When Jackhammers Attack

My office window here at 84 Fitzroy Street in Charlottetown faces right out onto the Queen Parkade, a multi-level parking garage. If you leave out the “large concrete monolith that blocks out the sun” part of the deal, they’ve been a good neighbour.

Until today.

Today CADC, the crown corporation that runs the parkade, started work on a renovating the first two levels of the Queen Parkade, work that is expected to continue until the end of May.

Work” in this case means “jackhammers that sound and feel like they are operating inside my head.” In other words, my office space has been rendered uninhabitable.

The jackhammer operators are on a lunch break right now and peace has momentarily returned to the kingdom. If the sound and fury keeps up as it did this morning, however, I’m going to have to move out of the office.

Comments

Derek Martin's picture
Derek Martin on March 22, 2006 - 18:45 Permalink

You have my sympathies. I had them on the other side of my bedroom wall for a couple of months when APM renovated the GNK building on Queen. It was never fun, but the first morning was an especially ugly surprise. Did not need an alarm clock any more.

Dan James's picture
Dan James on March 22, 2006 - 20:19 Permalink

Isn’t there a noise bylaw?

Derek Martin's picture
Derek Martin on March 23, 2006 - 05:31 Permalink

3.6 (a) Any person in the City who:
(i) uses his motor vehicle, lawn mower, chain saw or any other
gas-powered or electrical tool or machine which causes
excessive noise between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.; [is guilty of an offense]

7:00 a.m. is plenty early for me. You might be able to argue under some other sections of the Nuisance Bylaw, not sure if they were in effect when I was losing sleep(disorderly house anybody?.) There have been a lot of amendments. I don’t think I’d recognize this city if all the bylaws were enforced. Is there a democracy anywhere with no cigarette butts on the sidewalk?

Peter Rukavina's picture
Peter Rukavina on March 23, 2006 - 16:29 Permalink

See also:

3.6 (b) The provisions of paragraph (a) do not apply to equipment utilized for snow removal, or to any motor vehicle, lawn mower, chain saw or any other gas-powered or electrical tool or machine used or operated by or on behalf of the City.

Alan's picture
Alan on March 23, 2006 - 17:34 Permalink

Kingston’s Noise Bylaw for comparison purposes. Please excuse or at least be warned of the .pdf format under that link.