Hoag seeking sound barrier

NEWPORT BEACH — The proposed sound wall outside Hoag Hospital would absorb noise efficiently and withstand dirt and rain, officials from a consulting firm said Saturday as they met to address residents’ concerns about the project.

Coralee Newman, a principal for Government Solutions, told a crowd of about two dozen people that the wall manufactured by Sound Fighter Systems was the best of its kind in terms of keeping noise down.

Hoag has proposed the wall, created by a Louisiana company, as a response to noise complaints from residents at the Villa Balboa housing complex across the street from the hospital.

“It almost absorbs noise like a sponge, so the noise isn’t just reflected off the wall,” Newman said during the morning meeting in a community room at Villa Balboa.

Hoag is seeking permission from the city to shift up to 225,000 square feet of building space from its lower campus to its upper campus.

A number of neighbors, however, have argued that the hospital needs to reduce its noise levels before adding new construction.

The hospital and Government Solutions, which it hired to look into the sound issue, have recommended a number of measures, including putting plexiglass barriers on neighboring balconies and strengthening windowpanes.

Mike Murphy, a representative for Sound Fighter, vouched for the wall Saturday, saying its lightweight materials absorb sound better than traditional sound walls, which often simply reflect noise in another direction.

Residents voiced mixed reactions to the wall, which would stand as high as 23 feet.

Renee Pfershy said she thought plexiglass barriers were a better solution, since individual residents could choose whether to install them.

Others asked whether the wall would eliminate the row of trees that stands between Hoag and the condominiums; Murphy said the trees could be left in place.

Connie Justice said she was in favor of the wall — in part because, with the foliage in front, it might offer a relaxing view.

“It’s better looking at the wall with plants on it than the road with the traffic,” she said.

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at michael.miller@latimes.com.