Coquitlam city hall will look at how it can better control commercial construction on Sundays, especially with the amount of growth now happening in the municipality.
City staff will review "best practices" of other Metro Vancouver communities to see how they handle commercial building on what is considered by some a day of rest.
The move to rethink Coquitlam's regulations came last week when Coun. Brent Asmundson, a Burke Mountain resident, called for the city's noise bylaw to be changed to prevent tradespeople from working in the municipality on Sundays.
He raised the alarm after his wife recently called the city to complain about loud music coming from a nearby home under construction on a Sunday. Bylaw officers responded but they only told the workers to turn down the tunes.
Asmundson said the issue is more than just noise as workers also park on the street and often leave a mess when they exit their job sites.
"There has to be one day that we need a complete break," Asmundson said.
The noise bylaw states: "No person in the city shall for profit or gain on a Sunday construct, erect, reconstruct, alter, repair or demolish any building or thing, or excavate or fill in land in any manner which disturbs the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of the neighbourhood or of persons in the vicinity."
In a nutshell, commercial construction on Sundays is allowed - as long as it is done quietly.
At last Monday's committee meeting, Jim McIntyre, Coquitlam's general manager of planning, said the topic of Sunday construction is "sensitive" with development so active.
Sunday construction may be unpleasant for residents but stopping it may also have a serious affect on builders, said Coun. Craig Hodge, also a Burke Mountain resident.
The Urban Development Institute has no formal position on Sunday construction while the Greater Vancouver Homebuilders' Association tells its members to adhere to municipal bylaws, according to a spokesperson.
This week, city council approved the committee's motion for a staff report to examine the potential impacts of banning Sunday construction.
Meanwhile, council-in-committee heard last Monday from a Burke Mountain homeowner about a crane beside his home that he says poses a safety risk.
Robert Shore said the 65-foot-tall remote crane that was installed to build a reservoir on Harper Road is "intimidating" and "very much a concern" with fall winds starting. The crane is 24 feet from his property line and weighs 66,000 lb.
Shore said he has stated his concerns to the city's engineering department and little has been done to shorten or reposition it. And he recently learned the crane won't be dismantled until Nov. 15 - a month later than expected.
Mark Zaborniak, Coquitlam's manager of design and construction, said he will meet with Shore and G&E Contracting Ltd., which is building the reservoir.
