety issues since 1995, first as a County resident and now, since 2014 as a Nevada City resident. I am very concerned about Nevada City's task of a fire prevention/management plan and haphazard approach to working on fire issues.

4. Nevada City Police Dept.

5. I live adjacent to Nevada City

6. I'm involved with Greater Champion Firewise, Deer Creek Canyon Steering Committee (shaded fuel break project) and NC Fire Safety Advisory Committee but my responses will reflect my own opinions only.

7. ME

8. I live right outside the boundaries of NC off Old Downieville Highway.

9. Live just above Deer Creek where there is heavy overnight use of the riparian zone

10. I live in Deer Creek Canyon near Nevada City limits

11. Nevada city council member and chair of the fire advisory committee

12. I live on Cedro Road, off of Old Downieville. we are in a high fire risk area

13. Fire Safety Committee of Nevada City

14. Very concerned re fire prevention/vegetation management/evacuation

15. Peter Van Zant Nevada City Planning Committee

16. Fire Safe Council

17. Miners Foundry Cultural Center. The Foundry sits on the edge of the Deer Creek canyon. We have concerns about fire and flooding of our building from run off down bridge and underground water intrusion. We are also concerned about the evacuation plans for a whole town in the event of fire.
6 18. Miners Foundry Cultural Center

3. How concerned are you about the following safety hazards in Nevada City? Not Concerned Concerned Extremely Concerned N/A
Wildfire,
including smoke
and tree mortality
0 4 36 0
Utility/Power
Failures
4 16 16
7 Drought and
Water Shortages
0 13 23 0
Earthquake 23 11 1 1
Flooding and
Storm Water
15 18 1 2
Geologic
hazards, such as
landslides, sink
holes, and
subsidence
21 10 3 2
Hazardous
Materials, such
as mining, heavy
metals, transport
through the city
11 15 8 2
Severe Weather,
such as extreme
heat, cold, wind,
and lightning
6 13 17

4. How prepared are you and your family for these safety hazard situations? Not Prepared Prepared Extremely Prepared N/A
Wildfire,
including smoke
and tree mortality
2 25 9 0
Utility/Power
Failures
5 26 5 0
8 Drought and
Water Shortages
18 18 0 0
Earthquake 19 10 1 6
Flooding and
Storm Water
17 14 0 5
Geologic
hazards, such as
landslides, sink
holes, and
subsidence
28 4 0 4
Hazardous
Materials, such as
mining, heavy
metals, transport
through the city
28 5 0 3
Severe Weather,
such as extreme
heat, cold, wind,
and lightning
11 21 3 1

5. What is the most effective ways for you to receive information about safety risks? Never Use Use Monthly Use Weekly Use Daily Not sure what this is (N/A)
CCC Warning
System
3 6 0 2 24
Television 20 3 4 9 0
Radio 8 10 7 11 0
NextDoor 14 5 7 6 4
9 Facebook 17 6 8 5 0
Twitter 28 3 3 2 0
YubaNet 2 5 8 21 0
Zone Haven 9 8 6 3 10
Nixle 13 0 0 0 23
Ready Nevada
County/Code
Red
4 15 9 8 0
10 8. What can the local government (city, county, fire districts) do to help improve your knowledge and understanding of the risks associated with safety hazards? 35 responses

1. Better training guidelines for kids

2. Dedicate one entity to broadcast reliable updates at least every half hour in case of wildfire or other emergency. Every 10 minutes would be even better! Right now, it seems like we obtain a little bit of information in one place, some other information in another place. One reliable source saying the same thing on radio and internet would be helpful.

3. Address how to alert the elderly and those who do not have a computer or smartphone.

4. Address areas like Bloomfield Road where cell phone can be poor, and alerts do not always come through in a timely manner.

5. Overgrowth of trees on Bloomfield Road would make it a dangerous egress route in case of fire.

6. I am supposed to I know my alternate routes. However, they are not posted on the streets, which is where they need to be in an emergency. Some alternate routes may be on private property and posting them may be a liability issue? Maybe figure out a way to exempt the city/county from that when it comes to emergency evacuations.

