Residents at Mission Manor will be able to sleep uninterrupted and enjoy their patios in the summer within a matter of days, according to the property manager for a building with a noisy air conditioner located across the river.
The building, located at 7 St. Anne Street, houses numerous businesses such as the Cajun House restaurant, as well as offices for two city departments and was found in violation of the city's noise bylaw last year. At issue is its air conditioner, which residents at Mission Manor have repeatedly complained about because of how noisy it is at night. A measurement conducted by the city's bylaw department found the decibel level of the unit violated the noise bylaw's restrictions for quiet hours.
According to senior property manager Peggy Craner with New West Property Enterprise Group, a specially manufactured silencer was hoisted to the roof of the building by crane last week. Crews were installing it Friday, though Craner said she could not guarantee it would be done by the end of the day.
"It will eliminate the problem," Craner said.
Long wait
Installing the part marks the end of an almost yearlong saga for Mission Manor resident Brian Johnson, who has lodged complaints and repeatedly pursued the issue. He alleges that the first bylaw officer who took his complaint did not respond accordingly. It was not until he spoke with a senior bylaw officer that correct sound measurements were taken.
"My initial intent is just to stop the noise," Johnson said, sounding exasperated.
Acting city manager Chris Jardine admitted the city "may have dropped the ball" early on when it came to responding to the complaint. While one officer came out to measure the air conditioner's decibel level last spring, no measurement of its noise level during quiet hours was done until August, when it was found in violation of the bylaw. Quiet hours are defined as 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday to Friday; 11 p.m. until 9 a.m. Saturday and 10 p.m. until 9 a.m. Sundays and holidays.
Johnson said the noise is so bad over the summer most residents of the 55-plus building can't use their patio or sleep with the window open.
"The air conditioning unit is much louder from April on because of the heavier draw for air conditioning, so even right now it's not as bad as in the summer," Johnson said.
Johnson eventually became so frustrated with the situation he called several city councilors at 4:30 in the morning, holding the phone out his patio and asking them if they could hear the air conditioner.
"I could hear it in the background and he was at his wits' end," said Coun. Cathy Heron, who asked Jardine about the status of the situation at Monday's council meeting.
Craner said that once the building was identified, the company contracted an engineering department to examine the unit and create a design for a "silencer" that would attenuate the noise. Jardine confirmed that part had to be specially manufactured, which caused delays in addressing the problem.
"Engineers had to come in and have a look at it and say, how do we dampen the noise," Jardine said. "They had to come up with an engineered solution that has to be manufactured. This isn't just off the shelf."
Nora Leclair, who has lived at Mission Manor since 1991 with her husband Lou, said she was happy to hear the problem will soon be fixed.
"It's loudest in the summer time and you like to have your window open to have some fresh air. It does keep you awake," Leclair said. "If that can be done, that's wonderful."
Johnson's biggest concern is how long it has taken to address the problem.
"Why is it taking this length of time to get this resolved?" Johnson asked. "I think sometimes people drop the ball and forget to email a quote and it just gets dragged on."
