Construction company wanting a 6 a.m. start time to build Kitchener towers seeking noise exemption
Posted Sep 16, 2024 07:11:22 AM.
Last Updated Sep 16, 2024 10:56:34 AM.
A construction company in Kitchener wants a noise exemption to be put in place to help it accelerate a build on King Street, but city staff are unsupportive of the idea.
VanMar Constructors are in the process of building a cluster of residential towers near the city’s downtown core called Station Park. Moving into Phase 2 of the project, the company is looking to the City of Kitchener for a noise exemption to let workers begin construction at 6 a.m.
Under normal circumstances, construction companies can’t begin making noise until 7 a.m.
VanMar want to be granted a noise exemption from Oct. 1 to April 30, something that may cause the request to be denied.
City staff cite the proposed length of the exemption and a lack of community engagement as the main factors for why they’re unsupportive of the exemption.
“When staff have supported early start times for previous construction projects, they have typically been for concrete pours that must be completed within the same day, these have typically been infrequent over a couple of days at most, never for this length of time,” Kitchener staff said in a Community Services report.
The noise could potentially affect a number of homes located along Wellington Street South and Water Street, adjacent to the site, and those who already live in the Phase 1 Station Park buildings.
VanMar says the earlier start time will allow workers to complete construction faster, something that it says aligns with the City of Kitchener’s strategic plan.
It would also give workers more time with their families, the company said, as many of the contractors and sub-contractors commute from places around southern Ontario, and an earlier start time would help them avoid a congested commute.
It added that as construction progresses the building will become enclosed with the façade materials, reducing noise levels significantly.
The decision comes in front of the Finance and Corporate Services Committee on Monday.
