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The Issue of Noise This community continues to endure a high pitched drone from The Heights building on Carey Road Similar issue at Summit care home in Victoria, the sound reduction system installed has not helped. City of Victoria Noise Bylaw Review Stop the Summit Noise Citizen’s Group - summer 2022 update In mid-July the CRD conducted tests to isolate the tonal noise being emitted from the Summit’s roof infrastructure. Measurements were made at locations on Vista Heights and Market Street. Members of the STSN community group and CRD staff were present at each site. These tests identified the large chiller as the source of the tonal noise. While not surprising, this confirmation was an important step towards action being taken. CRD staff are now working with engineers and consultants to remediate the chiller and reduce the noise. We will provide an update as new information becomes available. Any significant remediation will likely require funds beyond what was previously allocated for the current CRD effort, requiring further approval by the CRD Board of Directors. To help keep the Summit noise on the agenda of our elected officials, you may wish to reach out to members of the City of Victoria Council and the CRD Board of Directors to share your experience during our 3rd summer of noise! Thank you, Stop the Summit Noise Citizens group On February 10th, Victoria City Council unanimously approved a report directing staff to remove the noise exemption for health facilities from the City Noise Bylaw. Please join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/5450748644998174 MVCCA is concerned that the current Saanich noise bylaw is out of date and needs to be revised. Roof noise like that at the Heights - CHEK news 16 Jan. 2021 A useful link to Vancouver policy Do to the efforts of community members and with the help of the mayor and council, The Heights building has installed additional silencer units on the roof top. The bad news is that they do not appear to have helped. Report from Anne-Marie - submitted 21 Sept. 2017
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MVCCA, Noise from the Heights
On June 22nd, I e-mailed the CRD for details on any changes made to the heat pumps to quieten the noise.
This is the response from the Michael Barnes, Manager, Health & Capital Planning Strategies, CRD
“In the past two years the Capital Regional Hospital District has spent close to $100,000 on the following activities to address concerns regarding the noise at the Heights:
- Installed silencers on all rooftop units and coils.
- Installed noise reduction liners.
- Replaced exhaust hood fans.
- Invested in acoustic testing of the decibel levels.
- Installed fencing and landscaping to entrap and absorb the noise.
- Installed shrouds around the fans.
With these noise attenuation measures we were able to lower the noise levels and Saanich bylaw officials are satisfied the daytime and nighttime decibel readings are within the bylaw limits. “
Dayle Krahn had told me that the Baptist organization had spent a lot of money on trying to solve the noise problem and I e-mailed him on June 22nd for details and have not received a response to date. This is the e-mail that I sent:
“Good morning Dayle.
Despite any changes made to the heat pump atop the Campus of Care, during the past two years - the noise continues, increasing with the summer heat. Could you kindly send me a list of changes that have been made to the heat pump that were made during the past 2 years, to try and mitigate the noise? Also, could you send me the total of monies that have been spent on these changes? I would appreciate the information by Wednesday, thank you.”
I had compared Victoria's bylaws (lengthy) to Saanich (brief) and Saanich council had agreed to the levels .. which doesn't help those of us dealing with this noise.
Noise Bylaw comparison
Note that Victoria has a very detailed section and Saanich has very little, so it is difficult to actually compare them.
Victoria – 20 pages NOISE BYLAW NO. 03-012
Noise Receiver District, Quiet:
day - 55 night – 45
Quiet District permitted noise levels 5 In a Quiet District a person must not make, cause or permit to be made or caused, any sound or noise that, when measured with an approved sound meter over a representative time period, has an equivalent sound level, or Leq, which (a) during the daytime exceeds (i) 55 dBA when received at a point of reception in a Quiet District;
“daytime” means (a) from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on a week day or Saturday; (b) from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on a Sunday or holiday;
Part 3, types of noise: Noise disturbing neighbourhood 11 (1) Subject to the other provisions of this Bylaw, (a) a person must not make or cause a noise or sound in a street, park, plaza or similar public place which disturbs or tends to disturb the quiet, peace rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of persons in the neighbourhood or vicinity; (b) a person who is the owner or occupier of, or is in possession or control of, real property must not make, suffer, or permit any other person to make, a noise or sound, on that real property, which can be easily heard by a person not on the same premises and which disturbs or tends to disturb the quiet, peace rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of persons in the neighbourhood or vicinity. (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to a person who makes, causes, or permits to be made or caused, a sound or noise in compliance with the provisions of sections 5 to 8 unless the noise or sound is clearly audible at a point of reception in a residential area between the hours of 10:00 p.m. one day and 7:00 a.m. the following day.
