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t _ r <br />Exh?bw+ A <br />Stewart acoustical Consultants <br />Post Office Box 30461 919-781-8824 <br />Raleigh, NC 27622 <br />November 3, 2000 <br />Mr. Craig Benedict <br />Director <br />Orange County Planning Department <br />P. O. Box 8181 <br />Hillsborough, NC 27278 <br />RE: Sunrise Springs Development <br />Dear Mr. Benedict: <br />As I believe you are aware, I have been retained by Dr. Wally Diehl to address concerns raised by <br />various neighbors regarding the noise impact of the proposed Sunrise Springs development. At Dr. <br />Diehl's request, I visited the site and measured sound levels at various locations on the Sunrise <br />Springs property and other locations nearby.. I also have obtained and studied topographic maps of <br />the area. I have paid particular attention to the noise impact on the lots northeast of the proposed <br />development. <br />It is my understanding that this Sunrise Springs subdivision will consist of nine residential lots. I am <br />aware of the proposed landscaping provisions for the subdivision. It is my professional opinion that <br />the subdivision will not generate any significant noise. All homes generate some sound. However, <br />the general noise in the area due to residential activities decreases with increasing lot size. Since the <br />lots in the proposed development are much larger than those to the northeast, the sound levels due <br />to community activity should be less than existing levels in the existing community to the northeast. <br />I know of the concerns raised regarding the noise generated by the I40 corridor and have <br />investigated them. It is my professional opinion that the development as planned will not result in any <br />significant increased noise coming from the I-40 corridor either to the development itself or to the <br />.adjoining neighbors. <br />My initial visit and investigation revealed a very high hill and ridge on the Sunrise Springs property <br />rising about 40 feet above the roadway of I40. This strongly reduced the noise coming from the <br />highway due south of the property during my visit. Further analysis revealed this ridge is so high that <br />it would block sound along that path even during periods when wind or temperature inversions would <br />be curving sound over lower barriers. The small changes to the surface landscape would produce <br />insignificant changes in the noise coming over the ridge, even if all the sound reaching areas beyond <br />came over the ridge. However, other paths of sound transmission are more significant to the <br />northeastern community.