TITLE
Adopt resolution replacing the current Noise Element with the updated Noise Element of the Long Beach General Plan; and
DISCUSSION
Overview and Background
On March 2, 2023, the Planning Commission (Commission) held a duly noticed public hearing on the Noise Element and Noise Ordinance Update. The Commission unanimously voted to recommend the Noise Element and Noise Ordinance Update to the City Council for approval. However, the Commission took action to modify City of Long Beach (City) staff’s recommendation by splitting the motion into two separate parts. The reason for the split vote was because the Commission felt that separate consideration of the Noise Ordinance Update was warranted based on public feedback regarding the desire for it to further address noise generated from special events. After much discussion, and in recognition of the fact that special events noise is regulated through a different title of the Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) than that which was before the Commission, the Commission ultimately voted to recommend both the updated Noise Element and the Ordinance amendments to implement the updated Noise Element to the City Council.
The City has been working to update the Noise Element of the General Plan since 2017. The Noise Element is one of the nine state-mandated General Plan Elements required for every city in California. In 1971, the California legislature mandated that a Noise Element be included as part of the General Plan due to potential impacts associated with elevated noise and vibration and the effects on community members within its cities. An update to the City’s original 1975 Noise Element is proposed as well as the corresponding LBMC amendment to the City’s Noise Ordinance to bring it into conformance with the updated Noise Element and the 2019 General Plan Land Use Element (LUE) and improve the enforceability of the Ordinance.
The Long Beach General Plan Noise Element was first adopted in 1975, and the Noise Ord...
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