HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-06-25 email pruitt to mcswain1
Minyard, Brian
From:Cindy Pruitt <cpruitt@polkstanleywilcox.com>
Sent:Friday, June 25, 2021 10:38 AM
To:Frances McSwain
Cc:Director Peck; David Porter; Patricia Blick; Minyard, Brian; Ray Wittenberg
Subject:Re: Noise Abatement for HVAC Unit?
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Missy
Sorry for the delay in this response but getting schedule items pinned down has been a little difficult with some of the
Covid related delays we have been encountering.
With that said I am happy to share what we know so far.
The additional cooling tower temporary blankets for sound mitigation arrived on site this week and the Contractor says
they will have those installed by the end of day today. This should help contain the sound but will not yet be fully
comparable to the final mechanical screen install.
The tree planting on the west parking lot is beginning but the landscape directly west of the tower will be delayed until
the screen panels are installed.
The footings for the dock yard fence that has been delaying the cooling tower panel install are being installed this next
week – the excavation occurred this week so install of those footings should follow. Once that work is complete, Then
the enclosure panels can be installed and we will have better containment of the sound.
In the interim, we have been periodically taking sound readings from the area directly adjacent to the mechanical
equipment and tracking those numbers. Those numbers are a bit unreliable at the moment because they are also
impacted by the Construction noise that is currently taking place on the site. We will continue to monitor the sound
levels as the other containment elements get installed to track any potential sound impact to the surrounding
neighborhood.
Thanks for your patience.
Cindy
Cindy Pruitt, AIA
Principal
Direct: 501.367.2241
Office: 501.378.0878
Mobile: 501.831.4503
www.polkstanleywilcox.com
Find us at our new address:
801 South Spring Street | Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
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From: Frances McSwain <missymcswain18@gmail.com>
Date: Monday, June 21, 2021 at 11:37 AM
To: Cindy Pruitt <cpruitt@polkstanleywilcox.com>
Cc: Capi Peck <peckcapi@gmail.com>, David Porter <dporter@polkstanleywilcox.com>, Patricia Blick
<patricia.blick@quapaw.com>, Minyard, Brian <bminyard@littlerock.gov>, Ray Wittenberg
<raywittenberg@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Noise Abatement for HVAC Unit?
Dear Cindy: This email is to ask if you have had a chance to collect the information you referenced in your earlier email
about the HVAC system and to ask if you would be willing to meet me on site for a quick talk about another issue? I am
curious about any plans to enhance the site line looking East on 10th Street into what is now the service entrance of the
AMFA? I have a few ideas. Again, you may have covered this in your presentation to the LRHDC, but I was not in
attendance. My phone number is 501.944.1126. Best, Missy McSwain
On Mon, May 24, 2021 at 12:53 PM Cindy Pruitt <cpruitt@polkstanleywilcox.com> wrote:
Missy
I just wanted to quickly reach out and acknowledge your email and reassure you that I will be gathering some
additional information to send in the next few days regarding the noise mitigation and projected schedule for
completion of those items -This it will take me a little time to get accurate information pulled together so bear with me
for a few days while I work on this.
As far as the current status, you are correct that only the steel frame for the Cooling tower is installed. The wall panels
that surround the tower are not yet installed, so blankets have been added to temporarily mitigate the noise, but
obviously those don’t provide the same containment as the final wall. We are also only in first process of the system
start up so the equipment is running at full speed and has not been tested and balanced yet. This should also help in
reducing the sound output.
In addition to the enclosure panels we will also have two rows of tree planting in our parking area and an 8ft band of
shrub plantings to help buffer between the mechanical enclosure and the surrounding area.
I will get with the contractor to pull together a more detailed schedule projection of when you could expect to see
those additional measures completed and also visit with them to see what additional temporary measures may be
available to help in the short term.
We do understand the inconvenience that those living closest to site have had to endure during this process
and are grateful for the understanding and tolerance our neighbors have shown during this evolution.
3
That said, I appreciate you reaching out and I will be back in touch shortly with more information.
Cindy Pruitt, AIA
Principal
Direct: 501.367.2241
Office: 501.378.0878
Mobile: 501.831.4503
www.polkstanleywilcox.com
Find us at our new address:
801 South Spring Street | Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
From: Frances McSwain <missymcswain18@gmail.com>
Date: Monday, May 24, 2021 at 9:18 AM
To: Cindy Pruitt <cpruitt@polkstanleywilcox.com>
Cc: Capi Peck <peckcapi@gmail.com>, Joe Stanley <jstanley@polkstanleywilcox.com>, Patricia Blick
<patricia.blick@quapaw.com>, Ray Wittenberg <raywittenberg@gmail.com>, Minyard, Brian
<bminyard@littlerock.gov>
Subject: Noise Abatement for HVAC Unit?
Dear Cindy,
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I live in Kadel Cottage 1 (c. 1853) at 407 E. 10 th Street (three houses West of what is now the service entrance to the
new AMFA) and I am the president of the MacArthur Park Neighborhood Association. The residents in our historic
neighborhood have endured intrusive noise, heavy traffic and pervasive dust and trash from the AMFA construction,
but we know there is an end to this project, and we believe the final result will make all this disturbance worthwhile.
Several weeks ago the HVAC system was activated. The huge outside unit is so loud it can be heard for more than a
block on 10th Street. I can hear it in most rooms of my little home. Unfortunately, this penetrating sound is not
something that will eventually turn off – this is something that will go on indefinitely.
With this in mind, might you tell us the noise abatement plan for this system? I believe the steel framing around the
outside unit will be sheathed with some sort of material. To what extent will this material muffle the sound? You may
have covered this question during your last presentation to the Little Rock Historic District Commission hearing,
unfortunately I was not in attendance.
Thank you for your attention to this email.
Yours truly,
Missy McSwain
407 E. 10th Street
Little Rock, AR 72202
501.944.1126