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INFORMATION ON SOUND ATTENUATION IN SANTA ANA HEIGHTS FROM JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT  1. County submitted an application to the Division of Aeronautics, California DOT, for its sixth variance from certain provisions of the California Noise Standards with respect to the continued operation of JWA. 2. The County has been granted five previous variances from the Department for the continued operation of JWA based, in part, on the County's adoption and implementation of a variety of noise compatibility measures and noise and related capacity regulations, including an Acoustical Insulation Program ("AIP") and a Purchase Assurance Program. These measures have resulted in the sound attenuation and acquisition of navigation easements for residences in the Santa Ana Heights area. 3. Specifically, the required compliance with, and variances under, California Noise Standards, together with the Board of Supervisor’s mid-1980s adoption of the Santa Ana Heights Specific Plan and environmental mitigation measures, resulted in implementation of the residential purchase assurance program and the residential acoustical insulation program. 4. Over the years these programs have successfully accomplished land use and noise exposure compatibility for 509 homes in the Board-adopted eligibility areas. 5. Further, in the Santa Ana Heights area rezoned as Business Park, hundreds of additional residential uses have been converted to compatible uses. 6. In the summer of 2006, as the final residential acoustical insulation construction improvement one-year warrantees were ending, JWA staff determined that their program records showed eight properties in the eligibility area which had never received written notice of their opportunity to voluntarily participate in the acoustical insulation program. Despite JWA’s intention to bring the acoustical insulation program to closure, JWA Director Alan Murphy determined that the best course of action was to formally contact in writing those eight property owners and provide them the option to participate in the acoustical insulation program. Our contact resulted in three property owners recently volunteering to participate in the program. INFORMATION ON SOUND ATTENUATION IN SANTA ANA HEIGHTS FROM JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT (ctd.) 7. As JWA already did for the 413 homes that accepted participation in the acoustical insulation program, these three homes will receive a pre-construction acoustical audit that determines their indoor noise exposure and the amount of quieting (acoustical insulation) they will need in order to objectively meet the 45 dB CNEL exposure limit mandated by the State and the County. Those technical findings will support detailed architectural designs, construction schedules, contractor solicitations and hires, and construction improvements. With the improvements complete, JWA’s consultant will prepare the post-construction acoustical audit to document the objective improvements and compliance with the exposure criteria. JWA is now working to schedule the pre-construction acoustical audits with each homeowner. They expect to complete the construction improvement steps and the final audit reports this Summer or Fall. 8. Once these last eligible homes become compatible with the State and County noise exposure limits, JWA staff will be ready to work with the Caltrans Division of Aeronautics for their determination that JWA no longer requires a noise variance under the California Noise Standards. The Airport Director will report that milestone to the Board of Supervisors in a formal Agenda Staff Report for their consideration in a scheduled public meeting. 9. Once these steps, processes, and approvals are successfully complete, it will be timely for JWA to request that the Board accept return of the SAH Development Agency funds now held for use in the acoustical insulation program. SAH Development Agency funds totaling $2,604,598 are now held by John Wayne Airport for the remaining acoustical insulation program costs and any other costs associated with the overall California Noise Standards compliance. 10. The Airport Director believes that it is professionally responsible and compellingly necessary to not prematurely return any of the remaining potential acoustical insulation funds for their use on other SAH PAC community improvement projects until the final State variance waiver and Board acceptance action are completed.  |
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