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| | 
NOISE
IN
THE
STREETS
Construction work
goes on through
the night to
avoid pedestrians
and traffic.
New Council Hears Neighbor Complaints
By Linda Pina – Courier Staff Writer
Angry Beverly Hills residents didn’t waste any time bringing complaints before the new Mayor Linda Briskman and fellow councilmembers Monday night at city hall. Oral comments are received at the beginning of weekly council meetings for issues that do not appear on the evening’s agenda. Several near-by neighbors stood up to the podium to address the nightly noise levels which they say disrupts their lives due to street construction just a few blocks away.
“I have children in school who need to study and can’t with all the noise,” one neighbor pointed out. Another man who lives near the construction voiced frustration at not being able to sleep with the noise levels to the concerned council members.
As phrase three of the Urban Design Project that started three years ago, The City is making improvements along Canon Dr. between Dayton Way and Wilshire Blvd. The work involves widening sidewalks an additional three ft., installing new traffic lights, replacing lamp posts, planting new palm trees and digging up lanes on both sides of Canon Dr. and to pour new asphalt.
Construction workers in orange vests and hard hats descend on the otherwise peaceful streets and work well into the night to avoid heavy traffic from pedestrians and cars. Workers have to yell to one another to be heard over the noise their machinery makes. Bulldozers, forklifts and huge trucks grind their way through the Business Triangle digging holes, moving dirt and beep loudly as they backup. The sounds of jack hammers breaking up concrete at the corner of Wilshire Blvd. echo through the streets
“There is probably no way to eliminate the noise all together,” the mayor sympathically explained. She stated the worst of the noise, tree removal and concrete cutting, is over and as the construction moves further down the street noise will become less of a problem for the neighbors.
Businesses like Spago restaurant are not experiencing any problems due to the construction. The valet parking has been moved down the block, but customers have not complained about the walk.
City Engineer Ara Maloyan said: “We received a few complaints from residents who live in apartments on Crescent Dr. when the trees were being removed and fed into a chipper but that only took a couple of days.”
“We actually receive more positive feedback than anything,” Maloyan said. “In the 200 block where the improvements are completed I see 50% more people walk around. Canon Dr. used to be dead. These improvements will bring more business to Beverly Hills.
Despite the delay from the rains the work is expected to be completed by June.
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