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Planning commission forwards Cal Water Carlisle well EIR and use permit to City Council amid noise and vibration concerns
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Summary
The Sunnyvale Planning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council certify a focused EIR and approve a use permit for Cal Water’s proposal to reestablish a groundwater well and a 56,000‑gallon tank at 800 Carlisle Way, while adding conditions requiring clearer mitigation, real‑time noise monitoring, and vibration monitoring. Commissioners and residents pressed Cal Water on drilling‑period night noise, diesel emissions, and alternatives analysis.
The Sunnyvale Planning Commission on March 9 voted to forward to the City Council staff’s recommendation to certify the environmental impact report and approve a use permit allowing California Water Service Company (Cal Water) to reinstall a groundwater extraction well and a 56,000‑gallon, 17‑foot‑tall water storage tank at 800 Carlisle Way.
The project, which requires drilling to roughly 800–1,000 feet, triggered a focused Environmental Impact Report because staff and the city’s consultants modeled drilling‑period noise that would exceed the city’s nighttime noise limits. During the hearing, staff and Cal Water’s consultants described a 27‑day period of near‑continuous drilling (two phases—potholing then continuous drilling) that could generate significant nighttime noise without mitigation.
Why the project is proposed: Cal Water said the site previously held a high‑producing well (drilled 1959) that was decommissioned in 2016 after casing failure. Melinda Schmidt, Cal Water’s district superintendent, said the company seeks to restore reliable local groundwater capacity to maintain system redundancy and improve fire‑flow reliability. “This well had very good water quality and a high production history,” Schmidt said in her presentation. The applicant also described upgrades including modern pump equipment, EV‑ready electrical systems, and plans for a reduced tank profile compared with earlier designs.
Community concerns and mitigation: Nearby residents presssed the applicant and staff on several technical issues. Speakers at the hearing — including neighbors who live adjacent to the Cal Water property — warned that 24‑hour drilling and diesel equipment risk disrupted sleep, potential health impacts from diesel exhaust, and possible structural damage from vibration in older homes. Paul Healy, who lives next to the site, urged the commission not to approve the project without “all mitigations defined and locked in,” citing large trees and night‑time noise as particular concerns.
City consultants described modelled noise and vibration effects and the measures proposed in the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP). The MMRP calls for permanent sound walls around the drill area, portable barriers as equipment moves, continuous noise monitoring at receptor lines, and hotel vouchers for residents whose measured interior/nighttime exposures exceed thresholds. Carol Colby, the project noise analyst, said the team modelled vibration conservatively at a 17‑foot distance (closer than some occupied structures) and that the maximum modeled vibration levels are well below the city’s significance threshold of 0.25 inches per second.
Applicants’ commitments and remaining questions: Cal Water committed to using Tier‑4 diesel engines for generators and said it will consider acoustical enclosures, continuous on‑site monitoring and a hotel‑voucher policy for affected addresses. Melinda Schmidt said the company aims to balance system reliability and neighborhood impacts and that Sunnyvale customers have first right to the water the well produces. Cal Water’s geologist explained that deeper screened wells generally provide water less susceptible to shallow contamination.
Action and conditions: The commission voted to forward the EIR certification and use permit recommendation to the City Council with several clarifications and additions to staff’s recommended conditions. The motion (moved by Commissioner Pine; seconded by Vice chair Shukla) included: a correction to the general‑plan land‑use reference in the staff packet; a requirement that noise monitoring data be collected and made publicly available so residents can verify levels in near real time; and a condition requiring vibration monitoring to be conducted as described by the project’s noise and vibration consultant. The motion passed 5–0 with Commissioner Davis recused and Commissioner Fagone absent.
What happens next: The commission’s recommendation will go to the City Council on April 7 for final action. City staff and the applicant said they will continue refining the design review materials, the detailed monitoring plan, and the MMRP before council review.
Context and what to watch: The EIR determined most long‑term environmental impacts could be mitigated, but the drilling‑period noise was identified as a potentially significant and unavoidable short‑term impact. Neighbors asked the council and staff to consider more prescriptive measures — for example, preinstalled sound walls, stricter diesel equipment specifications, and robust baseline and post‑construction vibration documentation — items the commission encouraged be addressed before council consideration.
