Council here has agreed to conditionally waive the town’s noise bylaw for Ministry of Transportation (MTO) contractors working on Highway 9 north of Harriston.
The MTO is planning on reconstructing Highway 9 from Harriston to Clifford in 2018, and is proposing to tender the work in April.
On Feb. 6 the ministry submitted a noise bylaw exemption request to the town to permit the road reconstruction to take place at night, in an effort to minimize the construction duration and to minimize traffic disruptions.
“Staff and council are very aware of how busy Highway 9 can be during the summer time, and the shorter time the reconstruction takes the better,” states a report to council from chief building official Terry Kuipers.
However, the report notes, “The exemption request, if approved as proposed, could cause serious disruptions to our citizens at night, based on the location of their housing.”
The report notes there are 48 dwellings along the road in the construction area and many of them are located close to the highway, as little as 7.3 metres (24 feet) from the edge of the asphalt.
Kuipers recommended a 50-metre buffer be implemented, which would impact construction activities in front of 27 dwellings.
“Staff also felt that if written permission was obtained from the dwelling occupant, clearly indicating the occupiers consent to allow for the after-hour construction activity to occur during specific days, this would also be acceptable,” the report states.
Council approved a resolution to allow the exemption between May 1 and Oct. 31, with the condition that no construction take place between 9pm on Sundays and 7am on Mondays or within 50m of a dwelling unit unless specific written permission is granted by the occupier of the dwelling.
Council also approved an amendment to allow for a review of the exemption every 30 days during the construction period.
Councillor Judy Dirksen opposed the amended motion out of concern the review provision would complicate the bid process.
“The whole purpose of doing it now (the exemption) is so that the contractors that are bidding on it know what they’re up against,” Dirksen pointed out.
