Hardware supply store approved with noise conditions

Central Coast Council has approved the establishment of a hardware supply store at 32 Ocean Beach Rd, Woy Woy.

However, the council has limited the hours of operation of the business, its use of equipment and required it to construct an acoustic fence between it and neighbouring residential properties.

A report by Council planning staff stated that the current industrial building was constructed following approval in September 2018.

"After the construction of the industrial building had been completed, the tile business

My Supply Co had begun operating on the site without prior approval from Council.

"Following neighbour complaints to Council about noise concerns, Council's compliance team investigated and informed the business that in order to continue operating on site consent must be obtained via a development application."

An application was subsequently submitted.

"During assessment of the application, numerous complaints were received from nearby residents.

"Council (staff) requested an acoustic report be prepared and submitted to Council to accompany the application and address concerns relating to noise."

An acoustic report was prepared by PKA Acoustic Consulting in April.

"It found that the existing operations of the site resulted in several noise exceedances which were significantly above the project-specific noise criteria during daytime operations.

"Early morning exceedances of the sleep disturbance criteria were also recorded."

The report identified the noise sources as a gas forklift, vehicular and truck noises, delivery activity, the use of a drop saw, garbage collection and early morning operation.

"These exceedances were identified to be partly attributed with the orientation of the existing industrial building which includes the location of the roller doors and internal access driveway and partly attributed to the preferred method of operations by the business including usage of a gas forklift and power tools," the Council planning assessment stated.

The acoustic consultants recommended that trading hours be between 7am and 6pm, that the gas forklift be replaced with an electric forklift, that the boundary fence be replaced with one for noise absorption and that a "drop saw usage strategy" be adopted.

The application was approved on condition that the operation complies with the recommendations set out by the acoustic report and the subsequent Noise Management Plan.

This included the construction of an acoustic fence.

The hours of operation, including for deliveries (loading and unloading vehicles and trucks), waste collection, use of forklifts and use of power tools, must start after 7am and finish by 6pm Monday to Thursday, 5pm Friday and 12pm Saturday, and be closed on Sunday.

The use of gas forklift/s at the site will not be permitted at any time.

All power tools, including drop saws, must be operated indoors with the roller doors closed.

SOURCE:

DA Tracker, 27 Aug 2020

DA57548/2019, Central Coast Council