construction is the pits






dear Mayor Tremblay:

When I was rudely awakened yet again by drilling outside of my window at 7am on yet another summer Saturday, I realised I was going to have to write a letter. As I am sure you are aware, everyone's patience is wearing very thin with the construction going on throughout the city. But what is raising many questions for me and other residents and businesses is the realisation as to how utterly disorganised the situation appears to have become.

For example, why are construction crews drilling up a piece of sidewalk in front of my residence at 7am on a Saturday morning *for the third time* in only a few months? There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the patchwork excavation of gaping holes in the city. Meanwhile, residents and businesses are suffering economically and psychologically by not being able to work or sleep.



Of course, I am not writing a knee-jerk letter here. I fully understand the pit of neglect this city has fallen into concerning its infrastructure. Eventually, yes, eventually, when the construction is finished, we will have a better, top-notch city for the future.

But now it's Saturday morning, and I can't help but wonder what imbecile ordered major, earth-shattering, foundation-rumbling drilling at 7am on the weekend. I can't help but wonder who in the planning department -- if anyone -- is taking into consideration the economic health of the city in planning major roadworks. I can't help but wonder that more care could not be taken to:

1. keep major drilling on a workday schedule (monday to friday);
2. keep major drilling to a more appropriate hour (say between 9am - 5pm).
3. try not to drill a hole, do something, pave it up, and 2 weeks later or less, drill it up again (this sounds like a make-work project to me or a sign of complete chaos: I've witnessed various crews yelling at each other on the street about whether a hole should be drilled or filled. This hardly inspires confidence in the City's planners, engineers or crews).

Currently, drilling outside my residence seems to take place either at 7am or right before 7pm. A more ridiculous time couldn't been imagined -- when people are trying to sleep -- and so are awakened by drilling like an alarm-clock from hell -- and when people are coming home from work and having dinner -- and so have their few hours of relaxation beset by a cacaphonic orgy of demonic machinery.

If there's one way to turn your constituents against you, it's by demonstrating with very large, noisy machines that you couldn't care less about their well-being. I am hoping that the councillors of the city address the construction as the social and economic problem it has become and show more involvement and care in the planning. Currently, I am leaning toward supporting a class action lawsuit against the city instituted by local business as a means to at least redress the situation.

yours,

the undersigned

posted. Sat - July 28, 2007 @ 01:18 PM           |