7. I would love to see a way to incentivize fire safety for individual households instead of penalizing. I have spent a lot of time and money for a new roof, tree work, etc. I wish this would lower my insurance bill, and it would be lovely if it was a tax deduction!
11 8. What about the many people in this county who are living on the edge financially? Yes, there are green waste drop off locations, if they own a truck or can pay someone to pick up for them. Some people just do not have the money.

9. I realize that some of these things may already have been addressed and I am just unaware.

10. This is in no way intended to be criticism. I am thrilled with the progress being made with our county emergency services, and I am indebted many times over to our sheriff's department and our fire fighters.

11. Communication and education

12. Have and provide up to date information during an actual emergency

13. designate and identify on the ground the various evacuation routes noting that a recommendation of which is prefrerred will be on all local media at the time of the event

14. Solid, easy to follow website info / check list

15. Fuels reduction on City property

16. Regarding wildfire risk, Nevada City's vegetation abatement ordinance is currently being revised. 1) Writing the ordinance so that an average person who isn't a lawyer can interpret it would help increase the public's knowledge and understanding. 2) When a draft ordinance is available, it would be an opportunity to engage with the public about vegetation management and the city's enforcement program.

17. I appreciate the mailed literature

18. Our greatest risk comes from Purdon Crossing and the illegal fires down there. Nothing is being done to mitigate this. The city needs to recognize the fire is going to come from outside the city limits and press the county to better prepare properties within 1.5 miles of Nevada city to be better prepared (property clearance). You are only going to be as good as your weakest link and that is the non-occupied properties within the city limits and within a 1.5 mile radius of the city limits. Fire danger goes well beyond the city limits and the city's sphere of influence.

19. More communication via cell phone alerts with detailed information. Even if not in the immediate area. For example, the Bennett Fire should have had communications to Nevada City residents . . . as transportation corridors were impacted.

20. nothing

21. Ensure that weeds are removed from city streets and properties, ( bring on the goats if necessary )……..ensure that PGE check and straighten their electrical poles , and constantly monitor transient camp locations -make sure they are offered shelter in the county, since so many of them smoke and build fires for warmth and cooking——-all these aside from warning systems - and education.

22. consolidate information currently smeared across multiple websites

23. better communication and working on a vegetation ordinance that fits our city

24. Coordinate with media to promote effect immediate updates for local disaster events

25. I am very aware of the risks of living adjacent to former Grass Valley Group wooded, poorly managed forest with partyers and homeless camps using fire for heat and cooking.

26. Regular updates on local media.

27. We get it. Not sure our neighbors do
12 28. A user-friendly website with links to resources, including county/city resources similar to the chipping program that was previously available, etc. This may be already available, but I'm not aware of it. Along those lines, increased outreach on social media, in the union, on Yuba net, etc. would be helpful.

29. Possibly a simple flyer.

30. None

31. Continue with information on issues as changes occur

32. Send mailers with the latest information, perhaps with our water bills.

33. Keep me informed via email and the newsletter. Also, create a newsletter that can be emailed to those you have email addresses for as well.

34. Become more proactive about forcing businesses to maintain their property and remove fuels, as well as more support for transients who may intentionally or inadvertently set fires.

35. More education and resources
13 Nevada City Safety Element Update 2021-22
Technical Steering Team:

Nevada City Staff:

Amy Wolfson
City Project Manager
City Planner
[email protected]
(530) 265-2496 x130
Sean Grayson
City Manager
[email protected]
(530) 265-2496 x119
Joan Phillipe
City Manager (interim)
[email protected]
(530) 265-2496
Bryan McAlister
City Engineer
[email protected]
(530) 265-2496 x126
Sam Goodspeed
Nevada City Fire Chief
[email protected]
(530) 265-2351
Mark Buttron
City of Grass Valley Fire Chief
[email protected]
(530) 274-4381
Police Chief
Ted Stec
[email protected]
(530) 265-4700x109
14 Stakeholders:

