HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Packet 2025 08-12-25 - supplemental packet 2
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Agenda Item Summary Memo
Title:
Meeting and Date:
Synopsis:
Council Action Previously Taken:
Date of Action: Action Taken:
Item Number:
Type of Vote Required:
Council Action Requested:
Submitted by:
Agenda Item Notes:
No vote will take place on this agenda item at this meeting. The developer will be in attendance
and will present the attached sound study they conducted for the project. In addition, the City’s
sound engineer will also present the attached sound study they conducted as well.
Packet material can be found at: https://www.yorkville.il.us/Archive.aspx?ADID=6369.
Reviewed By:
Legal
Finance
Engineer
City Administrator
Community Development
Purchasing
Police
Public Works
Parks and Recreation
Agenda Item Number
Planning and Zoning Commission #2
Tracking Number
PZC 2025-08 & EDC 2025-50
Project Cardinal – Pioneer (Data Center) – Discussion
City Council – August 12, 2025
CC – 7/22/25
A discussion took place.
PZC 2025-08 & EDC 2025-50
Please see below for agenda item notes.
Krysti J. Barksdale-Noble, AICP Community Development
Name Department
None
Informational
Supplemental Information – distributed 8/11/25
YORKVILLE, ILPioneer DevelopmentProject CardinalSound Study08.08.25
IntroductionSTUDY LEADGabriel WegerAcoustics Section Manager•BS in Civil Environmental Engineering, Post-Graduate Courses in Acoustics•13 years in acoustics and vibration experience•Acoustical studies for industries all over the world. Power generation, renewables generation, aviation, transportation, oil and gas, data centers, etc.•Over 50+ data center sound studies across multiple states, many in IL•15,000+ Professionals•Founded in 1898•75+ Offices Worldwide•#1: Power#2: Data Centers#7: Top Design FirmsEngineering News-Record•100% Employee-Owned
Sound Study Overview•Preliminary sound study to estimate future noise impacts from a typical data center of this size.•Project Limits•Code of Ordinances of Yorkville, Illinois Title IV, Chapter 4•Limited to 50 dBA at residential properties during nighttime hours•Ambient Measurements•Preliminary Noise Modeling•Based on typical data center equipment
City of Yorkville Noise Ordinance•Code of Ordinances of Yorkville, Illinois Title IV, Chapter 4•“No person shall operate or cause to be operated any source of sound in such a manner as to create a sound level which exceeds the sound level limits in table 1 of this section, as adjusted according to table 2 of this section”•Includes an exemption for “emergency short term operations” •Penalties could apply for noise of an impulsive character or tonal
Ambient Sound Level Measurements•24-hour continuous sound level measurements•Four locations (MP1-MP4) near residences•Set off the roadway, on developer property or right of way•Measured sound levels •Leq– equivalent continuous sound level•L90–90th-percentile exceedance sound level
Modeling Assumptions•3D model of the full facility operations•Computer Aided Noise Abatement (CadnaA) software•International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 9613-2:2024 •Estimated equipment sound levels•Various operating scenarios modeled
Modeled Impacts
Questions?
Peer Review of Project
Cardinal’s Initial Sound Study
Aimee Lalime, INCE Bd. Cert.
Senior Acoustic Consultant, Soundscape Engineering
August 12, 2025
Soundscape Engineering
Project lead:
Aimee Lalime, Senior Consultant
Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in acoustics
24 years of experience in sound and vibration, with 13 years at Soundscape Engineering
Board Certified by the Institute of Noise Control Engineering
Soundscape has worked on over 1300 projects:
Drafting community noise ordinances
Controlling industrial noise and vibration
Assessing environmental noise
Optimizing building acoustics
Introduction
Project Cardinal: 1037-acre data center campus proposed by Pioneer Development, LLC
The United City of Yorkville retained Soundscape Engineering to provide acoustic consulting related to the proposed development, including peer reviews of the project’s noise control strategies
The Yorkville data center ordinance (Section 10-4-10.A.5) requires a phased sound study approach and noise monitoring:
Initial Sound Study at Planned Unit Development (PUD) review
Final Sound Study at Permitting review
Noise monitoring
Initial Sound Study -Background
A Project Cardinal initial sound study was conducted
by Burns McDonnell and submitted on July 1st
Soundscape provided comments, which were largely
addressed in the revised version submitted on
July 9th
This discussion focuses on the revised version of the
initial sound study
Requirements for the Initial Sound Study
Conduct a site noise survey to establish the existing ambient noise
environment in the vicinity of the development
Generate an initial 3D computer model of the project
Use the tentative site plan and representative sound levels from the
planned project’s mechanical equipment
Model peak daytime and nighttime operations
Consider the source tonality and apply the 10-dB penalty as appropriate
Describe mitigation measures needed to meet the City of Yorkville noise
ordinance
Issue a report to document the results
Site Noise Survey Conducted by Petitioner’s
Acoustic Consultant (Burns McDonnell)
MP1 Measured Sound Levels (dBA)Leq L90
Average Daytime 69 52
Average Nighttime 67 40
MP2 Measured Sound Levels (dBA)Leq L90
Average Daytime 61 44
Average Nighttime 59 39
MP3 Measured Sound Levels (dBA)Leq L90
Average Daytime 69 48
Average Nighttime 67 40
MP4 Measured Sound Levels (dBA)Leq L90
Average Daytime 59 37
Average Nighttime 57 37
Results from Initial Study Produced by Petitioner’s
Acoustic Consultant (Burns McDonnell)
50 dBA
40 dBASources included representative
non-tonal chillers, transformers,
and generators
Mitigations may include
barriers, mufflers, silencers,
acoustic stacks, louvers, and
compressor wraps
Initial model results are within
Yorkville noise ordinance limits
for residential noise:
Non-tonal Tonal
Daytime 60 dBA 50 dBA
Nighttime 50 dBA 40 dBA
See Title 4, Chapter 4 of the Yorkville Code of Ordinances
Requirements for the Initial Sound Study
Conduct a site noise survey to establish the existing ambient noise
environment in the vicinity of the development -completed
Generate an initial 3D computer model of the project
Use the tentative site plan and representative sound levels from the
planned project’s mechanical equipment -completed
Model peak daytime and nighttime operations -completed
Consider the source tonality and apply the 10-dB penalty as appropriate –
assumes non-tonal chillers
Describe mitigation measures needed to meet the City of Yorkville noise
ordinance –barriers, mufflers, silencers, acoustical stacks, louvers,
compressor wraps possible
Issue a report to document the results –report showed that it is possible for
the project to meet the noise ordinance with the current site plan and non-
tonal equipment
What’s next?
Project Cardinal must provide a final, detailed noise study at the
permitting stage
For the final noise study, noise source data for the cooling equipment shall be based on
actual sound level measurements of the specific equipment planned.
A mitigation plan will be included in the final noise study to demonstrate that
operational noise does not exceed the local noise limits detailed in Yorkville’s Code of
Ordinances, including the penalty for tonal equipment.
The final noise impact report will describe how the assessment was performed, list the
specific noise-generating equipment associated with operation of the Data Center
Campus and On-site Substation, describe any noise control approaches and equipment
that will be included in the project design, and confirm that the City's noise ordinance
will be met.
We (Soundscape Engineering) will peer review the final noise
study