A data center in unincorporated Alameda County must meet the County General Code Chapter 6.60 exterior noise standards at a receiving home: 50 dBA daytime and 45 dBA nighttime for more than 30 minutes an hour, rising to a hard cap of 70 dBA day / 65 dBA night.
Alameda County's noise ordinance, General Ordinance Code Chapter 6.60, sets graduated exterior limits by how long a noise persists in any hour, measured at the receiving property. For residential uses, schools, hospitals, churches, and libraries the daytime (7 a.m.–10 p.m.) standards are 50 dBA for 30 cumulative minutes, 55 dBA for 15 minutes, 60 dBA for 5 minutes, 65 dBA for 1 minute, and 70 dBA maximum; each nighttime (10 p.m.–7 a.m.) figure is 5 dBA lower, so the practical residential cap is 45 dBA overnight. Commercial receiving properties get a 65/60 dBA baseline.
Cooling or generator noise exceeding the Chapter 6.60 limits at a neighboring home is a violation; Alameda County can require mitigation and abatement, and unmitigated noise can block or add conditions to permit approval under CEQA.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Castro Valley, CA
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Alameda County.
See how other cities in Alameda County handle data center noise limits.
See how Castro Valley's data center noise limits rules stack up against other locations.
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