The rock quarry has been in operation in Forsyth County since the 1950’s and sits on a 568-acre tract. The quarry borders Daves Creek Drive, Daves Creek Road and Haw Creek Drive, which includes homes in Windermere and Cascading Creek Estates, as well as numerous other residential properties.
Recently, the Board of Commissioners approved the rezoning of an 83 acre tract adjacent to the quarry from agricultural to residential land use. Agricultural land use does not have any noise ordinance requirements. Residential land use has a 60 decibel (db) noise ordinance requirement. The quarry is seeking a noise ordinance variance from 60db to 75db (their original request was for 80db, but due to community unrest, they have amended their request to 75db).
On its face this seems like a simple matter. Unfortunately, it’s a very complicated one that involves weather, noise, sound, vibration, dust, quality of life, property values, industry, and more.
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Every day we experience noise and sound in our indoor and outdoor environments. Most sounds are at safe levels and do not impact our hearing. However, noises that are too loud, or are loud and long-lasting, can damage our ears and cause noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Noise is something you don’t want to hear. Sound is the vibration reaching your ears.
The quarry is currently operating somewhere around 66db under perfect weather conditions. On an overcast, rainy or windy day, the same noise could register closer to 70db.
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An increase of sound by 10db means that the sound is 10 times more intense or powerful, so to your human ears it sounds 2x as loud. Therefore, 70db is twice as loud as 60db, and 80db is twice as loud as 70db.
The decibel (db) scale, which is used to measure the sound around us, utilizes a hearing threshold as a point of reference starting at 0db. Think silence. The decibel scale is useful to differentiate changes in db levels since it corresponds closely to a human’s assessment of relative loudness. For example, a whisper is 30db and a normal conversation is 60db. An ambulance siren at the given distance of 100 feet is 90db and can resemble that of a boiler room or food blender (potentially causing hearing loss).
A pneumatic drill at 50 feet produces 80db of sound. This is equivalent to being in a kitchen with the garbage disposal running or being in a very noisy restaurant. There is also vibration associated sound.
Vibration involves a source, a transmission path, and a receiver. Individual sensitivity, amplitude, and frequency of the source are determining factors in a person’s response to vibration. Therefore, the “subjective impression” of a pneumatic drill at 50 feet producing 80db of sound and vibration, teamed with any frequency and duration, will, in all likelihood, cause individuals to complain about the noise.
Quarry officials have collected noise data from the southern (Windermere) end of the quarry. They did not collect data for the eastern or northern ends of the quarry property. Tenants of the quarry were made aware that noise sampling was being conducted. However, at the recent meeting, quarry noise consultants were unable to provide the decibel range of the noise sampled. The quarry may do additional noise samplings, as well as build berms.
Berms serve one or a combination of functions which include, but are not limited to, wind protection, a noise barrier, and separate areas of conflicting uses.
The quarry’s operations are an encroachment on the quality of life to those who border it. Rightfully so the variance request has many fearful of what’s to come if the variance is granted, and are concerned about the development of land in their area which involves roads and schools as well.
Some, including myself, wondered why the Board of Commissioners would have rezoned the 83 acre tract that seemingly has appeared to cause this ruckus. Well, let’s take into consideration a good old American way to prosper – real estate development and investment. Forsyth County used to be a whole different county with lots of undeveloped land. Gosh, when we moved here nine years ago, Windermere Parkway and the majority of the communities along its route didn’t exist. People have the right to prosper from their property, and it sometimes requires a rezoning of the land use to do so.
Bluegrass Materials wants to be a good neighbor, and is taking the community unrest caused by their variance application seriously.
A work session and public hearing will be held before the Forsyth County Zoning Board of Appeals on September 3, 2013 at 6:30pm. The public portion of the hearing will be held at 7:00pm. The Board of Commissioners will not be hearing this matter, and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division does not regulate local noise ordinances. So whatever the Zoning Board decides will be the decision that new and old tenants of the quarry will have to live with for years to come.
As stated, this is a complicated issue with an array of extenuating and mitigating factors. Many in the community will not be impacted by the variance if granted, but there are many that will be. The Zoning Board of Appeals and Bluegrass Materials need to strongly factor in public peace and welfare, and the prevention of any unnecessary noise to those who border the quarry, in their decision-making process.
It appears that private individuals, industry, and government are trying to work together so that we all can co-exist in our beautiful county. Hopefully, the continued effort to keep open and sensible dialogue, and to make concessions, will result in an equitable relationship and agreement between all those involved.
