City looks at regulating weekend construction noise

WPB.news HAS IT FIRST!

West Palm Beach commissioners want work crews to treat Sunday as a true day of rest.

That means...drop the hammers, turn off the heavy equipment and see you on Monday.

Concerns over noise created by Sunday construction has prompted commissioners to ask the administration to look at whether the city can either regulate or ban construction work on Sundays.

Currently crews are allowed to work 8:00am to 8:00pm on the weekends. By contrast, the city permits construction crews to work 7:00am to 7:00pm during the week. But individual projects can request special permission to work outside those hours if needed.

West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio agreed to have staff look into what options are available under both local and state law. Director of Development Services Rick Greene says often weekend work is necessary if a project is to be completed on time.

"The Palm Beach Outlet mall probably would not have opened on time if they had not been allowed to work weekends, and I suspect the new baseball spring training facility will also want to work on weekends," said Greene.

Commissioners recognized there is a difference between construction happening right next door to a home as opposed to across the street or in a non-residential area. One idea might be to regulate work hours based on how the area is zoned.