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Board hears acoustical and landscaping testimony on Colonial Manor outdoor ceremonies; matter carried to Oct. 30
Summary
Acoustical engineer Matthew Morello testified that with proposed barriers and a fixed limiter the Colonial Manor's outdoor ceremony area can meet New Jersey DEP daytime noise limits; landscaping witness described layered evergreen buffers. The board carried the application to Oct. 30 for the planner's testimony and further consideration.
The Planning Board heard detailed acoustical and landscape testimony on Oct. 2, 2024 in the continued Colonial Manor application proposing limited outdoor ceremonies.
Acoustical engineer Matthew Morello of Lewis Goodfriend & Associates said the project team modeled amplified music and unamplified crowd speech using SoundPlan software and measured baseline ambient sound levels on Nov. 27, 2023. "We measured continuously...the average sound level range from about 44 to about 50 dBA," Morello said, adding that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection daytime limit for amplified sound at a residential receiving property line is 65 dBA. Morello recommended a fixed limiter on any central amplification system set so speakers cannot exceed 75 dBA at 3 feet and an acoustical barrier (proposed 8‑ft north/west, 12‑ft south) to meet the 65 dBA limit at the property line in modeled scenarios.
Board members and residents questioned model inputs, barrier heights, maintenance and whether unamplified music or bagpipes could exceed modeled levels. Morello acknowledged worst‑case, brief crowd peaks could momentarily exceed limits at the property line but said those would be localized seconds and that the limiter plus barriers provide a practical compliance approach. "At the house to the northeast, we expect sound levels about 60, 61 dBA," he testified in the worst‑case modeled scenario with barriers in place.
Landscape architect Paul Keyes (exhibit A9, revised 07/29/24) described layered plantings and berming intended to visually screen the ceremony patio and intercept vehicle headlights at the circular driveway; he said existing evergreens range 8–12 feet and additional plantings (cherry/flowering trees, laurels, spruces) would create multi‑layer screening.
The board agreed to carry the hearing to Oct. 30, 2024 to allow the applicant's planner (David Spatz) to complete testimony. No final vote was taken on outdoor operations or barrier installation during the Oct. 2 session.
Next steps: the board will take the planner's testimony at the continued hearing, then decide whether to permit the outdoor ceremony operations with the proposed acoustic mitigation and any time limitations.