Paul Cummings
Director, Nevada County Office of Emergency Services
[email protected]
530-265-7015
Alex Keeble-Toll
Senior Administrative Analyst
Nevada County Office of Emergency Services
[email protected]
530-470-2521
Lieutenant Sean Scales
Emergency Operations Coordinator
Office Of Emergency Services
Nevada County Sheriff's Office
[email protected]
(530)265-1403 Desk
Mike Woodman
Director, Nevada County Transportation Commission
[email protected]
(530) 265-3202
Steve T Monaghan
Information Office
[email protected]
530-265-1238
Carrie Monohan
Program Director
Sierra Fund
[email protected]
(530) 265-8454 (214)
Shane Vargas
Battalion Chief
State Fire Marshal
15 CalFire
[email protected]
(530) 410-4225
Bryan Carter
CalFire
Land Use Planning Fire Captain [email protected] Consultant Team:

Project Manager
Gary Price
[email protected]
(530) 218-1059
Climate Assessment and Peer Reviewer
Eric Vaughan, Climate Assessment Assistance
[email protected]
415.849.6721
Data Support Team
Jeanine Foster
[email protected]
(303) 717-7171
Chris Morrison
[email protected]
701.318.4445
Noise Consultant
Paul Bollard
[email protected]
(530) 537-2328
16 17
18 19
20 21
1 Appendix F-Terms and Definitions
(also to be added to the General Plan Background Report) General Terminology
100-Year Flood: A flood that has a 1 percent likelihood of occurring in any given year. 100-Year Floodplain: The areas that have a 1-in-100 chance of flooding in any given year using criteria consistent with, or development by, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 200-Year Floodplain: The areas that have a 1-in-200 chance of flooding in any given year using criteria consistent with, or development by, the Department of Water Resources. 500-Year Floodplain: The areas that have a 1-in-100 chance of flooding in any given year using criteria consistent with, or development by, the Department of Water Resources.

Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone: A regulatory zone, delineated by the State Geologist, within which site-specific geologic studies are required to identify and avoid fault rupture hazards prior to subdivision of land and/or construction of most structures for human occupancy.

At Risk Population Facility: Public facilities that include, without limitation, public safety, emergency response, emergency medical, designated emergency shelters, communications, public utility plant facilities and equipment, and government operations. Sub-Categories:
• Public Safety - Police stations, fire and rescue stations, emergency operations centers • Emergency Response - Emergency vehicle and equipment storage and essential governmental work centers for continuity of government operations. • Emergency Medical - Hospitals, emergency care, urgent care, ambulance services. • Designated Emergency Shelters.
• Communications - Main hubs for telephone, main broadcasting equipment for television systems, radio and other emergency warning systems.
• Public Utility Plant Facilities - including equipment for treatment, generation, storage, pumping and distribution (hubs for water, wastewater, power and gas). • Essential Government Operations - Public records, courts, jails, building permitting and inspection services, government administration and management, maintenance and equipment centers, and public health.
• Transportation Lifeline Systems - Airports, helipads, and critical highways, roads, bridges and other transportation infrastructure (Note: Critical highways, roads, etc. will be determined during any hazard-specific evacuation planning and are not identified in this plan).

Climate: The weather conditions prevailing in Nevada City and the Western Nevada County area over a long period.
2 Climate Adaptation: Adjustment or preparation of natural or human systems to a new or changing environment that moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.

Climate Mitigation (Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions): A human intervention to reduce the human impact on the climate system; it includes strategies to reduce greenhouse gas sources and emissions and enhancing greenhouse gas sinks.

Critical Facility: Facilities that either (1) provide emergency services or (2) house or serve many people who would be injured or killed in case of disaster damage to the facility. Examples include hospitals, fire stations, police and emergency services facilities, utility facilities, and communications facilities.

Evacuation Center: A facility that provides a safe place to stay for those who have been ordered to evacuate their homes prior to an emergency event.

Extreme Weather Event: In most cases, extreme weather events are defined as lying in the outermost (“most unusual”) ten percent of a place’s history. Analyses are available at the national and regional levels.

Fault: A fracture or zone of closely associated fractures along which rocks on one side have been displaced with respect to those on the other side. A fault zone is a zone of related faults which commonly are braided, but which may be branching. A fault trace is the line formed by the intersection of a fault and the earth’s surface.

Active Fault: A fault that has exhibited surface displacement within Holocene time (approximately the past 11,000 years). Potentially Active Fault: A fault that shows evidence of surface displacement during Quaternary time (the last 2 million years).

