Construction road sign against a blue sky (image via iStock)
Meaford is not planning to adjust the allowed hours of construction in the town, in favour of keeping projects on track.
Council defeated a motion from Deputy Mayor Shirley Keaveney proposing an update to the noise by-law during a meeting on Dec. 11.
Keaveney’s motion proposes limiting construction on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The motion says as the municipality is experiencing a significant increase in construction activity, it has the potential to negatively affect neighbouring residents and businesses.
Construction activity is currently allowed between 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday to Friday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
Coun. Steven Bartley says while he feels for residents who are affected by the construction activity in the municipality, he thinks they should get projects done as quickly as possible.
“If you limit the the amount of hours per day that they work on a site, it just extends the job months down the road,” says Bartley. “We are trying to put it out there to the public, to the building industry that we are open for business.”
Coun. Harley Greenfield adds he has heard from residents who have been affected by the noise from construction, but could not support the deputy mayor’s motion.
“If we are going to have a development, if we are going to grow our economy, if we are going to have sustainability in the future, these things have to happen,” says Greenfield.