Editorial: Construction noise and quality of life
I wrote an email to the mail list for the North Berkeley street that I live on saying that construction projects are a fact of life in California towns like the one we live in. I know because I’ve been living in California for 30-plus years, and it seems if it isn’t rainy season there are a bunch of hellacious construction projects going on nearby.
One of my neighbors appeared at the front door, hysterically ringing on the doorbell. I’m greeted downstairs with his anger. “I have a right to do this,” he yells. “And I have a right to say it sucks,” I say.
Never ring a neighbor’s doorbell in anger. Please. Count to 10.
In the mid-90s I lived next door to a high-school-sized project. Sunday morning at 7AM they’re out with the bulldozers. I called 911, fed up, not wanting to fully wake up after a night out. Later that day the neighbor is yelling at me for calling the cops. I should have called him, he says. He should go to hell, I think.
Yes, they have the right to do these projects. But they ruin the quality of life here. I’ve been wanting to say that publicly for some time. Now I have.
I don’t know the rules, but they must prohibit construction at 7:40AM and on Sunday mornings.
We live in paradise. But we also live in hell.
“I can get through this.” I’ll just turn up the music. Turn on a fan. Wear noise-cancelling headphones. Travel.
Last week I was in Boston and New York. The peace and quiet. Coming home, the cab dropped me off in front of my house. For a moment I was fooled. Took a deep breath. Home sweet home. Then I heard the drill next door. The peace shattered, I remembered why I dread living here.
I’ve done one very short construction project of my own on a house I bought in 1992 in Woodside. Other than that I’ve been on the receiving end.
What are the rules? Maybe we need some new ones. Or just a little compromising or understanding. Appreciation for our community.
I think at a minimum we should have the same information about the project that they have. If they know the crew will be working on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the neighbors should know too. Maybe we should have two months of the year when you can’t do projects so that neighborhoods could enjoy at least some of the sunny season. What about people who move out of the neighborhood while their house is under construction. I understand they can’t live in the house, but it seems a bit unfair that they don’t have to deal with the noise they inflict on their community.
Maybe there should be a cost for excessive noise. An incentive to keep it quieter. I love weekends here. I look forward to rainy season.
I think one thing we can ask for is that the people with the projects at least listen to the people who are effected by their projects. You shouldn’t be able to send a contractor or architect around to notify people about your project. When that happens I refuse to sign the form they put in front of me. I give them my number and ask that the homeowner give a call. It seems pretty basic, no?
Update: Construction suckage extends to the UC campus.
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