Residents of downtown St. Petersburg can take a collective sigh of relief.
After nine months of incessant clanging caused by the construction of a new 19-story apartment complex near Third Street and Fourth Avenue South, the biggest culprit, a massive pile driver, came to a halt in January.
The disturbances that downtown occupants have endured led fed-up members of the community to make numerous complaints with the city, which caught the attention of City Councilman Karl Nurse.
“The good news is we’re building like crazy,” said Nurse. “And the bad news is, we’re building like crazy.”
Nurse has proposed a task force comprising geologists, residents, engineers and developers to help find alternatives to pile driving, and other methods of mitigating construction noise for future projects.
The pile driver was used to drill poles, or piles, deep into the ground to support the foundation of the apartment building. It produced a sonic blast that carried thousands of feet, and it could be heard across the USF St. Petersburg campus.
The noise was even more unbearable for residents of The Beacon, which is across the street from the USFSP parking garage. And for those who work from home, or who work second or third shifts, the situation was dire.
Jeffrey Dismukes, a resident of The Beacon, suffered from interrupted sleep and an inability to concentrate on work.
“It would start between 7 and 7:30 every morning, and end around 6 every evening. Sometimes they stopped for a lunch break or (during) thunderstorms,” said Dismukes. “That was almost worse, because we would be so relieved that it stopped, then it would start again … I found myself praying for stormy weather.”
Candice Reshef, a Beacon resident and senior at USFSP, noticed her neighbors who work late struggle with sleep deprivation.
In the effort to build more living space downtown, the constant pounding and banging drove out some existing residents.
“I personally know six owners here that told me they sold their condos because of the noise,” said Dismukes.
For those who are worried about the construction of The Salvador, a 13-story condominium complex that will be built directly across the street from student housing, there is good news. City officials indicated last year that pile drivers will not be used in that project.
According to St. Petersburg building official Rick Dunn, the project will use drilled shafts # a much quieter experience for neighbors of the planned construction site # rather than high-pressure hammers.
So far Dunn’s staff has found that other large Florida cities like Tampa and Miami have even fewer regulations on construction-related noise.
The task force will meet later this spring to discuss its findings.
