Chinguacousy and Charolais Plaza

Location: Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Planners:  Greg Dell & Associates 
Architect:  ATA Architect

HGC was retained to investigate the potential environmental noise impact of the proposed Chinguacousy and Charolais Plaza to be located in Brampton, Ontario. Its main proposed tenants would be Shoppers Drug Mart, Canada’s largest pharmacy chain and Scotiabank, the nation’s’ third largest bank.

A site visit was conducted to investigate the site and to perform noise measurements.

In Ontario, the guidelines of the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) form the basis of environmental noise assessments.  MOE publication NPC-205, Sound Level Limits For Stationary Sources in Class 1 & 2 Areas (Urban) provides criteria for assessing the noise impact of this facility.  The term Stationary Source is used to designate all noise sources at the site including mechanical equipment, conveyances, such as trucks when they are moving within the site boundaries.

The MOE guidelines stipulate that the sound level impact during a “predicable worst case hour” be considered. This is defined to be an hour when a typically busy “planned and predictable mode of operation” occurs at the subject facility coincident with a period of minimal background sound.

Site Description and Sources of Sound
The lands immediately to the west of the plaza are institutional lands and at the time of the assessment were proposed to be a school, parking lot and soccer field. East and South of the proposed plaza were existing 2-storey residences. The lands immediately to the north of the subject site are future commercial development and to the further north are existing residences. There was also a commercial plaza located on the southeast corner of Chinguacousy Road and Charolais Blvd

The assessed site is located in a Class 1 (urban) acoustical environment where the background sound is primarily made up of the sounds of road traffic and human activity (the urban hum) in the daytime and nighttime hours.

Receptor locations were taken at the most potentially impacted residences. The subject site was essentially flat.

HGC conducted measurements of the existing sound levels near the proposed commercial plaza, reviewed the site plan, and obtained typical sound rating data for HVAC units and trucking activity and performed calculations to determine the potential noise impact at the residential units with respect to MOE guidelines.

Conclusion
Our analysis, assuming typical worst-case equipment and operating scenarios indicated that the noise impact of the commercial plaza on the adjacent residential buildings could comply with MOE criteria at the nearest façades of the residential buildings. Furthermore,  additional mitigation measures were not required for the Shoppers Drug Mart or Scotiabank buildings but the existing beneficial features such as roof signage and the wing wall should be maintained in the site plan. The analysis was based on criteria contained in the noise guidelines of the Ministry of Environment (MOE); a preliminary site plan prepared by ATA Architect; rooftop mechanical plan as provided by Shopper’s Drug Mart; information pertaining to store hours and receiving schedules from SDM personnel and from past HGC files for SDM projects; and information regarding equipment and vehicle sound power levels from equipment manufacturers or from our files.

• Conducted detailed noise studies in accordance with Ontario Ministry of the Environment procedures
• Specified noise controls
• Developed noise control plan