The mayor has decided it’s time to force developers to start considering noise as a quality of life factor when planning new subdivisions.
During a public hearing Monday, which saw Genstar petitioning the city to change the name of one of its developments from the Northwest Urban Village to Ville Giroux, Nolan Crouse served notice of motion he wants to put a stop to the practice of building next to rail lines and busy roads without proper sound attenuation measures.
“There is no public council policy that says, ‘you shall do this on noise direction,’” Crouse said afterwards.
As proposed, Ville Giroux would be built adjacent the CN rail line many St. Albert residents have already complained about. It will also border Ray Gibbon Drive, which is designated to become a six-lane highway.
Crouse has made his displeasure with how developers plan housing along rail lines known in the past, but Monday’s public hearing saw him, besides issuing his notice of motion, exchange terse words with Jim Pennell, senior development manager of Genstar.
Pennell explained to council that, when Ray Gibbon Drive reaches six lanes, it will be dug down, which will provide some natural sound abatement. In the interim, a berm and fence will be put in place to attenuate traffic noise.
As for the railroad, CN recommends a chain link fence bordering the rail line, a five-metre natural area and then residential fencing. Pennell said Genstar would follow those requirements, as well as ensure homes are built at least 15 metres from the track right of way and 30 metres from the track centre line. He also said there would likely be some planting done in the natural area in between.
“We’ll be providing the noise attenuation we’ve been asked to do. So that’s what we’re going to do,” Pennell said.
But the Ville Giroux area structure plan states that CN recommends ‘additional noise attenuation, setback and vibration mitigation measures,’ a point Crouse seized on.
“What I’m saying is within the area structure plan is that CN is recommending more. I hear you saying we’re not going to do any more. And what’s being asked, is that you do more,” Crouse said.
Pennel countered with a noise report from 2006 stating no additional vibration mitigations were required.
“I still have to think what’s in this report still stands.”
Under Crouse’s notice of motion, administration will prepare a policy or standards for rail and arterial noise attenuation. The city is already negotiating with CN a series of changes that would remove the need for trains to blow their whistles while in city limits, but those changes are at least two years away.
“I have regularly been concerned, ever since I was a councillor, that railway noise is not being dealt with,” Crouse said.
The notice of motion will return to council at a future meeting for debate.