Flooding: A rise in the level of a water body or the rapid accumulation of runoff, including related mudslides and land subsidence, that results in the temporary inundation of land that is usually dry. Riverine flooding, coastal flooding, mud flows, lake flooding, alluvial fan flooding, flash flooding, levee failures, tsunamis, and fluvial stream flooding are among the many forms that flooding takes.

General Plan: A plan made up of text describing goals and objectives, principles, standards, and programs, as well as a set of maps and diagrams that constituent a vision of Nevada City’s future community development.

Ground Failure: Mudslide, landslide, liquefaction or soil compaction. Hazardous Building: A building that may be hazardous to life in the event of an earthquake because of partial or complete collapse. Hazardous buildings may include: (1) Those constructed prior to the adoption and enforcement of local codes requiring earthquake resistant building design. (2) Those constructed of unreinforced masonry. (3) Those which exhibit any of the following characteristics:
• exterior parapets or ornamentation which may fall on passersby 3 • exterior walls that are not anchored to the floors, roof, or foundation sheeting on roofs or floors incapable of withstanding lateral loads
• large openings in walls that may cause damage from torsional forces • lack of an effective system to resist lateral forces
• non-ductile concrete frame construction
Climate Mitigation (Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions): A human intervention to reduce the human impact on the climate system; it includes strategies to reduce greenhouse gas sources and emissions and enhancing greenhouse gas sinks.

Critical Facility: Facilities that either (1) provide emergency services or (2) house or serve many people who would be injured or killed in case of disaster damage to the facility. Examples include hospitals, fire stations, police and emergency services facilities, utility facilities, and communications facilities.

Extreme Weather Event: In most cases, extreme weather events are defined as lying in the outermost (“most unusual”) ten percent of a place’s history. Analyses are available at the national and regional levels.

Fault: A fracture or zone of closely associated fractures along which rocks on one side have been displaced with respect to those on the other side. A fault zone is a zone of related faults which commonly are braided, but which may be branching. A fault trace is the line formed by the intersection of a fault and the earth’s surface.

Flooding: A rise in the level of a water body or the rapid accumulation of runoff, including related mudslides and land subsidence, that results in the temporary inundation of land that is usually dry. Riverine flooding, coastal flooding, mud flows, lake flooding, alluvial fan flooding, flash flooding, levee failures, tsunamis, and fluvial stream flooding are among the many forms that flooding.

Greenhouse Gases (GHG): gases that trap heat in the atmosphere.

Hardening Structures: An action to reduce the vulnerability of homes and structures to embers and heat that accompany most wildfires, including use of proper construction techniques and choice of building materials.

Hazard: A dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity or condition that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.

Hazardous Material: An injurious substance, including pesticides, herbicides, toxic metals and chemicals, liquefied natural gas, explosives, volatile chemicals, and nuclear fuels.

Hazardous Material Spills or Releases: A spill or release in which there is a significant amount of a hazardous material released or one in which the release of the substance cannot be controlled. 4 Hazard Mitigation: Sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and their property from hazards and their effects.

Landslide: A general term for a falling, sliding, or flowing mass of soil, rocks, water, and debris.

Includes mudslides, debris flows, and debris torrents.

LAFCO: The Nevada County Local Agency Formation Commission is a appointed government agency that administers the formations of local governments, such as cities, special districts, and others under the provisions of the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (Division 3 (commencing with Section 56000) of Title 5 of the Government Code).

Landslide: A general term for a falling, sliding, or flowing mass of soil, rocks, water, and debris.

Includes mudslides, debris flows, and debris torrents.

Liquefaction: A process by which water-saturated granular soils transform from a solid to a liquid state during strong ground shaking.

Maladaptation: Any changes in natural or human systems that inadvertently increase vulnerability to climatic stimuli; an adaptation that does not succeed in reducing vulnerability but increases it instead.

Natural Infrastructure: The preservation or restoration of ecological systems, or utilization of engineered systems that use ecological processes, to increase resiliency to climate change, manage other environmental hazards, or both. This may include, but is not limited to, floodplain and wetlands restoration or preservation, combining levees with restored natural systems to reduce flood risk, and urban tree planting to mitigate high heat days.

Noise Terminology: See Noise Terminology below.

Peakload Water Supply: The supply of water available to meet both domestic water and firefighting needs during the particular season and time of day when domestic water demand on a water system is at its peak. Resiliency: The capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from hazards.

