Highland Drive Construction Sounds Like 'War Zone,' Neighbors Say

Residents of Highland Drive say the noise emanating from the construction of a new home on the street has become "nearly unbearable." 

Since mid-September, excavators have been working at 10 Highland Drive to construct an 8,000-square-foot home. Because the new dwelling is being built on the footprint of the previous home, no variances were needed, explained Highland Drive resident Lisa Washburn, who lives across the street from the site. Washburn, who works from home, said initially she was understanding but with no end date in sight, her patience has worn thin.

In an email sent to Patch, City of Summit Zoning Officer Christa Anderson and Summit Mayor Ellen Dickson, Washburn wrote, "I cannot believe that Summit would permit an entire neighborhood to be subject to this level of constant noise for this long of a period. I appreciate that people have a right to construction but it seems completely unreasonable that as a homeowner and taxpayer I have no rights to the quiet/peaceful enjoyment of my property."

Washburn's neighbor Lynn Strabley said she, too, can no longer tolerate the constant noise. Both women are also concerned that the blasting of bedrock could impact the stability of older trees in the neighborhood. 

Washburn said the City of Summit has told her that as long as "they do the work during permitted hours that they can continue to jackhammer away." At her wits end, Washburn reached out to the Union County Board of Health who sent a sound engineer to the site to take readings Wednesday. 

City of Summit construction official Gary Lewis said the contractor expects to wrap up the hydraulic hammering phase within the next two to three weeks, adding that while the city is hopeful he can meet or beat that "we cannot legally hold him to it."

Washburn said Thursday that the Board of Health confirmed that while the jackhammering was taking place, the decibel level was, in fact, in violation. The contractor will receive a letter and has 30 days to cure, said Washburn, who is considering it a moral victory as this phase of the project will most likely be completed before that deadline.

This isn't the first time the Highland Drive property has drawn the ire of residents. In early 2012, neighbors joined together to stop the land from being subdivided. Had the proposed plan been approved, two "L" shaped homes on 15,798 square-foot lots would have been built, which many residents agreed was not in keeping with the neighborhood.