Laguna Seca Too Loud & being Sued

[teamzr1]

Monterey County is facing litigation from people who chose to live near the historic track, opened nearly 70 years ago.
A handful of residents along Highway 68 are suing Monterey County for excessive noise and traffic at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

The Laguna Seca circuit was opened in 1957, and residents knew the track would be graced by loud cars, so what changed? According to the group called Highway 68 Coalition, the number of races and events has increased "substantially" over the last two years compared with the period from 1974 until 2021.

"These increases include but are not limited to more racetrack event days, higher permitted noise levels, additional track rental days with intensified noise in excess of 100 dB, increased traffic, inadequate water supply and water quality, inadequate sewage disposal, and expansion of the camping grounds," reads the lawsuit.
And there's more.

The lawsuit also takes issue with the track allowing rentals to happen "now 340 days a year," according to Richard Rosenthal, one of the attorneys representing the disgruntled residents. "It's a facility that's used almost every day," adds the attorney, complaining that allowing different organizations to rent the track creates "a nuisance kind of noise," whatever that means.

Again, the track existed long before most residents in the area were even born. But assuming they have a leg to stand on, what do they want to come of this? Well, it wants Monterey County to ban any events that exceed the noise limits established in 1985. As you can imagine, Monterey County doesn't see things the same way.

Track days remain a major revenue source for the county, with 2022 events seeing more than $246 million in total direct spending, according to track management.
The County's communications director, Nicholas M. Pasculli, told SFGATE that Monterey "does not recognize any merit to the allegations and expects a favorable conclusion."

Monterey County's long-term concession agreement with the non-profit organization Friends of Laguna Seca would be impacted if the group were to win, but Monterey County says the scheduled activities and events for 2024 won't be affected by the lawsuit, including IMSA and its very loud machines.
It also means we can look forward to yet another epic Monterey Car Week, another awesome Porsche Renn sport Reunion, and loads more Porsche 911 9,000-rpm songs of speed.
Some residents won't like it, but they should move. The alternative is an increase in street racing stupidity, and that's certainly a worse prospect.

 

[Roscobbc]

We much of that action here in the UK - NIMBY's - like those who maove next to a school, then complain about the noise of kids playing in the school grounds!
Unfortunately here in the UK its normal for the NIMBY's to win!

 

[Chuffer]

We much of that action here in the UK - NIMBY's - like those who maove next to a school, then complain about the noise of kids playing in the school grounds!
Unfortunately here in the UK its normal for the NIMBY's to win!

Same applies to the tossers that buy a house in the country or small village like ours and then complain about cock`s crowing , cattle noises and the smell of manure !!
The NIMBY mentality also applies to the tossers that bought new houses that back on the tracks of the Great Central Railway at Loughborough where I volunteer . It has been an operational Heritage Railway for 50 years and all the houses have been built within last 5 years or so . They complain about the noise , the smoke from locos and even `claim` that railway enthusiast photographers who use an adjascent overbridge as a vantage point might be perverts taking photos of their children in their gardens !!! World`s gone F `in Claims Conscious mad .
I have a long disused old railway line at the bottom of my garden so unfortunately there are no loco noises and smells to keep me happy . But we do have cattle in the field we overlook and hens and a cockerel at the end of the road so can enjoy the country ambiance , not to mention the distant sounds of race cars at Silverstone Circuit just 6 miles away as the crow flies .

 

[Roscobbc]

Same applies to the tossers that buy a house in the country or small village like ours and then complain about cock`s crowing , cattle noises and the smell of manure !!
The NIMBY mentality also applies to the tossers that bought new houses that back on the tracks of the Great Central Railway at Loughborough where I volunteer . It has been an operational Heritage Railway for 50 years and all the houses have been built within last 5 years or so . They complain about the noise , the smoke from locos and even `claim` that railway enthusiast photographers who use an adjascent overbridge as a vantage point might be perverts taking photos of their children in their gardens !!! World`s gone F `in Claims Conscious mad .
I have a long disused old railway line at the bottom of my garden so unfortunately there are no loco noises and smells to keep me happy . But we do have cattle in the field we overlook and hens and a cockerel at the end of the road so can enjoy the country ambiance , not to mention the distant sounds of race cars at Silverstone Circuit just 6 miles away as the crow flies .

They have the same issues at North Weald where a poncy housing estate was built on the eastern fringes of the famous and historic WW2 airfield (and the current hangarage location of many classic aircraft). Unfortunately the houses were built before the Epping Ongar heritage line was established (Welcome aboard the Epping Ongar Railway | London's Heritage Railway). The Ongar Epping railway uses the remaining part of the old discontinued Underground Central Line that used to continue from Epping through to Ongar. The housing development bi-sects the line on the perimeter of the airfield. Much like you explain NIMBY's complain about the noise of the steam engines coming to a halt close to their estate (and if the wind is in the wrong direction) being forced to close windows due to the smoke. But North Weald airfield may now have greater issue other than the wealthy local landowner and Epping councillor who didn't like the drag racing events and whipped-up a (successful)campaign to ban the 1/4 mile events. Even worse - in the last couple of weeks Epping Council have announced the sale of 50 plus acres of its 400 acre airfield site to Google for a multi building industrial development - supposedly giving employment opportunities to local people. Sounds like the slow beginning of the end of future leisure events here!

