Neil Pearson used to spend summer nights with his windows open and relaxing on his front deck. Now, he says, he’s often forced to shut the windows instead.
“We have to close our windows on the front of our house,” said Pearson, who lives near The Clemow, a 17-storey apartment building at the intersection of Bronson and Carling avenues aimed at older residents. “We can’t have full enjoyment of our home.”
Nearly a year after residents first complained about a loud continuous humming noise from the building’s rooftop cooling equipment, they are renewing their push for action as the dispute enters a second summer. Their concerns persist even after recent City of Ottawa bylaw testing found no violations following changes to the cooling system.
Lawn Signs Return
Lawn signs that first appeared last summer have returned to the surrounding neighbourhood, declaring “The Clemow Is Noisy!!”
Residents and the Glebe Community Association say a separate planning process is still underway to determine whether the building complies with Ontario’s environmental noise standards.
Capital Coun. Shawn Menard said his office has spent months working with bylaw officials, the apartment property’s owner and nearby residents in an effort to reduce the disturbance.
Bylaw Testing Results
According to an update published in a recent newsletter to residents, Menard said bylaw officers tested the cooling system in late May after the building installed a variable frequency drive designed to reduce fan noise.
The testing, conducted during the day and at night with the system operating at full capacity, found no bylaw violations.
Menard wrote that officers heard only a faint hum directly on Clemow Avenue that was generally drowned out by nearby residential air conditioners.
However, Menard also says the feedback he’s heard from residents has been mixed, with some reporting the noise level from the Clemow has improved, while others say it remains similar to last summer.
“There remain steps that KTS (the property owner) needs to undertake as part of the planning process that require them to demonstrate compliance with the province’s environmental noise guidelines by way of a Stationary Noise Assessment before this matter is closed,” Menard wrote.
Property Owner Response
In a statement, KTS Properties said it had been working with the city and nearby residents to address their concerns.
The company said it installed the variable frequency drive in April before co-ordinating bylaw testing and additional testing by its third-party acoustic consultant, Gradient Wind Engineering.
KTS Properties said Gradient Wind was finalizing a stationary noise assessment and noise certification letter that would be submitted to the city for review as part of the site’s planning approval process.
