PRESS RELEASE

The community is invited to participate in an open house to review and provide input on the draft of the City’s General Plan Noise Element. The event will take place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 30, at the Bixby Park Social Hall, 130 Cherry Ave.

“Long Beach has grown and evolved in many ways since the Noise Element was last developed more than 40 years ago,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “This important update effort will have a significant impact on protecting the everyday environment of our neighborhoods today and in the decades ahead.” 

The Noise Element is one of the seven required General Plan elements and provides a policy framework for the noise environment in Long Beach. The proposed update will replace the existing 1975 document and provide a tailored approach to noise policies and land use, recognizing the unique characteristics of the City’s mixed-use, urban environment and major transportation corridors.

The draft Noise Element is now available for public review. An Initial Study and Notice of Preparation for an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is also available, as part of the required environmental review process for the project, commencing a 30-day public comment period which began on May 17, 2019 and will conclude on June 17, 2019.

The draft plan has been informed by an extensive public outreach process, including a series of community meetings and focus groups, and the activation of “Listen Up, Long Beach,” an online mapping tool that crowdsourced data and input from residents, businesses and other community members.

The draft Noise Element identifies and addresses noise concerns from a variety of sources in the community, including transportation, construction, industrial, commercial operations, and population noise. The update will establish policies and implementation measures to limit noise exposure and control unnecessary, excessive noise and vibration, particularly near housing, schools and hospitals.

An existing Noise Ordinance implements the City’s Noise Element and regulates noise in the City; the Noise Ordinance will likely be updated in the future to implement the policies of the new Noise Element, after it is adopted. Generally, the City’s Noise Ordinance regulates internal and external noise produced by various land uses and limits noise levels that can be heard beyond site boundaries.  

Separately, aircraft and other noise resulting from the operations of the airport and industry at the Long Beach Airport is regulated by a special 1995 Airport Noise Compatibility Ordinance. Airport operations and noise are largely regulated by federal and state agencies and will not be a part of the City’s Noise Element update. For more information related to airport noise, please visit  the following website:  http://www.lgb.org/information/noise_abatement/frequently_asked_questions.asp

Attendees to the City’s Noise Element open house are encouraged to RSVP by May 29. For more information about the Noise Element update, visit: http://www.lbds.info/noise_element_update/.

About the City of Long Beach

Home to approximately 480,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health; Parks, Recreation and Marine; Development Services and more. The City also has a highly-respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 170 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths, and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

About Long Beach Development Services

Serving residents, businesses, and the community at large, the award-winning Long Beach Development Services sets a standard for high-quality, innovative urban planning and livability efforts that create more progressive and sustainable communities within the diverse City of Long Beach, CA. Through a variety of development, code enforcement, housing and neighborhood services, and building activities, the Department builds a better future for the City while also honoring its unique past. For more information, visit www.lbds.info. “Like” our Facebook page and “follow” us on Twitter.

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