Child health impact findings on the site plan, Cardinal Springs Early Learning Center

The 18 findings of the child-focused rapid health impact assessment (HIA) are placed as numbered callouts with leaders on the 30 × 42 site plan sheet, 9 positive and 9 negative. Measured on the plan, the infant/toddler yard sits in the loudest part of the site, and every parent who drives in walks their child across the drive aisle.

Rapid HIA, draft for review Oct 30, 2026Site plan C-101 Rev B, 1" = 20'Cardinal Springs, North CarolinaPrepared Nov 6, 2026

Summary

Traffic noise

The youngest children play in the loudest part of the site

62% of the usable play area is below 66 dBA Leq(h). The entire 5,810 SF infant/toddler yard is in the 66–71 dBA band from Bellwood Road, approaching or above the FHWA criterion of 67 dBA for day care centers and playgrounds (noise memo p. 9, Fig. 4). The criterion is a screening benchmark here; 23 CFR 772 does not apply to this project.

Swap the infant/toddler yard with the quieter area west of the classroom wing, or add a 6-ft solid wall (noise memo Alternative B, p. 12).

Traffic safety

Every child who arrives by car crosses the drive aisle

The 12 short-term spaces are on the far side of the 20-ft drive aisle from the main entrance. The traffic memo forecasts 38 arrivals from 7:30 to 8:00 AM, while elementary students walk past the driveway on the Safe Routes to School route (traffic memo p. 7).

Flip the parking so the spaces face the entrance walk, and carry the sidewalk across the driveway as a raised crossing.

Shade

The infant/toddler yard has no shade at midday

The shade study puts the infant/toddler yard in near-full sun from 9 AM to 3 PM on June 21. The oak grove shades more than a third of the yard west of the play mound at noon, but none of it reaches the youngest children (shade study pp. 6–8).

Add a shade sail over the sand area and two larger multi-stem trees inside the infant/toddler yard.

Site plan with HIA findings

The callouts in the margins are the HIA findings, numbered as in the report, with a leader to the place each one concerns. Filter by positive or negative and by health pathway, turn layers on, and click a callout or a dot to read the finding. Zoom with the buttons or with two fingers, and drag to pan.

Finding
Health pathway
Layers
18Findings, 9 positive and 9 negative
46,020 SFUsable play area, 384 SF per child at a capacity of 120
62%of usable play area below 66 dBA Leq(h)
–
N0204060ftFindings per Rapid Health Impact Assessment, Cardinal Springs Early LearningCenter, draft Oct 30, 2026, Section 5. Numbering per the HIA.LegendPositive findingNegative findingUsable play areaNot usable play area66–71 dBA Leq(h)Above 71 dBA Leq(h)Shade, selected timeWalking and SRTS routeCar drop-off walkCardinal Springs City SchoolsFacilities PlanningCARDINAL SPRINGS EARLY LEARNING CENTERSite plan with child healthimpact findingsScale 1" = 20'ARCH E1, 30 × 42 inSheet HIA-1Rev A · Nov 6, 2026NAD83(2011) NC State Plane, NAVD 88Base: C-101 Rev B; Rapid HIA Oct 30,2026LARK HOLLOWBus stopBELLWOOD ROADDOGWOOD LANESidewalkGreenway connector♿ParkingPlay moundGardenSandPavilionWater playSwingsInfant/toddler yardStrollersBioretentionOak groveEarly Learning CenterInfant andtoddler roomsMain entrance66 dBA71 dBAUsable play area 46,020 SFTo Cardinal Springs Elementary

The sheet shows the site plan simplified. Shadows are computed from the building and tree heights on the plan; noise bands are traced from Figure 4 of the noise memo.

Findings in the HIA

    Selected finding

    Sources and method

    Sources

    • Rapid_HIA_Cardinal_Springs_ELC_Draft.docxChild-focused rapid health impact assessment: 18 findings in Section 5, recommendations in Section 6, health pathway per finding28 pages
    • C-101_Site_Plan_Rev_B.dwgSite plan, 1" = 20', Rev B Oct 23, 2026, with layers for buildings, fencing, play equipment, stormwater and trees with heights1 sheet
    • Traffic_Noise_Memo_Bellwood_Rd.pdfModeled Leq(h) from Bellwood Road and Dogwood Lane at 5 ft above grade, FHWA TNM 2.5, design year 2045, with wall alternatives14 pages
    • Shade_Study_Mar20_Jun21.pdfShadows on March 20 and June 21 at 9 AM, 12 PM and 3 PM10 pages
    • Traffic_Memo_Drop-off_Pick-up.pdfDrop-off and pick-up forecast, construction staging, home locations from the enrollment projection12 pages
    • SRTS_Walk_Audit_Cardinal_Springs_Elementary.pdfSafe Routes to School walk audit with 21 third graders and pedestrian count, Sep 15, 20269 pages
    • Community_Engagement_Summary.pdfDrawing sessions with 34 four- and five-year-olds at two child care centers7 pages
    • Educational_Specification_ELC.pdfEight classrooms, licensed capacity 120, infant and toddler rooms in the west wing8 pages

    Method

    1. Each finding in Section 5 of the HIA was tied to the place on the site plan it concerns and given a callout with the HIA number and a leader to that place. Callouts sit in the sheet margins in the same top-to-bottom order as their targets so leaders cross as little as possible.
    2. Play area was measured from closed polylines on the site plan: the fenced yard minus buildings, sheds and areas with their own fence. Capacity is the 120 children in the educational specification.
    3. The 66 and 71 dBA Leq(h) contours were traced from Figure 4 of the noise memo and overlaid on the plan. The share below 66 dBA is computed on the usable play area.
    4. Shadows were computed for the sun position at the site at the times in the shade study, using the building heights (25 ft and 15 ft), the pavilion height and the tree heights on the plan.
    5. Health pathways, recommendations and page references come from the HIA. Where the plan measurement differs from the HIA text, both are shown.

    Assumptions and limitations

    • The HIA findings were not re-assessed, except where measurements on the plan give different numbers than the HIA.
    • The project is not a federal-aid highway project, so 23 CFR 772 does not apply. The FHWA noise abatement criteria are used here as a screening benchmark, as in the HIA.
    • Noise bands are traced from a figure and may be off by about 6 ft from the model. The shares below 66 dBA should be confirmed with the acoustical consultant if the yard is redrawn.
    • Shadows are simplified: tree canopies are treated as even crowns, and terrain and the play mound cast no shadow in the calculation.
    • Use zones around play equipment should be checked by a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI). Licensing questions on shade and on the bioretention cell should be confirmed with the DCDEE licensing consultant, and the driveway crossing with the town traffic engineer.
    • A health impact assessment informs decisions; it does not replace review by the licensing agency, the planning department or NCDOT.