Unser noise wall gets noisy hearing
Paradise to Irving stretch discussed
A study measuring sound levels along a half-mile stretch of Unser Boulevard in the Paradise Hills area had locals bringing the noise to a public meeting.
The Wednesday meeting hosted by Bernalillo County had engineers speaking to more than 20 residents about the study that focused on Unser NW, between Paradise and Irving, to determine whether walls are necessary to mitigate traffic noise for neighbors.
“This is what we’re talking about,” Bernalillo County engineer Howard Cake said, as images of the proposed wall were projected on a screen behind him.
At the Paradise Hills Community Center, Cake and others discussed the potential positive and negative impacts of such a project before giving area residents a chance to vote on building the wall.
If built, the wall will be different heights, from 5 feet to 9 feet tall, depending on the noise level on that specific stretch of road, he said. Current walls and fences along the road are not adequate, due to gaps and spaces, to keep sound out.
“It has to be a solid wall,” Cake said.
Benefits for residents include less noise and more privacy, he explained, while negatives involve getting the easements to build the walls and blocked views.
Residents brought forth a litany of concerns — from the loss of trees and access to backyard gates to who will pay for it — often speaking over engineers and each other as they expressed themselves.
The feedback wasn’t unexpected, Cake said, calling it “typical” of such public meetings.
He said it’s beneficial to hear those complaints because it allows them to change the direction and approach of project, he said. Residents were encouraged to write down any concerns on the same paper they used to vote on the issue.
For many present, the traffic noise has risen far above just being a nuisance.
Michael Madrid said the pictures on the wall of his home rattle when a car with loud speakers or a large truck pass by.
“When we moved here,” he said, “there was no Unser.”
He and his wife, Gloria, have lived in the area for nearly 50 years, he said. In the last decade, they have seen traffic increase exponentially.
“Most definitely,” Madrid said, with the worst of it during morning rush hour.
Cake said the sound study began in late 2016 after Bernalillo County Commissioner Lonnie Talbert received complaints about traffic noise.
The study involved measuring noise levels, in decibels, and creating a model based on sound location and house height in relation to sound source, he said. To warrant the wall, levels must have measured higher than 66 decibels.
Madrid said the proposed wall would be 5½ feet tall outside his home, but he doesn’t believe that’s high enough —considering there are plans to widen Irving to four lanes.
“It’s going to be even noisier,” he said, adding that he will vote “yes” if the county agrees to build it 8 feet. “Anything that would cut down the noise would certainly help.”
To move forward on the project, they need a 51 percent majority vote from impacted residents and then they could start to look for funding and possible designs, Cake said. For those that weren’t at the meeting, the county will continue to try to contact property owners.
“I can understand reasons why people would say ‘no,’” he said, adding that residents asking for a taller wall could jeopardize the project.
Cake said an adjustment to 6 feet, maybe 7, is possible but anything higher complicates matters.
“It starts to become really expensive,” he said, due to increased stabilization and construction required.
While Madrid would settle for 8 feet, some residents at the meeting were aiming even higher — at 9 feet.
“We kind of run into an issue,” Cake said. “It is possible for one person to kill a project.”