Sound of silence could spread on future holidays
Kelowna could be a little quieter on statutory holidays.
Council will be asked Monday to ban construction noise on all stat holidays as an effort to spare residents some of the racket that comes with being Canada’s fastest-growing city.
Construction noise should also start an hour later on weekend mornings, and end an hour later on weekend evenings, to bring policies more in line with those of other B.C. cities.
“Kelowna’s approach of permitting construction noise within a uniform window for all days of the week, 365 days per year, is a partial outlier,” a report to council states. “Only one other municipality, Kamloops, has adopted this approach.
“Staff recommend allowing construction noise during a reduced window on weekends and prohibiting construction noise on statutory holidays except as authorized by the granting of a variance,” the report states.
One other recommended change is introducing a “heat variance” where construction noise is permitted early in the day if high daytime temperatures are believed to pose a health risk to workers.
“Through a modest set of amendments to the Good Neighbour bylaw, the impact of construction noise on residents can be mitigated without compromising the development industry’s ability to complete much-needed housing and other construction projects in a timely manner,” the report states.
Currently, Kelowna allows construction noise from 7 a.m.9 p.m. seven days a week, 365 days a year.
The proposal before council is for no change to the current bylaw from Monday through Friday. But construction noise would not be permitted on any statutory holiday.
And construction noise could not begin until 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and it would have to end at 8 p.m. on both days.
Despite these provisions, it is possible and would continue to remain so for construction firms to request variances to the noise bylaw.
Such variances are given in the interest of “public safety or traffic considerations”, or when it is “Impossible or impractical” to comply with the bylaw’s provisions if the job involves excavation, concrete pouring or finishing, delivery of major components, or the relocation of a building.
Between Jan. 1, 2023 and early last month, about 130 such variances were granted by the city. Eighty percent of the variances related to concrete pouring or finishing, and 80 per cent of the variances related to construction sites downtown or in the South Pandosy neighborhood.
Coun. Rick Webber had asked for a review of the city’s construction noise bylaws.
Between 2016 and 2021, metro Kelowna was Canada’s fastest-growing city, with a population increase of 14 per cent, to 222,000 people.