Homeowner tells commissioners construction has turned neighborhood into ‘110-decibel’ work zone, asks for work group

Michael Jensen, a longtime homeowner in unincorporated Clackamas County, told the Board of County Commissioners that a two-acre lot cleared to build three large houses has made daily life in his neighborhood “extremely stressful.” He said construction noise began as early as 6:30 a.m., that tree cutting and equipment produced noise “as high as 110” decibels, and that trucks and equipment have blocked mailboxes and property access.

“We are on our own to deal with and [the] owner and his workers telling us that they can do whatever they want because it is a construction zone,” Jensen said, adding residents had to install new windows to reduce noise and worry about stormwater runoff from the cleared site. He asked the board to form a work group “to address and help create fair policies that protect all citizens, not just the developers building expensive homes.”

Chair Roberts and several commissioners responded that public comment is the appropriate place to raise the issue and staff would follow up. Commissioner Savas said staff would take Jensen’s contact information and look at noise ordinance compliance; Savas also noted recent state changes now limit notice to residents within 100 feet of a development, down from a prior 300-foot standard. The board did not take immediate action but said staff would follow up outside the meeting.

The comment highlighted three specific local concerns: noise and safety from early-morning construction activity, blocked neighborhood access linked to staging and trucks, and potential stormwater impacts when forested ground is replaced with impervious surfaces. Jensen’s request for a work group was the outcome he sought; the board acknowledged receipt and asked staff to investigate and follow up with him.