Construction boom giving Raleigh neighborhood bad vibrations
RALEIGH, North Carolina (WTVD) -- Construction in the Triangle is everywhere, but in one Raleigh neighborhood it's getting a little too close for comfort.
"There are times in the morning it feels like they're setting off bombs," resident Lorine Lewis told the ABC11 I-Team. "It happens early in the morning and sometimes you're like - did something fall upstairs?"
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The aftershocks rattling the Woodlawn neighborhood is the adjacent construction of a new residential development. Backhoes, excavators and other heavy machinery line several of Woodlawn's backyards.
"I don't know what they're doing or how they're doing it but every once in a while there's a big shaking in the morning," Lewis said.
Posts on the neighborhood message board NextDoor show several other residents feeling Lewis' pain.
"I'm getting tired of my fragile items/light fixtures shaking from the construction," one neighbor fumed. "Having lived in earthquake territories for many years, I'm tired of waking in a panic thinking one's hitting."
Many neighbors shared concerns with the Homeowners Association (HOA) manager PPM, and administrators told the I-Team the construction issues must be taken up with the City of Raleigh.
Raleigh, like most cities and towns, bases its construction rules and regulations on the North Carolina Building Code. When it comes to protecting adjacent properties, contractors must notify those property owners of their plans in writing, ensure pedestrian safety, and safely store all building materials and equipment - among many other things.
The I-Team, however, did not find anything in the code about bad vibrations.
John Boyette, a spokesman for the City of Raleigh confirmed to ABC11 an inspector will visit Woodlawn on Friday to speak with the contractors. The developer, CalAtlantic Homes, and contractor, Giant Development, did not return our calls.
Boyette also explained that residents with complaints should both call police (especially about noise) and also with the city's Development Services department.
For general questions about inspections, call (919) 996-2500.
City of Raleigh ordinance (Sec. 12-5007 - PROHIBITED NOISES) spells out the following on construction noise:
(G) The erection (including excavating), demolition, alteration or repair of any building or other structure in a residential or business district other than between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:30 p.m., except by permit from the building inspector when, in his opinion, such work will not create objectionable noise; upon complaint in writing of the occupant of property near the location of the work, the building inspector shall immediately revoke the permit and the work shall be immediately discontinued. The building inspector may permit emergency work in the preservation of public health or safety at any time.
