What the heck, City of Kelowna

[Mtn Biker]

I too live just north of tracks right off bridge and cannot hear a thing from Bernard. I do hear the equipment at Tolko running all evening though. Not overbearing but very noticeable.

I am referring to the beep, beep, beep of a backup siren. I couldn't figure out who would be working, now I know. The mill doesn't bother me, it does others I know. This was not the mill, sound was coming from a different direction.

[joer2012]

OMG noise next to an industrial zone, and people working after 4PM

Kelowna should be a silent paradise.

No need for jobs, work, economy etc.

[Snickerdoodle]

FINALLY !!!! Someone else that felt my pain. I too used to live on Clement, and although I will deal with most industry noise and dirt and debris and all that comes with living next door to Industrial Zone - I was also under the belief of a nose bylaw. The packinghouse used to plow their snow using a forklift with a blade, and every time they backed up you would hear the high pitch beep beep.... and they did this from about 1am to 5am.

Now I get that they need to clear snow, it was only the beeping (which by the way CAN be turned off) that woke up everyone. And I would watch and see they were the only people out at that time of night, so the risk of running into someone, not that high, I'm sure the volume could have been turned down.

I moved - and you couldn't pay me enough to live on that street again!

[Mtn Biker]

OMG noise next to an industrial zone, and people working after 4PM

Kelowna should be a silent paradise.

No need for jobs, work, economy etc.

Your comments are most often filled with contempt for all things Kelowna. Can you do us ALL a favor and move. An industrial zone has to follow the same laws and the rest of us, especially those surrounded by residences. Just ask any business along Leathead. There is common sense and there is comment posters with no sense. Most work in AB and hate Kelowna.

[JoePlanner]

Expanded hours of work / noise bylaw exemption were granted on the basis of minimizing as much as possible the impact and duration of disruptive construction works on the downtown merchants. Expanded hours of work translate into a total project time that is compressed by MONTHS. Can't please everyone. *shrug*

[ixler8]

It's funny how the city can change the rules anytime it suits them. It's not a fair playing field.

[Anonymous123]

OMG noise next to an industrial zone, and people working after 4PM
Kelowna should be a silent paradise.
No need for jobs, work, economy etc.

Your comments are most often filled with contempt for all things Kelowna. Can you do us ALL a favor and move. An industrial zone has to follow the same laws and the rest of us, especially those surrounded by residences. Just ask any business along Leathead. There is common sense and there is comment posters with no sense. Most work in AB and hate Kelowna.

joer sounds bitter because he couldn't make a go of it in Kelowna. He has to live/work in Alberta.

[GordonH]

what the heck City of Kelowna I just need to vent and this form seems like a good place .........So we all know the city is screwing around on Bernard Ave, they are taking away parking spots thus forcing people to park farther away in residential areas, residential areas where we now have to pay for parking, so now I am going to have even less of a chance to park in front of my house.....oh and also they have a huge empty lot on clement where they store equipment and dirt for the Bernard project, last night all I hear from inside my house is the beep beep beep beep sound of Heavy equipment backing up and dump truck slamming their gates, sometimes its enough to shake my house, I noticed the time was just after 9, so I figured when 10 pm hit the noise would stop due to the Bylaw, but no, it didn't .....then I figured maybe it will stop by 11........nope, just after midnight they shut er down, so in short THANKYOU City of Kelowna for being a bunch of stuck up snobs, who don't seem to give two *bleep* about us taxpayers PS if anyone knows where these councilperson live please tell as I would love to go and park outside there houses and keep them up all night

I no idea what residential parking has to do with the work being done on Bernard Ave.

Parking on Bernard Ave. before the changes was done between Richter St & St. Paul was 74 parking spots. I have not been their since the changes have been done, just wondering how many are their now.

[Cumungala]

I live off Richter north of the tracks and I could hear them too. Found it somewhat annoying at my distance, can't imagine being closer. I'd be *bleep* too. In similar fashion, the city parks crew came around last week and cut a number of elm trees down along my neighbors property, that we're adjacent their home, border their property and an alley (city property), without notification of the home owner. Just showed up on a weekday while all were at work and cut them to the ground. These trees provided privacy and all the shade for the west side of the home. They were maintained so they did not infringe on the alley. The city's answer was that elms are invasive trees. Well each case is different, and no other properties, city or otherwise we're impacted. How can they do that without involving the home owner? It was just wrong in my mind and shows the type of decision making at city hall is somewhat brain dead at times. Starts at the top.

Nice to see that the city is actually starting to do something about the Siberian Elm problem.

I live nowhere near the North End, so I can't really complain about the noise from that. I remember quite a few years ago when the sewer on my street was being replaced and they often worked till very late and started work early in the morning. There was probably only about a 4 hour window during the night where they were not working. It was really hard to sleep at night with all of the noise outside. I have moved a few times since then, but it looks like the street that I live on now could be dug up at some point too.