“tonal sound” means any sound which contains one or more pure tone components including without limitation the “hum” or a fan or heat pump or the “whine” of a hydraulic pump or power saw.
Saanich – 8 pages
BYLAW NO. 7059 FOR ABATEMENT AND CONTROL OF NOISE IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF SAANICH
7. HEAT PUMPS AND WATER PUMPS (a) The Council is of the opinion that the operation of a heat pump or water pump resulting in a sound level at a point of reception located in a Quiet Zone in excess of 50 decibels between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. on any day, or in excess of 45 decibels between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of the following day is objectionable and liable to disturb the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of individuals or the public.
(b) No person shall emit or cause, suffer or permit the emission of sound from the operation of a heat pump or a water pump resulting in a sound level at a point of reception located in a Quiet Zone in excess of:
i. 50 decibels between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. on any day,
or ii. 45 decibels between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of the following day.
- E. e) HEAT PUMP means a device which has the capability to transfer heat from the air outside a building or structure to the air inside a building or structure or vice versa, by means of a compressible refrigerant and includes an air conditioner, condenser, compressor, refrigeration unit and all equipment and devices accessory thereto;
1. DEFINITIONS In this Bylaw, unless the context otherwise requires: a) CONTINUOUS SOUND means any sound occurring for a duration of more than 3 minutes, or occurring continually, sporadically or erratically but totaling more than 3 minutes in any 15 minute period of time; b) DECIBEL means the ratio between levels of sound pressure expressed as 20 times the logarithm to the base of 10 of the said ratio;
So after 4 years .. although it seems that action has been taken, the noise problem still exists. Even during the rainy weather of the past few days, I could clearly hear the heat pump droning on, constantly, in my yard.
Anne-Marie
GOOD NEIGHBOURS
It makes sense that those seeking to carry on business in and near neighbourhoods where people live should be subject to high standards when in comes to taking responsibility for the impact of their business decisions on the lives and well-being of near-by residents.
The Noise at The Heights at Mount View
Baptist Housing’s newest facility, The Heights at Mount View, celebrated its building dedication on Oct 28th, 2014 and its grand opening the following Saturday. At the building dedication, people were told the building came in under budget.
It turns out that the “under budget” status may have been obtained at the neighbours’ expense. During a meeting in 2014 with Baptist Housing’s Dayle Krahn, steering committee members Susan Belford and Carol Hamill learned that original plans for the building had included sound baffles around the roof top exhaust fans. As delays increased construction costs, the project’s bottom line was threatened and it was decided to save $70,000 by foregoing the rooftop baffles. Baffles cannot now be installed on the roof because of a deep coating of hardened foam insulation. The rationale given for this decision was that the cut “will not impact patient care.”
It appears that no consideration was given to the well-being of residents neighbouring the development. For 2 months prior to the building dedication, the people living on Kamloops, Homer, Carey and Rowland were subjected to noise levels above the acceptable level both day and night as the fans were run at full throttle to flush the building of toxins from building materials so that builders could meet LEED standards.
After much discussion with bylaw and inspection staff, as well as bringing Councillors into the discussion, neighbours were told the noise would abate soon; Saanich staff worked hard to bring the noise level to more acceptable levels. Overall levels were moderately lower by the time of the grand opening, but the noise continued to prevent nearby residents from enjoying their back yards, or the adjacent Mt. View Park.
In November 2014, Krahn indicated Baptist Housing will do what they can to reduce the noise by changing the type of ducting to absorb sound. This work progressed gradually and stopped after two ducts were changed, due to manufacturing delay. As of late June 2015, a few more have been added. Some neighbours report some reduction in noise level, while others do not.
