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In the southeast neighborhood of Belvedere, a group of residents is raising alarms about the disruptive noise levels emanating from an air-handling unit associated with a nearby condominium complex. Since early April, the unit has been operating continuously, leading to significant disturbances in the community.
Kent Henry, a local resident, described the situation as untenable, stating, “A lot of us went out individually and talked to the builder. We all got the same message: the engineers knew of the sound, they looked at the sound, they determined it was operating at design, and that the city passed it.
So there’s nothing they could, or would do for us.”
Community impact and frustration
Residents like Henry are not just complaining about the noise; they are highlighting the broader implications for community life. The noise from the air-handling unit has been so overwhelming that it drowns out other sounds, including traffic from the nearby intersection of 84 Street and Belvedere Avenue SE.
Henry noted, “We got some street noise here, we’re perfectly fine with that. We accept that it’s part of life. If you’re going to build new high occupancy buildings like that, which I think the city needs, they need to consider the communities they come into.” This sentiment is echoed by Dimitra Gray, another resident who shared her struggles with the noise, stating, “If I came outside to sit out here or talk on the phone, I had to yell on the phone.
It was just non-stop. It did sound like planes landing constantly.”
City response and noise regulations
The City of Calgary has acknowledged the complaints and is currently investigating the situation. In a statement to Global News, city officials provided details about local noise bylaws, indicating that normal continuous sound levels in residential developments should not exceed 65 dBA during the day and 50 dBA at night.
Henry, however, conducted his own noise measurements, revealing levels exceeding 72 decibels after 9 p.m., raising concerns about compliance with these regulations. The city defines daytime as 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m.
to 10 p.m. on weekends, while nighttime is set from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends and holidays.
Seeking solutions and community support
As the investigation unfolds, residents are hopeful for a resolution that addresses the noise issue. Laebon Rental Communities, the operator of the condo development known as ‘Blu At Belvedere,’ has yet to respond to inquiries from Global News. However, Gray noted that the air-handling unit was turned off on April 11, coinciding with media inquiries directed at the developer. Both Henry and Gray expressed their desire for the city to implement effective measures to mitigate the noise, suggesting potential solutions such as reducing the unit’s operational time or installing sound barriers. “Hopefully they can come up with something where it’s less noisy,” Gray remarked. “Maybe 15 minutes every hour … or even a sound barrier of some sort.”
