Sounds of vehicle traffic, milling and pulverization will be wafting from the Sechelt Airport in the early morning and at night for up to three weeks – but residents should refrain from calling District of Sechelt bylaw enforcement if they hear it.
That’s because Sechelt council greenlit a noise bylaw exemption to facilitate the work.
With the exemption, Jakes Construction, the company contracted by the district, has permission to work between 5 and 7 a.m. and 9 and 10 p.m. starting May 31 and lasting to June 18 – though the contractor expects to complete the work by June 13, weather permitting.
Over that two-week period, the milling and pulverization process of the existing runway will take place prior to paving, as will the placement of new asphalt on the runway and extension and taxiway.
“Significant” savings will be made by reusing milled asphalt, according to staff.
Further, “the extra construction time will help minimize the number of days the runway is closed to air traffic,” said the staff report. Airport users have been notified about the temporary closure.
With council approval, Jakes Construction will be obligated to hand deliver notice letters to impacted residents and businesses and emergency services 48 hours before the exemption takes effect.
At the May 19 council meeting, municipal construction manager Sanath Bandara noted noise will also be heard from the volume of traffic heading up Field Road.
Because of that, Coun. Alton Toth asked that the notice letter area be expanded to include all properties fronting Field Road, which councillors supported unanimously. The notice area starts at Airport Lane.
Once paving and extension is complete, staff will be coming back to council with options for lighting.
Substantial completion of the project is expected to remain on schedule and be wrapped up by July 1.
