Millcroft Residents Plan To Press Council

Burlington Today Article:

Millcroft residents are planning to make their voices heard at City Hall next week during a Committee of the Whole meeting.

Residents around the Millcroft Golf Club, which has been in talks for redevelopment for years, are concerned that if development starts it could cause 12 hours of noise six days a week. A notice to council suggests the developer, ARGO, could send in workers from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday through Saturday for the foreseeable future.

“Residents have raised concerns about the impacts of significant construction projects on their quality of life, including noise, extended construction hours, and disruptions to the enjoyment of their homes, backyards, and neighbourhoods, particularly during the summer months,” Mayor Marianne Meed Ward wrote in a statement on X. “Community members have also asked whether the City has the authority to restrict construction hours or take other measures to mitigate these impacts.”

The mayor and Ward 6 councillor Angelo Bentivegna will bring a motion to council asking the city solicitor to report back in July on the city’s authority, and to better understand what options are available for regulating construction activities.

Members of the Millcroft Against Development group say they are hopeful that builders will have some respect for their neighbours and keep construction time – and noise – to reasonable levels.

“When my house burned down and had to be rebuilt in 2012, my contractor only worked Monday to Friday out of respect for our neighbours,” Cynthia Shanahan told BurlingtonToday.

Shanahan said she plans to be in council chambers next week to delegate to council, and hopes many from the neighbourhood and surrounding communities do as well.

Sonia Robinson said summer in Burlington means backyard parties and barbecues. If 12 hours of construction on Saturdays is permitted, there is potential for as much as half of a weekend to be out of the question for enjoyment.

“We all have backyards, we all have birthday parties,” she said.

The motion to review options to restrict construction hours is not limited to just Millcroft, but extends to the entire city of Burlington. It will go before the committee of the whole on June 8, and to council on June 23.