Round-the-clock construction noise vs. public projects that don't drag on and on

Pick your poison. Night time noise for neighbors or even slower construction schedules for large projects like Capitol Hill's light rail construction? I'll take the noise -- but I don't live near the light rail construction zone on Broadway.

Seattle City Council is scheduled to vote next Tuesday on legislation that would create variances to the city's noise ordinances for "major public construction projects." At stake are limits on the duration of variances that these projects require -- and typically get -- for round-the-clock work. The new rules would make it possible for projects to apply for -- and likely typically get -- long-term and sometimes life-of-project variances to allow for things like night-time construction.

Here is the proposal:

1.  C.B.  116204
Relating to noise control, amending various sections 
and adding new sections to Chapter 25.08 of the 
Seattle Municipal Code, to provide for a major 
public project construction variance for major public 
construction projects, to update various provisions 
to conform to new technology and changes in 
technology, to revise the enforcement procedures to 
provide for stop work orders, revocation of 
variances, citations and civil penalties, to revise 
various provisions to update and clarify references 
and correct grammar and other errors, and repealing 
Sections 25.08.130, 25.08.240, 25.08.535, 
25.08.620, 25.08.750, 25.08.770, 25.08.780, 
25.08.790 and 25.08.810.
HELD January 26, 2009
(From Transportation 
Committee)
PASS AS AMENDED
(Drago, Clark, McIver)

And here is what the Quiet Alliance and the Seattle Community Council Federation have to say about it:

With projects like the Alaska Way Viaduct replacement, SR-520, and light rail, Seattle is about to suffer the largest and noisiest construction in its history.  This is the worst time to weaken an important bulwark of livability and public health.  The noise ordinance also protects us from the vibration, dust, light, and truck traffic that come with night-time construction.  Without it, we're lost.  The proposed variance locks in permissive treatment of public construction that all would suffer from for a decade.

I've invited Sound Transit to provide their feedback on what effect the revised rules would have on their Capitol Hill station plans. Will update this post when I hear back from them later today.

Regardless of how you come down on the situation, you should take a minute to drop a mail to your favorite councilmember to let them know how you feel.

UPDATE: Here's what a spokesperson for Sound Transit had to say about the proposed legislation and round-the-clock work on the Capitol Hill light rail construction:

Due to the need to operate the tunnel boring machines for University Link around the clock, Sound Transit's contractor will need to be able to work during the night time hours. In order to do that, the agency is applying for a technical noise variance from the City of Seattle.

Whether or not to change the process for granting variances is a decision for the Seattle City Council. Sound Transit did not request any change to the existing ordinance, and the agency is prepared to apply for a variance under either the existing ordinance or a new one because the variance is a necessary part of completing the project.

Part of the process to apply for a noise variance is to evaluate the steps that can be taken to mitigate noise, such as building sound walls, shrouding generators, etc. Our experience with nighttime construction on Beacon Hill has been that these methods are successful at reducing the impacts of the noise.