The buildings’ rooftop fans are not its only source of neighbourhood noise. There is also a secondary vent on the north side of the building facing the public path that operates at substantial volume, as well as two small fans that are placed at ground level, about 3 metres from a public path. While these ground level fans do not run all the time, they are very loud when they do, and their volume is amplified by of the building’s placement. The operation of these fans is particularly bothersome to the houses next door to the Heights; the house immediately adjacent on the north side also experiences deep shading of the back yard and rear part of the house throughout the day.
This issue is important for several reasons
Adopt a by-law or amendment ensuring that from this point forward, following the issuing of a building permit, it will not be permissible to alter building plans in a way that could negatively impact the well-being of neighbouring residents without explicit approval of those residents.
Thanks to Anne-Marie Deryaw, Heather Davies, Carol Hamill and Chelsea Garside for their work on this issue.
It makes sense that those seeking to carry on business in and near neighbourhoods where people live should be subject to high standards when in comes to taking responsibility for the impact of their business decisions on the lives and well-being of near-by residents.
The Noise at The Heights at Mount View
Baptist Housing’s newest facility, The Heights at Mount View, celebrated its building dedication on Oct 28th, 2014 and its grand opening the following Saturday. At the building dedication, people were told the building came in under budget.
It turns out that the “under budget” status may have been obtained at the neighbours’ expense. During a meeting in 2014 with Baptist Housing’s Dayle Krahn, steering committee members Susan Belford and Carol Hamill learned that original plans for the building had included sound baffles around the roof top exhaust fans. As delays increased construction costs, the project’s bottom line was threatened and it was decided to save $70,000 by foregoing the rooftop baffles. Baffles cannot now be installed on the roof because of a deep coating of hardened foam insulation. The rationale given for this decision was that the cut “will not impact patient care.”
It appears that no consideration was given to the well-being of residents neighbouring the development. For 2 months prior to the building dedication, the people living on Kamloops, Homer, Carey and Rowland were subjected to noise levels above the acceptable level both day and night as the fans were run at full throttle to flush the building of toxins from building materials so that builders could meet LEED standards.
After much discussion with bylaw and inspection staff, as well as bringing Councillors into the discussion, neighbours were told the noise would abate soon; Saanich staff worked hard to bring the noise level to more acceptable levels. Overall levels were moderately lower by the time of the grand opening, but the noise continued to prevent nearby residents from enjoying their back yards, or the adjacent Mt. View Park.
In November 2014, Krahn indicated Baptist Housing will do what they can to reduce the noise by changing the type of ducting to absorb sound. This work progressed gradually and stopped after two ducts were changed, due to manufacturing delay. As of late June 2015, a few more have been added. Some neighbours report some reduction in noise level, while others do not.
The buildings’ rooftop fans are not its only source of neighbourhood noise. There is also a secondary vent on the north side of the building facing the public path that operates at substantial volume, as well as two small fans that are placed at ground level, about 3 metres from a public path. While these ground level fans do not run all the time, they are very loud when they do, and their volume is amplified by of the building’s placement. The operation of these fans is particularly bothersome to the houses next door to the Heights; the house immediately adjacent on the north side also experiences deep shading of the back yard and rear part of the house throughout the day.
This issue is important for several reasons
- It is against the law to subject people in their homes to noise above acceptable levels.
- Developers have a moral responsibility to be good neighbours to the residents whose community they are impacting. The noise they make, the light or shadow they cast and the traffic they create must be minimized according to rigorous standards.
- District of Saanich Council and Staff have a direct responsibility for ensuring the well-being of the residents they serve. This means that they must protect residents from bad neighbour development plans. It may be useful for Saanich to:
Adopt a by-law or amendment ensuring that from this point forward, following the issuing of a building permit, it will not be permissible to alter building plans in a way that could negatively impact the well-being of neighbouring residents without explicit approval of those residents.
Thanks to Anne-Marie Deryaw, Heather Davies, Carol Hamill and Chelsea Garside for their work on this issue.