03-08-2015, 08:02 AM
Council defers Grandlinq noise exemptions starting in March
Quote:March 4, 2015 | JamesJackson | Waterloo Chronicle | LINK
City council has deferred a noise bylaw exemption request from Grandlinq pending more information on the potential impact on local communities.
The exemption is required for construction of the new light rail transit project and is expansive. It runs from March 1 to Dec. 31, 2015 and would permit construction 24 hours per day, seven days per week near Conestoga Mall, along the Waterloo Spur line, Caroline Street and King Street.
“Of the four sections, three of them wind along uptown urban neighbourhoods, so I’d like to see a little more around what this is going to look like and how this is going to effect (those neighbourhoods),” said uptown Coun. Melissa Durrell in moving the motion to defer the request at last week’s council meeting.
Staff will prepare a report for March 9 outlining in greater detail the noise impact of the work and potential ways to mitigate it.
The city’s bylaw department has the power to issue or deny such noise exemption requests without council’s approval but Jim Barry, director of bylaw enforcement, said staff opted to bring this most recent request from Grandlinq to councillors because of its all-encompassing nature and the prolonged timeline of the request.
“We can grant up to six months, and this request extended beyond the six months,” Barry said. “When we’re looking at a request that spans more than six months, (and) spans multiple neighbourhoods across the city, that’s where we have to take a step back and say we have to come up with something better to mitigate any issues.”
In a letter to the region, Grandlinq indicated it wanted to begin work on March 15 and will provide notification to residents and businesses within 125 metres of all after-hours work.
The protocol being developed by Grandlinq and the city will include details of how far in advance notices of overnight work would be distributed, confirm that community members are aware of ways to contact Grandlinq if there are any problems, and ensure impacts to community events are considered when confirming construction dates.
The work that is expected to take place includes, but is not limited to: concrete placement of tracks, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, the removal and replacement of sewer and water utilities, track installation and aggregate and asphalt placement.
In an email to the Chronicle, Avril Fisken, communications consultant with AECOM, the firm responsible for the project’s detailed design, said the city’s deferral will not impact the project’s construction schedule.
The sections where LRT work is scheduled to occur include:
• King Street from Conestoga Mall to Northfield Drive
• Northfield Drive from Davenport Road to the Waterloo Spur
• The Waterloo Spur from Northfield Drive to Erb Street
• Caroline Street from Erb Street to Allen Street
• King Street from Erb Street to Allen Street
• Allen Street from Caroline Street to King Street
• King Street from Allen Street to Union Street