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y1 t.1J111(c) of Chapter 911 Zoning and Section 912.07(1)(b)6. of Chanter 912. Single -Family Development." Planning and Zoning Commission Recommendation At a public hearing on November 14, 2013, the County Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) considered the proposed ordinance. At that hearing, the PZC voted 4-1 to recommend that tf e Board of County Commissioners adopt the ordinance (see unapproved minutes, Attachment 2 to this rep rt). ANALYSIS As reported to the Board of County Commissioners at the Board's September 10, 2013 mee�ing, staff s research on outdoor mechanical equipment noise led to the following findings and conclusions: Sampled AC unit decibel levels: Based on samplings, staff found that AC units installed in the county are generally in compliance with the County's current residential district decibel thresholds in "standard" subdivisions with minimum side yard setbacks of ten feet or more. Staff also found that the noise level of sampled AC units drops between one-half and one decibel for each foot from the noise source. The decibel readings of the sampled AC units installed at residences were consistently and substantially lower than the manufacturer's decibel ratings for the unit models. Comparison to other- jurisdictions: Indian River County's residential district decibel level restrictions (60 dBA daytime, 55 dBA nighttime) are in line with the other jurisdictions that have decibel standards. Of the jurisdictions researched, two have stricter decibel thresholds: Malabar (50 dBA daytime, 45 dBA nighttime) and Tigard, Oregon (50 dBA daytime, 40 dBAnighttime). Specific to outdoor mechanical equipment, Volusia County and the City of Daytona Beach exempt air conditioners that meet manufacturer's specifications from the County's and City's decibel thresholds; all other researched jurisdictions with decibel standards require outdoor mechanical equipment to meet established decibel thresholds. Site specific issues: The Fannin pool heater in Millstone Landing PD that resulted in code enforcement action for noise threshold violations has the following site-specific characteristics: the pool heater unit is approximately 2 '/z feet from the side property line, +8 feet from the neighbor's lanai and +11 feet from the neighbor's bedroom window. Secondly, the Fool heater unit is located between two two-story concrete homes, causing reverberation. Although Mr. Fannin had taken measures to reduce the sound (i.e., lowering the RPMs of the unit, installing a compressor insulator, and limiting use of the pool heater during night hours), the decibel reading of the heater at the neighbor's property line was still in the mid 60s and in violation of county requirements. After conducting the research summarized herein and considering the site-specific characteris ics of the Fannins' residence and pool heater that led to the noise complaint, staff drafted the proposed LDR amendments to address the potential noise disturbance of outdoor mechanical equipment in dev lopments with reduced yard setbacks. As proposed, the amendments offer three alternatives for homeow iers when installing outdoor mechanical equipment in reduced yard setbacks: 1) locate the mechanical quipment adjacent to a garage or other non -living area, and not adjacent to an outdoor living area such as a porch or patio; or 2) locate the equipment at least 10 feet from all property lines; or 3) obtain county approval of a "quiet" low decibel model unit or county approval for installation of a sound barrier or o her noise mitigation improvement. 3 F:\Community Development\Users\RO LAN D\LDR\M ech equip noise LDR revisions\Outdoor Mech Equip Noise LDR Amend BC Item 12-10- 13.doc 152