Construction regulations to get another look
By: Helen Pettigrew
MONTGOMERY – Responding to complaints of early morning noise at Montgomery Village, township officials are examining the local noise ordinance to determine if regulations for construction work are adequate.
Elizabeth Hamblet, a resident of nearby Princeton Village, presented the Township Committee with two petitions with a total of 40 signatures Nov. 2. One requests that construction not be permitted before 7:30 a.m. weekdays, and the other asks that the noise ordinance be expanded to include the moving of vehicles and equipment.
Ms. Hamblet said that although the workers are not allowed to begin construction until 7 a.m., they have been bending the rules by bringing in loud vehicles, and backing trucks into the construction sites as early as 6:30, waking her family and neighbors.
Township Administrator Donato Nieman and committee members told Ms. Hamblet they would review the ordinance and advised her to call the police concerning noise violations in the future.
"We’re going to look to see what we can do about putting that problem to bed," Mr. Nieman said later, adding that he has already spoken with the contractor involved and will "look at the ordinance see if it holds up to what the residents are requesting."
The township’s loud and unnecessary noise ordinance states that construction work can take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays.
Mr. Nieman said he is not sure if the ordinance covers the use of vehicles before the construction start times and that he and the committee will see if the ordinance needs to be revised to include moving vehicles as part of construction work prohibited in early hours.
"It is not unusual to get complaints about violations of the noise ordinance," Mr. Nieman said. "Usually we issue a summons if they are in violation. Sometimes they are just ignorant of the ordinance. First they get a reminder, but if they regularly violate it, they get noticed. Most contractors observe it, but whenever they don’t, we nail them," he said, adding that such serious measures are not frequently required.