Relentless construction annoys neighbours in Metro Vancouver

Ann Cammell cant wait for The Lauren apartment building in Vancouvers West End to finally be built.

Not because she wants to live in the new 22-storey monolithic tower, but because Cammell wants the construction the jackhammering, the noise and the rumblings that she has put up with for two years to stop.

Its been a bit of a trial, Cammell said. It gives you a headache when it goes on and on and on.

While the noise can seem non-stop, most Metro Vancouver municipalities dont allow construction on Sundays.

In fact, its written in their noise bylaws that such work can only be done Monday to Friday usually from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., although the times vary from city to city.

Surrey, for instance, allows construction at 9 a.m. on Saturdays, while Richmond doesnt give its residents a break on Sundays and holidays, allowing construction from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

But there are exceptions to every rule and it seems some cities, including Surrey and Vancouver, are willing to bend them.

For a fee Vancouver charges between $148 to $296 and Surrey $50 the cities allow companies to apply for an exemption of the bylaws so they can work extended hours, including Sundays. The reason, city officials say, is to get infrastructure projects built more quickly, or at a time when there is less traffic and fewer people on the streets.

We have a fair share of construction projects that have to go outside the noise hours because theyre large capital projects, said Jas Rehal, Surreys manager of bylaws and licensing. We look at all the projects. If we feel its not time-sensitive or required outside normal noise hours, well reject it.

Rehal didnt know offhand how many exemptions Surrey has issued in the past year, but said I signed off on a couple in the last few weeks.

Continued here:
Relentless construction annoys neighbours in Metro Vancouver