Safety: The condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause danger, risk, or injury. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.

Seiche: An earthquake-induced wave in a lake, reservoir, or harbor.

Seismic Hazard Zone: A regulatory zone, delineated by the State Geologist, within which sitespecific geologic, soils, and foundation engineering studies are required to identify and avoid earthquake-caused ground-failure hazards, or selected other earthquake hazards, prior to subdivision of land and for construction of most structures for human occupancy. Storm surge:

An abnormal rise of water generated by a storm, over and above the predicted astronomical tides 5 Seismically Induced Surface Rupture: A break in the ground’s surface and associated deformation resulting from the movement of a fault.

Sphere of Influence: The probable physical boundary and service area of a local agency, such as the City of Nevada City. Territory must be within a city or district’s sphere of influence to be considered for annexation to that city or district.

Subsidence: The gradual, local settling or sinking of the earth’s surface with little or no horizontal motion (subsidence is usually the result of gas, oil, or water extraction, hydrocompaction, or peat oxidation, and not the result of a landslide or slope failure).

Tsunami: A wave, commonly called a tidal wave, caused by an underwater seismic disturbance, such as sudden faulting, landslide, or volcanic activity. Wildland Fire: A fire occurring in a suburban or rural area that contains uncultivated lands, timber, range, watershed, brush, or grasslands. This includes areas where there is a mingling of developed and undeveloped land.

Vulnerability: The degree to which natural, built, and human systems are susceptible to harm from exposure to stresses associated with environmental and social change and from the absence of a capacity to adapt.

Weather Shelter: Means a facility designed to provide persons with temporary protection from storms, heat or freezing events, and other emergency situations.

Wildland Fire: A fire occurring in a suburban or rural area that contains uncultivated lands, timber, range, watershed, brush, or grasslands. This includes areas where there is a mingling of developed and undeveloped lands.

Wildland-Urban Interface Zone: The zone of transition between unoccupied land and human development. It is the line, area, or zone where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels.

Noise Terminology
Ambient Noise: The distinctive acoustical characteristics of a given area consisting of all noise sources audible at that location. In many cases, the term ambient is used to describe an existing or pre-project condition such as the setting in an environmental noise study.

Attenuation: The reduction of noise.

A-Weighting: A frequency-response adjustment of a sound level meter that conditions the output signal to approximate human response. All noise level measurements and noise standards associated with this Health and Safety / Noise Element are provided in terms of Aweighted sound levels.

Capacity Enhancing: A roadway project which would increase roadway capacity. Examples include new roadway construction projects or widening projects. Projects which only re-stripe 6 or otherwise alter roadway configuration without increasing capacity are not included in this definition.

CNEL: Community Noise Equivalent Level. Defined as the 24-hour average noise level with noise occurring during evening hours (7 - 10 p.m.) weighted by a factor of three and nighttime hours weighted by a factor of 10 prior to averaging.

Decibel or Db: Fundamental unit of sound, defined as ten times the logarithm of the ratio of the sound pressure squared over the reference pressure squared.

Fixed Noise Source: Fixed noise sources refer to sources of noise occurring on private property which are not regulated at the local level. They may be fixed in a certain position or mobile on the private property, but do not include mobile vehicles on public roadways or aircraft operations. For example, the City of Nevada City cannot regulate how much noise a car on a public roadway can generate, as such levels are regulated at the state level. However, the City can regulate the level of noise that is generated on private property as it affects other properties.

Traffic on public roadways, and aircraft in flight cannot be regulated at the local level.

Frequency: The measure of the rapidity of alterations of a periodic acoustic signal, expressed in cycles per second or Hertz.

Infill Project: A project which is consistent with the General Plan Land Use Map designations, zoning, and community plan for the property in which at least 50% of the project site is bounded by similar uses and a project which would not expand the perimeter of the development area.

DNL or DNL Day/Night Average Sound Level: Similar to CNEL but with no evening weighting.

Leq: Equivalent or energy-averaged sound level.

L50: Median noise level, or level exceeded 50% of time.

Lmax: The highest root-mean-square (RMS) sound level measured over a given period of time.

Loudness: A subjective term for the sensation of the magnitude of sound.

