Long Beach caps exterior noise at the receiving property line under Municipal Code Chapter 8.80. Table A in Section 8.80.160 sets 50 dBA day and 45 dBA night at homes, 60/55 in commercial areas, and 65 to 70 dBA in industrial districts. A data center's cooling and generators must comply.
Long Beach's noise ordinance, Municipal Code Section 8.80.150, bars any sound source from exceeding the Table A limits at another property for more than thirty minutes per hour, with graduated caps for shorter bursts. Table A, in Section 8.80.160, sets limits by receiving district: District One, predominantly residential, 50 dBA day (7 a.m.-10 p.m.) and 45 dBA night (10 p.m.-7 a.m.); District Two, commercial, 60 and 55 dBA; Districts Three and Four, industrial, 65 and 70 dBA at any time. At a boundary between two districts the limit is the arithmetic mean. Steady tones or hums cut the limit by five dBA - directly reaching a data center's continuous chillers and fans.
Noise over the Section 8.80.150 limits is a Chapter 8.80 violation enforced by the City's Noise Control Officer through citations, and it can breach the noise conditions placed on a data center's Conditional Use Permit.
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