Veteran readers know we have a thing about unnecessary noise. We try not to give voice to it much anymore because, well, things are quiet around the News Bunker and people don’t like a Squeaky Wheel squeaking about the same thing over and over again.
We’ve just said local noise pollution is a problem, it has a detrimental effect on the population and that it is going to get worse. And it is.
And we know many of you wags are going to shrug and peck out “First World Problem” on your keyboard, but others are not looking away.
Our first contact this morning, by the way, was at O Early Thirty and comprised of contact by the head of a Danville Family who, by the look of his photos and the tone of his note to us, set his cap and went out to find the inconsiderate Visigoths who dared to fire up a wood shredder outside his house at 5:30 am.
It must be said that this particular gentleman is a working man who understands the plight and limitations of the working man but 05:30 was just a weeee bit early even for him. He did what several of us have done when confronted by a D9 Caterpillar tractor clearing its throat in Moraga at 5 a.m., or the crew of Leaf Chasers pursuing their interests in a condo complex in San Ramon on a previously sacrosanct Saturday morning.
He reacted. See, some people still work regular hours, fighting and clawing their way to work – and they look forward to some paid-for peace and quiet on a weekend. But nope, uh-uh, ain’t gonna happen no more folks – the Modern World is catching up and threatening to crash over us like a cresting tsunami.
Our Angry Danville Guy jumped in his trusty vehicle to pinpoint the source of this morning’s WhirrrrrWhirrrrrwhrrrr and found a crew of tree trimmers plying their craft near the Danville Lunardi’s store making foliage disappear with singleminded dedication – at 5:30 a.m.
ADG engaged the crew – as others have done recently in San Ramon, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill and Orinda – and was shocked to learn they were operating with the sanction of the town, telling him they had a permit to do the work.
Others have been told much the same, and probably registered the same disbelief as Angry Danville Guy – although he did not snatch a cell phone out of the hands of an (in his eyes) offending Mow-and-Blo worker in San Ramon; snatch a leaf blower out of the back of a “gardener’s truck” in Walnut Creek, or stand off with a puffed-up and angry, 220 pound Caterpillar operator in Moraga – as others like him have done.
Our hero was left questioning the name of his particular Offender’s company, mocking him from its position on the side of their truck, and to peck out the following to us: Danville gives Lunardi’s permit to cut down trees @ 5:30 AM WITH OUT NOTIFYING 26 RESIDENTS living with in 300 ft!!
Hey, Angry Guy, we feel. We really do. This noise thing, well, it’s a thing – and it’s getting worse, with biologists in some areas reporting that birds in areas where noise is prevalent adjusting their singing in order to compete. When nature starts getting angry at us, people, look out – she’s already plenty yanked off about what we’re doing to her oceans.
As for Noise Pollution, some (like us) will stomp their feet and ball their fists and our heart rates will go up like the scientists say it and other detrimental effects of noise will kick in – and we’ll call the police, our towns, or write an angry letter or email to the local pape… news site.
Will anything be done? That remains to be seen. We’ve had other problems illuminated for us and we haven’t done much to correct them now, have we?
Hint: Bad yelp reviews can hurt a business and I would not hesitate to go there if it were happening in my neighborhood. I would do this on top of complaining to City Hall.
Are trees easier to cut at 5 am or something? Why the early start time?
Yes in parking lots and areas bc there are no cars yet to block trees.
I don’t live in the area in question but I’d be angry too if someone got me out of bed at 5 in the morning. Seems to me the answer would be for the company to send a worker in before the parking lot fills up to rope or cone off an area they need to get the work done and then do the work during normal business hours. I am hearing that the store may not want to do that? Because of the loss of parking and presumably customers? If true and again I am not involved, it seems the store is responsible for inflicting the noise on its neighbors and the tree trimming company and town are complicit. At the very least I’d think twice about patronizing a store willing to do that to me — if true.
It’s getting like we just can’t make good decisions any more. Even if I had a permit to do this work I wouldn’t send my workers out to inflict this upon a neighborhood. Was a tree hanging over a house and ready to fall or something?
Really the only legitimate reason we can think of for doing the work at this hour, Bob. Hoping for more info from ADG – Angry Danville Guy – or the workers themselves.
I’m sure the business was attempting to have the work completed prior to the opening of business to reduce any risk to shoppers in a very busy parking lot. No doubt, there would be complaints about the tree crew in the way of shoppers and taking up parking spaces. The tree company is just doing their job with the permission from the appropriate city officials. While there might not have been a tree falling over, it sounds like the store is trying to complete the necessary maintenance. With the added pressure of community complaints and unwarranted negative yelp reviews, it makes it more difficult for our service vendors to provide good service!
It would be nice if all businesses operated during reasonable hours, but I don’t get worked up about things like this. I guess we’re all wired differently.
Didn’t you guys come out against outdoor batting cages a while back? That’s practically unAmerican.
Us? Anti-Baseball? Apple Pie? Old Glory? Harumph. We just noted the potential impact of aluminum bats and balls and a long string of fit and energetic young batters in an outdoor environment and the effect that might have on the neighbors: ping… ping… ping… ping…
Seriously — whats it going to take to make you guys happy?
Apparently, about 10 acres and a working espresso machine. Seriously.
Most of these towns have ordinances that prohibit starting work early and especially on weekends. Lafayette has one, for sure. A permit doesn’t give you the right to violate those ordinances. I question whether the permit authorizes work that early.
So would we, but we didn’t see the work order. Are they open to interpretation?
I’d like to see how a contractor that generates substantial noise obtained a variance from local noise ordinances. When someone says they have a permit, that doesn’t mean much until you know what it entails.
We don’t live in Danville, so I’m not familiar with their city ordinances. But there are Early Work Authorization Permits. Perhaps they obtained one, and they were working legally.
Now about that ringing in my ears…it gets louder when things outside get quiet. I will add, however, that the ringing of a basketball bouncing on a concrete court next door can penetrate walls as well as the ping of any aluminum bat. You can’t nap through that!
If a Tesla can run on battery power so can a leaf blower. Let’s exchange our noisy, polluting and obnoxious gasoline operated leaf blowers for quiet battery operated ones to help preserve our sleep and sanity. While we are at it, let’s get rid of those horribly loud delivery truck backup beepers that constantly disrupt the peace and quiet in our communities.
How about The Consyant loud soccer playing at the danville soccer complex! They are playing After 10pm every week night. This is a violation of the town rules.