Noise: Unwanted sound.

Noise Reducing Pavement: Pavement types for which local studies have identified noise-reducing benefits.

Sensitive Outdoor Areas: The primary outdoor activity area associated with any given land use at which noise-sensitivity exists and the location at which the City’s exterior noise level standards are applied. Additional definitions of sensitive areas of various residential uses follow.

Sensitive Areas of Single-Family Residential uses: Normally considered to be backyards or distinct rear patio/deck areas. Front yard spaces may be identified as the sensitive exterior area if there 7 are no other clearly identifiable private outdoor activity areas proposed as part of the residential property. Elevated balconies, front courtyards, front decks, side yards, etc., are not commonly considered to be sensitive outdoor activity areas. Where the location of outdoor activity areas for large lot residential properties cannot be determined, the City’s exterior noise level standards shall be applied within 50 feet of the rear of the residence.

Sensitive Areas of Multi-family Residential Uses: Common outdoor recreation areas, such as pools, tot-lots, tennis courts, etc., of multi-family uses are considered to be the sensitive outdoor area. Individual patios and balconies of multi-family developments are not considered to be sensitive outdoor areas.

Sensitive Areas of Residential Component of Mixed-Use Developments: Mixed-use developments will commonly consist of residential units on elevated floors above office or commercial uses. As a result, such uses may not include a clearly delineated sensitive outdoor area, in which case satisfaction with the City’s interior noise level standards will be considered adequate. The exterior noise standards for the residential component of mixed-use developments shall not be applied to patios or balconies facing the noise source (i.e. street).

Sensitive Areas of Non-Residential Uses: The noise-sensitive area of non-residential uses should be evaluated on a case by case basis. For example, the exterior areas surrounding hospitals, schools, and office buildings are not commonly considered to be noise-sensitive, whereas the interior spaces of such uses are noise-sensitive. The noise standards contained in Tables 1 and 2 should only be applied to locations within a proposed use where noise sensitivity can be demonstrated.

Short-Term Vacation Rentals (STVRs): A detached residence, condominium, apartment, or other habitable structure which is available for rental on a short-term basis. A short-term basis is defined as a continuous rental period of less than one month.

Acronyms
Table 1 includes all acronyms used in the Safety Element Update.

Table 1 Acronyms
Acronym Meaning
AB Assembly Bill
AF Acre-feet
AFN Access and Functional Needs
AFY Acre-feet per Year
Cal OES California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services CAL FIRE California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection 8 Acronym Meaning
CalVTP California Vegetation Treatment Program
CalTrans California Department of Transportation
CC Climate Change
CGS California Geological Survey of the Department of Conservation CHP California Highway Patrol
DMA Disaster Mitigation Act
CAPSE City of Nevada City Climate Adaptation and Public Safety Element DNL Day/Night Level
DSAV Defensible Space Advisory Visits
DSOD California Division of Safety of Dams
DTSC California Department of Toxic Substances Control
EAP Emergency Action Plan
EOC Emergency Operations Center
EOP Emergency Operations Plan
EP Emergency Preparedness Evacuation
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency
FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
FH Flood Hazard
FWC Firewise Communities
GH Geologic Hazard
GHG Greenhouse Gas
GVFD Grass Valley Fire Department
HFRA Healthy Forest Restoration Act
HM Hazardous Materials and Mining Hazard
ICS Incident Command System
JOA Joint Operational Area
LAFCO Local Agency Formation Commission
LHMP Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
MGD Million Gallons Per Day
NCCFPD Nevada County Consolidated Fire Protection District NCFSC Nevada County Fire Safe Council
NCTC Nevada County Transportation Commission
NE Noise Exposure
9 Acronym Meaning
NFPA National Fire Protection Association
NID Nevada Irrigation District
OC Other Considerations
OES Office of Emergency Services
OPR Governor's Office of Planning and Research
PG&E Pacific Gas and Electric Company
PSPS Public Safety Power Shutoff
ROE Right of Entry
RTP Regional Transportation Plan
RWQCB Regional Water Quality Control Board
SB Senate Bill
SF Public Safety Services and Facilities
SOI Sphere of Influence
SR State Route
SRA State Responsibility Area
SW Severe Weather
WUI Wildland-Urban Interface