2020-07-08 Garrett Simon - Noise_RedactedThursday, July 9, 2020 at 10:58:58 Pacific Daylight Time
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Subject:Fwd: Sound/Noise levels at Kelly Slater Surf Ranch
Date:Wednesday, July 8, 2020 at 4:49:54 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From:GarreK Simon
To:Jon McMillen, Nicole Criste
AEachments:Screen Shot 2020-07-08 at 4.06.36 PM.png
Jon and Nicole,
I thought you might find this informaTon interesTng, more as an FYI. Since it is not scienTfic, not sure it is relevant
for our applicaTon but good for you to know as you conTnue to receive input. I am working with neighbors to get
this anecdotal info out.
Please Add Good,
Garrett Simon
970-596-6642
www.meriwetherco.com
Begin forwarded message:
From: Garrett Simon <gsimon@meriwetherco.com>
Subject: Fwd: Sound/Noise levels at Kelly Slater Surf Ranch
Date: July 8, 2020 at 4:07:37 PM PDT
To: Dale Tyerman , Bobbie Fleury , John Perry
Dale, Bobbie and John,
Below please find the report from the son of a Trilogy homeowner who visited the operaTons in
Lemoore 3 Tmes this week. He has given me the approval top pass along but I pulled his name to
protect his privacy. Obviously, this was our expectaTon and great to have a real world listen to the
current wave. Please digest and then would appreciate your thoughts on how this is communicated
to Trilogy homeowners.
For reference, I have also aKached an image showing the closest home in Trilogy is approximately
800 meters from the edge of the wave basin. It is also important to note that the operaTon in
Lemoore is surrounded by flat undeveloped land, unlike the homes and landscaping within and
adjacent to our property that will further buffer noise.
Please Add Good,
Garrett Simon
970-596-6642
www.meriwetherco.com
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Begin forwarded message:
Hi,
This is an unscienTfic sound /noise observaTon at Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch on July5
th and 6 th.
On July 5 th at 10:00 AM I went to the main front gate at the surf ranch. Since I did
not have permission to be there and the vehicle (the 100 ton machine that travels
down an underwater track to produce waves) was not operaTng I lee the premises.
On July 6 th at 12:30 PM I returned to the front gate. The guard had been contacted
by his higher ups so I stayed and took some sound measurements.
To get some prospecTve, where I stood was about 100 meters from where the
vehicle starts/ stops, depending on if is traveling from south to north or north to
south. First I took a measurement with the vehicle not moving. The decibel reading
was 42. I noTced a very faint noise coming from the property that was not there the
day before, perhaps a water pump of some kind. It was of the level to your naked ear
like if your next door neighbor was running his pool water filter pump.
Next I took a reading with the vehicle traveling south to north. The decibel reading
went from 42 to 46.
I then traveled west on Jackson for half a mile and waited ( the vehicle makes a run
every 4 minutes while in operaTon). With the vehicle not moving the decibel level was
39. When it started and moved from north to south it stayed at 39. I could not hear
any difference with my ear.
I then went almost one mile west on Jackson. I stopped about 150 yards east of
Highway 41. Because of the highway noise in addiTon to the LNAS jets that were 13
kilometers away, I got a decibel reading of 50 and once again the decibel meter and
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my ear did not pick up any more sound coming from the surf ranch.
I finally drove and parked 400 to 500 meters as the crow flies east of the surf ranch.
From here I could see the vehicle as it traveled down its 2000 foot track. I was looking
down at the decibel meter when I looked up and saw the vehicle coming down the
track so I did not get a before and aeer reading. None was necessary because it was
slightly quieter than if an automobile was traveling down a road at the same distance.
BoKom line, I would not object from a purely sound /noise concern if a surf ranch
was built a half mile from my house.
On July 7th at 10:45 AM I returned to the surf ranch armed with a Risepro Sound Level Meter. Air
temperature was 80 degrees, humidity 25%, and a 7 mph wind was blowing from the NW. My first
measurement was at the front gate with the vehicle resTng at the north end of it's track, the decibel
reading was 42. While in moTon towards me the sound rose to 48.
The next measurement I aKempted to take was from half a mile west on Jackson avenue. I could
not hear any sound coming from the surf ranch, and nearby birds interfered with gehng a baseline
sound reading.
Finally I traveled 250 to 300 meters east of the front gate on Jackson. I took readings on several
vehicle passes and averaged them together. Vehicle at rest= 42. Vehicle moving= 50.
BoKom line= Even this close the surf ranch is a quiet operaTon. The loudest thing today that I
noTced (also registering at 50 decibels) was the control tower announcement over the loudspeaker
informing the surfers they had 30 seconds before the next wave was going to start. Even that was
not too bad considering I was 250 to 300 yards away. My opinion has not changed. The surf ranch is
a quieter neighbor than the local elementary school that is down the block from my house.