Comment:
Aloha neighbors,
We live in town near the Don Quixote. The Palama Market has workers who come nightly to clean their parking lot. At 9pm, I called the police and walked over to let the worker with the leaf blower know that he is disturbing an entire condo building of residents. He apologized and turned it off. I waited on police to come. They also have their parking lot re-striped regularly and have workers with leaf blowers to blow them dry and this will go on until 11pm.
Recently, food trucks with loud generators have been an issue.
There is also a guy named [name removed] who has [a medical condition] and stands in front of our condo to yell. He is not homeless, but simply refuses to take meds. Police can only tell him to keep quiet.
All of the issues above have been brought to the Hawaii State Health department. We are hoping a noise study will be approved and started. Anything further you can recommend to help us with the noise would be greatly appreciated.
Mahalo,
Quieter O'ahu Response:
Aloha,
Wow. A lot on your plate it seems.
But it seems you're doing the right things. Dept of Health does have jurisdiction over industrial noise; you've non-contentiously engaged the workers who, for the instant, have cooperated; you've contacted HPD about your neighbor - and in that case it is under HPD's jurisdiction to respond. But we understand it's frustrating to be bombarded by noise, doing the right things, and not seeing much progress.
In some cases we have to acknowledge that noise in our very close living conditions just isn't going to go away. In those cases we take the position that noise can be better managed. Do work during working hours; not during rest and sleeping hours. Where cleaning is required when businesses are closed, don't use gas-powered noisy equipment, use electrically powered quieter equipment. As for your neighbor, with all respect and sympathy for his condition, he is just being rude. Confine your noise to your own space and if it's loud and ongoing, consider some additional sound-proofing in consideration for those who live around you. In fact, so much could be accomplished by people just being more considerate.
We, too, would like to see the Community Noise Study move forward and are encouraging representatives to take it seriously. Still, it's just a study and we've had studies before that just became another volume on a dusty bookshelf. What's needed is the realization by our Council and Legislature that Noise Is A Problem on O'ahu And Across The State. Our "Push" thus far has been through the Neighborhood Boards. We encourage attendance and being vocal to express your concerns about noise. When ALL of the Neighborhood Boards are letting Honolulu Hale know that enough-is-enough with da noise maybe we'll see some changes. Help us with that if you can.
We'll post your note and our comment to our blog, absent your name, for the benefit of others.
Mahalo,
Quieter O'ahu
Aloha neighbors,
We live in town near the Don Quixote. The Palama Market has workers who come nightly to clean their parking lot. At 9pm, I called the police and walked over to let the worker with the leaf blower know that he is disturbing an entire condo building of residents. He apologized and turned it off. I waited on police to come. They also have their parking lot re-striped regularly and have workers with leaf blowers to blow them dry and this will go on until 11pm.
Recently, food trucks with loud generators have been an issue.
There is also a guy named [name removed] who has [a medical condition] and stands in front of our condo to yell. He is not homeless, but simply refuses to take meds. Police can only tell him to keep quiet.
All of the issues above have been brought to the Hawaii State Health department. We are hoping a noise study will be approved and started. Anything further you can recommend to help us with the noise would be greatly appreciated.
Mahalo,
Quieter O'ahu Response:
Aloha,
Wow. A lot on your plate it seems.
But it seems you're doing the right things. Dept of Health does have jurisdiction over industrial noise; you've non-contentiously engaged the workers who, for the instant, have cooperated; you've contacted HPD about your neighbor - and in that case it is under HPD's jurisdiction to respond. But we understand it's frustrating to be bombarded by noise, doing the right things, and not seeing much progress.
In some cases we have to acknowledge that noise in our very close living conditions just isn't going to go away. In those cases we take the position that noise can be better managed. Do work during working hours; not during rest and sleeping hours. Where cleaning is required when businesses are closed, don't use gas-powered noisy equipment, use electrically powered quieter equipment. As for your neighbor, with all respect and sympathy for his condition, he is just being rude. Confine your noise to your own space and if it's loud and ongoing, consider some additional sound-proofing in consideration for those who live around you. In fact, so much could be accomplished by people just being more considerate.
We, too, would like to see the Community Noise Study move forward and are encouraging representatives to take it seriously. Still, it's just a study and we've had studies before that just became another volume on a dusty bookshelf. What's needed is the realization by our Council and Legislature that Noise Is A Problem on O'ahu And Across The State. Our "Push" thus far has been through the Neighborhood Boards. We encourage attendance and being vocal to express your concerns about noise. When ALL of the Neighborhood Boards are letting Honolulu Hale know that enough-is-enough with da noise maybe we'll see some changes. Help us with that if you can.
We'll post your note and our comment to our blog, absent your name, for the benefit of others.
Mahalo,
Quieter O'ahu