Council grants noise exemption
Construction on Rideau Centre will continue at night for more than a year
The Rideau Centre is about to make a whole lot of noise as construction for an expansion project ramps up.
City council has approved a bylaw exemption to allow work to continue at the site throughout the night for more than a year.
The politicians waived the rules that normally prohibit construction noise beyond 9 p.m. because of work required on the exterior of a building adjacent to the Mackenzie King Bridge.
Project contractors would have needed to use one lane of the bridge throughout to do the work during the day, so city staff agreed the work would cause less public disruption if it occurred at night, according to the motion introduced by Rideau-Vanier ward Coun. Mathieu Fleury.
The exemption starts Dec. 1 and is extended to Feb. 28, 2015, but at any time the city can discuss changes with the contractor if noise is too loud, Fleury said.
He suggested the exemption just moments after councillors retained their ability to deny noise bylaw exemption applications when it comes to larger construction projects.
Bylaw chief Linda Anderson in October proposed changes to the city’s bylaw that would delegate to staff the authority to approve exemptions for specific projects that would benefit from working beyond bylaw regulation hours.
If approved, staff would simply have to notify residents and the ward councillor before moving ahead with an exemption, but councillors vehemently opposed the amendment and came up with a solution at Wednesday’s council meeting. Politicians in each ward still have the power to veto any exemption application.
“Councillors have to be able to step up for their community and force changes during construction,” said Coun. Rick Chiarelli, who was the loudest critic of the proposed changes at a community and protective services committee on Oct. 17.
“If they do veto it, which it doesn’t happen very often, that would trigger discussions with he contractor immediately to try to come up with a compromise.”
At no time since amalgamation has a councillor ever denied an exemption outright, he added. Most often, the politicians work with the contractor to decrease the impact the project will have on nearby residents.
Council has approved exemptions to the noise bylaw in recent months for projects such as the redevelopment of Lansdowne Park, excavations for light rail, the widening of Hwy. 417, a new parkade at Carleton University and an Ashcroft development on Richmond Road.