Carlsbad's Chapter 8.48 Noise ordinance covers only construction hours, not stationary equipment. Instead, the P-M Planned Industrial zone sets the binding cap: exterior noise from any use may not exceed 65 Ldn at the property line under Municipal Code § 21.34.090.
Carlsbad has no citywide stationary-source decibel table like San Diego County's. The Municipal Code Chapter 8.48 noise rules regulate only construction hours - no work after 6 p.m. weekdays or on Sundays. For a data center's continuous cooling and generators, the enforceable standard sits in the P-M zone's performance standards, § 21.34.090: exterior noise from any use may not exceed 65 Ldn at the property line, and 45 Ldn measured inside a neighboring establishment. Ldn is a 24-hour day-night average that adds a 10-decibel penalty to nighttime noise. The General Plan Noise Element also sets 60 dB CNEL as the residential compatibility threshold reviewed under CEQA.
Noise above the 65 Ldn property-line limit breaches the P-M performance standards and any conditions on the site development plan; the City enforces through code enforcement, penalties, and permit action.
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