Kelowna council unanimously supports reviewing construction noise bylaw

A motion which will see the city review construction start and end times in the city was endorsed by Kelowna council this week.

Coun. Rick Webber issued his notice of motion during the Jan. 23 meeting and council voted unanimously in support of it on Monday afternoon.

The motion proposes directing staff to take a look at other “development-heavy cities” and their bylaws then recommend amendments to Kelowna’s bylaw.

Currently, construction is allowed to start at 7 am and end at 9 pm, seven days a week, 365 days a year, even on statutory holidays.

“Learning to live with nearby construction has become a fact of life for hundreds of city residents,” Webber’s motion says, adding that he has received correspondence from residents complaining about the impacts on their stress levels and mental health.

During the meeting, Webber pointed to reports in the media that Kelowna's population is expected to bloom an estimated 60% over the next two decades.

He also pointed to the new legislation that encourages infill housing.

“It seems like infill housing construction within our existing neighborhoods is here to stay and there’s going to be a lot of it,” Webber said.

“It just seems like a good time to review the construction rules surrounding that.”

City Clerk Stephen Fleming told council the last time the construction noise section under the Good Neighbour Bylaw was last reviewed was about five to eight years ago.

Staff will now begin work on investigating options for council and bring back a report at a future meeting.