[sierra]

In regards to the Siberian Elm eradication, you should really educate yourself as to what the effect of that species does and what it doesn't contribute to anything. You may have thought they were beautiful but they are a destructive and messy tree. It is not native to North America and contracts diseases and physical problems quickly. They are often breaking and causing alot of damage even while looking healthy. It is a host for pests and parasites therefore increasing money spent (Your f'in money)on eradicating these nuisances. Do yourselves a favour and go out and remove these useless trees once you see them. If you cut it at the base, it will likely be back so try and remove the roots. The extensive root system damages utilities, ruins properties and tears through pavement. They love sun and poor soil so they pop up everywhere from alleys to road sides. The amount of people that like them are below 5% and as a result of the massive amount of complaints in Kelowna, they were blitzed this winter. No trees were removed on anyones property so if you (MTN BIKER) think that you control what happens on the easement around your property then get a life. When would you like the work to be performed?? During the night?? Isn't this what this *bleep* match of a thread is about?? More whiney Kelowna softies at it again. Move if you have so much anger and hatred with the city, rcmp, rdco blah blah blah. I feel like slapping some of you around when I have to deal with you in the public, people are so arrogant and uneducated in this city and they never think of what the reprecussions could be before opening their mouths. How about the workers come by and whipe your *bleep* tomorrow and tell you how sorry they are for eradicating a pest?? Plant a tree in your yard if you want shade and privacy. These trees are being managed by competent and educated people and if you have a problem with that, go get a degree and apply with the city and see how easy you may think these choices are. The city does not change rules on a regular basis and if not for the change of working hours for Bernard, the construction would go on throughout the summer creating traffic congestion, businesses being really *bleep* off and an unattractive downtown core during tourist season. Just suck it up for this short amount of time or move, it's not rocket science. I live in the bush for a reason. To avoid these dilemmas in the first place and to avoid the typical bitchy Kelownian I see posting on here and frolicking around town in lulu and a BMW. What the hell is wrong with this place?

[Graham Adder]

Don't hold back sierra.
Tell us how you really feel about whiners and crappy invasive species.
You're so passive.

[sierra]

Deleted by Trip. Off topic.

[joer2012]

More whiney Kelowna softies at it again.

To avoid these dilemmas in the first place and to avoid the typical bitchy Kelownian I see posting on here and frolicking around town in lulu and a BMW. What the hell is wrong with this place?

My previous comment is of the same notion. I too lived close to where I could hear industrial noise overnight. It was a bit of a hassle and occasionally troubling, but life went on. I waited til I could move to a quieter place when finances and opportunity arose.

I did not email the City, complain to my neighbours, whine, start a petition, or post on Castanet. I understood the cause and accepted things for what they were and eventually I dealt with it. I would not change it, I am just a simple human being living my life.

The root cause is general intolerance, ignorance, lack of understanding that work has to get done and that life is not perfect.

The outlet, is a convenient vehicle for these ignorant rants to pop up more or less every day on every single topic.

Buyer beware (basic consumer law): there may be noise or other hassles close to your new home therefore do some research before purchasing or renting a home.

[Black Daisies]

A few years ago, the warehouse behind my house changed ownership. I am very lucky because it usually is very quiet. Soon after it changed ownership, I was woken at 3 AM by a very loud bobcat with a shovel clearing the snow from the lot. I wasn't too pleased. This happened two nights in a row. City hall really couldn't help so on the 2nd night, I called the warehouse. The answering machine had a pager number to call in case of emergency. So... I called the pager number about every 10 minutes until the noise went away and I got to go back to sleep. All I told them was that since they won't let me sleep, I'm returning the favor. Somehow the company found a way to clear their lot during the daytime after that. That happened about 6 years ago and hasn't happened since.....sometimes a little creativity is all that's required to solve your problems..

[joer2012]

Your comments are most often filled with contempt for all things Kelowna. Can you do us ALL a favor and move.

Most work in AB and hate Kelowna.

Look at you. Trying so hard to grind a guy down. I actually enjoy the Okanagan and all the good things it presents to me. The lifestyle is great, and having no worries or pressures to fall for the Sunshine tax myth/trap makes for a pretty awesome life.

Thanks for thinking of me though, and making the paltry effort to grind my gears. 1/10 for effort.

I despise the prissy, selfish, stuck up, snobby, shallow, self important, arrogant noise that 'some' residents make. And the people who have so much spare time on their hands that they infest these forums 24/7 with their rants about cops, the City, City workers, workers, noise, dogs, geese, noisy neighbours, noisy hot tubs, stores, homeless people, trees, kids, traffic, the weather, tourists, Albertans, the price of skinny lattes, etc.

And I make no apology for despising all of that crap. Fewer of these whiny prissy people being around would make for a quieter life where people could work hard and get ahead. Kelowna would be a better community if people had decent work and jobs and a need to just get on with life, and moan and whine less. Instead of a day spent at the mall, Starbucks, hair salon, tanning salon, bar, club, ganghouse.....

People could then put their time and effort into helping others, making a difference, resolving issues, self-education,career development etc. And that alone would make for a better, happier Kelowna.