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Thurston County residents press commissioners for railroad "quiet zone"; board cites insurance, liability barriers
Summary
Residents near Pattison Lake described sleep disruption and health impacts from frequent train horns and urged the Board of County Commissioners to establish a quiet zone. Commissioners said they support the goal but cited legal and insurance liabilities and promised to bring the matter back on a future agenda while staff continues research.
Residents of neighborhoods near Pattison Lake urged the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 2 to establish a railroad "quiet zone" to curb frequent train horn blasts that neighbors say disrupt sleep, harm health and reduce quality of life.
At public comment, Patricia Williams described nearly 50 years living on Paterson Lake Drive and said the volume and frequency of horns now require extensive soundproofing to work from home and sleep with windows open. John Pettit and Jack Bird echoed those concerns and handed commissioners a Federal Railroad Administration brochure outlining steps and mitigations for quiet zones.
The complaints prompted a substantive response from commissioners. Chair Ty Mentzer acknowledged that…
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