Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Construction Noise topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Nixa resident asks council to rescind early concrete‑work exception at Old Castle site
Summary
A resident told council concrete-pouring and pump-truck activity at an Old Castle-area apartment site has begun before typical start times; staff said an early-work permit allows concrete trucks to pour beginning at 6 a.m. through September and that staff will remind the contractor of permit conditions.
A Nixa resident asked the council on Aug. 26 to rescind an exception that allows concrete trucks to operate earlier than the city’s normal heavy-equipment start time, saying the activity has created noise and lighting impacts for nearby homes.
Resident Bart Greenwell said the concrete trucks and pump trucks at an apartment project on Old Castle have been noisy and as close as about 40 yards from his back yard. “I would like to have that exception rescinded, as the heat should no longer be an issue,” Greenwell said, describing early-morning pours and lighting that he and neighbors find disruptive.
Planning and development staff responded that the early-work permit was granted because of heat considerations and that the permit allows concrete work to begin at 6 a.m. while large equipment is restricted until 7 a.m. Scott Godby, the city’s planning and development director, explained the permit dates run through September and include specified pour dates, and he said staff added conditions: contractors must dampen backing or moving noises when possible and avoid lighting unless required for worker safety. “The early work permit does allow concrete work to start at 6, but that’s the the way the ordinance is written,” Godby said.
The mayor and staff said they will follow up with the contractor after Greenwell’s complaint; city staff told Greenwell they already call the contractor when residents file complaints to confirm compliance with the permit schedule and rules. Council members and staff clarified that routine framing and standard construction tasks (hammering, nailing, forming) may occur before 7 a.m. because the noise ordinance’s 7 a.m. threshold applies to heavy equipment such as dump trucks, concrete trucks and excavators.
The council did not rescind the exception at the meeting. Staff said they would contact the contractor and remind them of the permit conditions and to notify staff of any date changes.
