Dear Editor
The Bosa project began last week with eight hours of daily pile driving shaking the buildings on Quayside Drive, starting at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 4:30 p.m. construction noise is going to go on for three years. Council will approve a fourth tower at Plaza 88 so that construction noise will be on the east and west sides of McGinnis overpass.
We currently hear train whistles, shunting and squealing brakes all day and night seven days a week. After the daily traffic helicopter flies overhead at 6:30 a.m. – mowing and leaf blowing and garbage truck collection begins. On Sundays people are allowed to run power saws on their balconies and disturb people because New West has no bylaws to prohibit the noise or any bylaws that address air quality, therefore stratas can operate diesel operated lifts two feet from your windows to clean the gutters on their buildings. The impact on health from noise pollution is well documented -how and when are people supposed to sleep? With earplugs and their windows clo sed all summer?
New West council: review the bylaws that were written in 1996 and put some in place that reflect the impact this noise is having on the taxpaying citizens.
Ban leaf blowers like they did in Vancouver, prohibit any construction noise on Sundays and put Plaza 88 Tower 4 on hold until the Bosa project is completed, and also take some responsibility as a city to find a solution to reduce the train noise during the night.
Cheryl Tainsh, New Westminster
