Noise Barrier Wall ODOT Public Meeting in Tremont on 08-27-09 (Please Attend)

Submitted by Henry Senyak on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 09:47.

 

This is a email from Mark Carpenter ODOT, informing people of a public meeting.

Lets hope all our current elected officials will Attend. Councilman Cimperman, Councilman Santiago, and Councilman Cummins.

Secondarily I believe this is the same evening as the Ward 14 debate, do not know what time that day the debate is but I request all the candidates running in Ward 14 show up - listen to the people - then speak for the people.

 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Everyone,

Invitation letters and questionnaires were sent out in the mail today to the 48 property owners that abut the Innerbelt.   This was done because we need to target the people that receive the brunt of noise and that would have to live next to a noise barrier.   Attached is the invitation letter, questionnaire, and location map.

The meeting will be advertised in the newspaper.   TWDC volunteered to send the public meeting information out to their e-mail list as well.   Anyone can complete the questionnaire which copies will be available at the meeting.  Any other advertising  that you can provide, i.e.  newsletters, block club meetings, etc., would be appreciated.

The public meeting is:

        Date:          Thursday, August 27, 2009
        Time:          5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
        Place:         Our Lady of Angels / St. Joseph's Center 
                          2346 West 14th Street

If you have any questions, please contact me at (216) 584-2089.
 
Thank you.

Mark Alan Carpenter, P.E.
District 12 Environmental Engineer
(216) 584-2089

 

( categories: )

Take the poll on this issue...

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 11:59.

Add your opinion to a poll on noise barriers here...

Disrupt IT

glad to hear

Submitted by noner on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 12:28.

 of the targeted audience!

noise barriers

Submitted by westward on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 14:38.

 Henry, very happy to hear that those that bear the brunt of the noise will have a chance to say what they'd like to have . I do have a question though about sound waves. I hear that the barriers defelct sound up and over and increase noise for those nearby, just not next to the freeway. Is this an urban legend or is does this have validity? Regardless, those closest should have their say AND also know all options that are available to them.

Do you know what is in the questionaire?

Debbie

Noise

Submitted by Henry Senyak on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 15:26.

Hi Debbie,

 

When Mark Carpenter came to both the original meeting at the offices of TWDC, and at our Lincoln Heights Block Club meeting. Mark stated 400ft. is pretty much the area that would be impacted with decibel reduction witht he 14-18ft walls.

Yes, noise will deflect, especially the jake brake vibration and noise. We had 12 residents and one business owner show up after 225 flyers in on the west side of the highway in Tremont. None voted for the barriers.

Since our meeting on July 9th. we have been only informed of one homeowner that has contacted ODOT , who was not at our meeting, that is for some type of walls. These same property owners actually would like ODOT to buy them out because its the only house that the highway will be 20 foot close to the house. The property is on Kenilworth. The vibration is terrable, just wait until the trucks come back, and the highway is closer.

Trucks come back soon to the westside of the innerbelt.

Vibration is the actual problem, homes and commercial building would shake from the trucks and the jack brakes. I can tell you no walls will deal with the vibration.

Check back tonight.

 

Drba, the walls are not scheduled for I-490 just along the I-90/I-71 streatch.

thx

Submitted by noner on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 19:58.

 thats what I thought . I was more trying to make the point that it is the neighbors who actually live aside the highways that have the most at stake. They are the ones who live with it day in and day out. Others can go home to their quiet section of the neighborhood.

Kinda the same concept as the Tremont Tourist noise/nuisance issue.

the debate

Submitted by westward on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 14:40.

is early, I think 11 to 1 or so. It will also be televised at some point soon on WVIZ. 

Live on Radio

Submitted by skd0333 on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 14:52.

Debate broadcast on 90.3 starting at noon, live.    Rebroadcast on Sunday afternoon.  kd

Today? 

Submitted by ward14resident on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 18:08.

Today? 

noise barrier wall

Submitted by ward14resident on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 17:45.

Hello,

Thank you for the information.  I was happy to learn that mailings have been sent out to the residents who live in the area of the freeway.

I have a question about the meeting in the Tremont area.  Is meeting for all the people who have a stake in the decision?  Do those who have already attended other meetings need to attend this one?  Or is this one primarily for the residents of the Tremont area?

 

After reading Henry's post I

Submitted by ward14resident on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 18:07.

After reading Henry's post I am more aware of the conflicting views about the noise barriers.  Rick Nagin was right when he stated that there is more than one way to look at the problem, depending on where you life and if your house is facing towards the freeway or away from it. 

I understand what you mean about the vibrations.  We get some vibration but I don't think it is anywhere near what you are discribing in the Tremont area.  As you know I am for some type of noise absortion and for my area a noise barrier wall would be the best solution since there is not enough space between the freeway and my property to add enough greenery to reduce the noise.  If there were enough space for a natural noise barrier I would be for it, but that is not the case. 

Would it be possible for the people who want to noise barriers to get it just for there backyard?  I have already planted two evergreen trees, about 3 arborvita trees, and some evergreen bushes in my backyard, along with two apple trees, but the noise is still there.   Or could we get some other type of noise abatement such as I mentioned in a previous post, such as central air, double pane windows, solid core doors, acoustic drapes in lieu of the walls?  Or maybe ODOT would like to just buy the property that is located too close to the freeway? 

If none of these are an option I would chose a wall over nothing.  I don't think they look bad at all when I see them in other areas.  As a matter of fact the people along W130 to W150 just received noise barrier walls not long ago.  I wonder how they liked them?

 

Noise Barriers - Tremont Style

Submitted by Henry Senyak on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 19:20.

Hi,

In the two meetings we were at. That question came up. ODOT said if a group of neighbors in one part of the proposed project area supported a wall, that it could be possible. But if like one property owner just wanted it than the next two didn't and the forth neighbor did it would be a problem. Because for any effectiveness it would have to run consecutively. Plus ODOT also said they would not do them on a single property owner request. Also the Walls would have to be on both sides of the highway or then you create a imbalance of noise to the opposite side.

Even when we found out the one homeowner over by us in Tremont that did not get involved with the meetings stated they needed a wall.  The leadership of our Block Club stated to ODOT that since it is a single property and the only house on the north side of Kenilworth and it would not effect the other's decision, we would not have a problem if the made one 100ft wall to limit some of the noise.

But these people are going to have a real problem with the house, which the highway runs along the whole east side of the big house, with the vibrations. In Tremont we have all the bridges, and the bridge joints. When the trucks hit the bridges and the expansion joints it causes bad vibrations. ODOT has been doing core test drilling all along the highway in tremont again to measure the vibrations. They did it two years ago too.

Yes Tremont is really different that the area between West 25 and Denison, we have the hairpin I-90 west curve that almost every truck uses a jake brake. ODOT states its against federal innerstate commerce laws to restrict engine brake use on a federally designated highway.

This in itself is real bad, can you imagine if you wanted to sell your property? When the Innerstates were built there was no such item as a Engine Brake. We asked for signs ODOT has refused. For about 10 months we have had heaven with the trucks bypassed to I-490 we do not hear them. To all the neighbors which have primarily lived here their whole lives with the highway 40-50 years the ambient level is not even heard.

Its a real Catch 22.