Noise already bothers locals

Some local residents are already upset about noise from the Greenbridge Development on West Rosemary Street.

But starting this week, construction will begin even earlier, from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m., and residents say there is little they can do to stop it.

The new late-night construction is supposed to occur on average two nights a week and the developers are trying to get the word out to residents and businesses near the site.

“Some of the owners of Greenbridge have gone around and talked to local residents and businesses to tell them what is going on,” coordinator Steve Allison said.

But 30-year North Graham Street resident Nay Howell said that as of Thursday she hadn’t heard anything from the developers about new night construction.

“The sound is going at night now and it’s disturbing,” said Howell, whose house is about 50 yards away from construction. “I don’t know how long they are going to do this.”

Allison said the idea was proposed as a substitute for closing portions of North Graham Street and Merritt Mill Road during the day.

“We are only doing it at night to lay concrete,” he said. “The night work coincides with street closure and use of the concrete pump truck.”

The truck uses a hydraulic crane that filters concrete to the area being filled. The main noise will be the hum from the pump, Allison said.

Some residents said they received fliers stating Greenbridge’s new plans and contact information.

“They gave me a number to call,” said Charlotte Regester, a 50-year North Graham Street resident. “It was courteous that they let us know. So if we don’t sleep, at least they told us.”

Some residents don’t feel like the construction will hinder sleep.

“It probably wouldn’t bother me that much,” North Graham Street resident Jerdene Alston said. “When I go to bed, I’m out.”

UNC junior and North Graham Street resident Chris Gach said he is thankful that the construction is happening during the winter.

“The main thing I’m happy about is it’s winter and our windows are closed,” he said.

The town approved the Greenbridge project in Feb. 2007.

It will consist of two main buildings, one of which will be the tallest in Chapel Hill or Carrboro.

Allison said the project is on schedule and the concrete structure should be completed by May 2009.

Regester said that while she is grateful for the developer’s honesty, she doesn’t feel she has any control if the noise does become a problem.

“I would call them, but they are going to keep pouring the cement,” she said. “They aren’t going to stop.

“They don’t have a reason to.”



Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.