 

[Chuffer]

They have the same issues at North Weald where a poncy housing estate was built on the eastern fringes of the famous and historic WW2 airfield (and the current hangarage location of many classic aircraft). Unfortunately the houses were built before the Epping Ongar heritage line was established (Welcome aboard the Epping Ongar Railway | London's Heritage Railway). The Ongar Epping railway uses the remaining part of the old discontinued Underground Central Line that used to continue from Epping through to Ongar. The housing development bi-sects the line on the perimeter of the airfield. Much like you explain NIMBY's complain about the noise of the steam engines coming to a halt close to their estate (and if the wind is in the wrong direction) being forced to close windows due to the smoke. But North Weald airfield may now have greater issue other than the wealthy local landowner and Epping councillor who didn't like the drag racing events and whipped-up a (successful)campaign to ban the 1/4 mile events. Even worse - in the last couple of weeks Epping Council have announced the sale of 50 plus acres of its 400 acre airfield site to Google for a multi building industrial development - supposedly giving employment opportunities to local people. Sounds like the slow beginning of the end of future leisure events here!

All you need is some well monied newbie a local council that is easily `greased ` and you have no chance . Fledgling Heritage Railways like the E & OR stand no chance . I was on the Severn Valley Railway for 31 years and had the same issues there . The preservationists saved the first part of the line and the station at Bridgnorth in 1968 but when a new housing estate was built on fields on a hill overlooking the loco shed and station in the 1980`s the complaints came flooding in about the noise and smoke . All prospective house buyers knew exactly what they would overlook when they viewed the properties . I dare say the estate agents even made a big selling point of being close to one of the UK`s major heritage railways and tourist attraction . Mind you , we did make a bit of a din doing boiler rivetting outdoors until the purpose built sound proofed Boiler Erecting Shop was built .

 

[Roscobbc]

"the complaints came flooding in about the noise and smoke . All prospective house buyers knew exactly what they would overlook when they viewed the properties"

Wouldn't have even been thought about a few decades ago - smoke from coal fired engines was part of every day life.
It's a real odd world when people 'complain' that electric vehicles are dangerous in urban environments because older and visually impaired people are unable to hear them. What rubbish - most electric/hybrid cars generate as much noise as an ICE powered car due to tyre noise - its only at sub 10/15 mph speeds they run quiet. Most drivers of these vehicles are well aware and generally alert against pedestrians stepping off the pavement in front of them.
We have cities with low pollution policies in place and low emission vehicles using them.........but with the ever increasing number of roads blocked to vehicular traffic the residents of the roads that the traffic are now forced to use suffer in many cases from extreme congestion and all the additional pollution (ironically from mostly low emission vehicles)!

 

[teamzr1]

I did several months of designing and testing of exhaust for my C5 and posted all of it at

Team ZR-1 X-Pipe project

We decided to make our own exhaust X-pipe to replace where the CATs go for when racing. To me the X pipe should be close to where the bends are that trap gases and not further back where pipes are straight. We also made slip flanges for the CATS so they can be easy swapped with X-Pipe ...

www.teamzr1.com

I can see both sides of the coin about the damage done to hearing with high Dba exhaust due to screwing up the hearing in my left ear due to lots of racing at high speeds with side exhaust, loud exhaust sounds and not always protecting my hearing

One thing where a track built in 1957 and people than building next to a track without looking at sound issues is their fault
On the other side, family homes built and then morons like the NCM building track right up to the backyards of those home and then allowing exhaust volumes over 100 Dba and not caring about the damage to those homeowners hearing, including young kids

It took class action lawsuits to force the NCM to spend a ton of money reducing the Dba

Decibel Exposure Time Guidelines

Accepted standards for recommended permissible exposure time for continuous time weighted average noise, according to NIOSH and CDC, 2002. For every 3 dBs over 85dB, the permissible exposure time before possible damage can occur is cut in half.

Maximum Continuous dB Permissible Exposure Time by the USA federal law

85 db 8 hours
88 dB 4 hours
91 db 2 hours
94 db 1 hour
97 db 30 minutes
100 db 15 minutes
103 db 7.5 minutes
106 dB 3.75 min (< 4min)
109 dB 1.875 min (< 2min)
112 dB .9375 min (~1 min)
115 dB .46875 min (~30 sec)

NIHL and Veterans

NIHL is of particular concern to veterans. Because NIHL is not immediately apparent (having a gradual onset), many veterans leaving the service are unaware of the full extent of hearing damage.
Although governments are now realizing the link between military service and NIHL, it took a long time and many lawsuits before any compensation was given to the affected veterans.
In 1999 the USA alone distributed $291.6 million in compensation for NIHL to some 56,792 veterans. The annual cost of compensation to veterans in France is estimated to be $60 million.
In Belgium, two thirds of all payments made to veterans with disabilities correspond to NIHL. Many veterans damage their hearing during service.
They can, however, prevent more damage from occurring, and they can save their remaining hearing after their military duties are completed.