Comments on: Nearby Nature in the City: Preserving and Enhancing Livability http://ronsuarez.com/2007/03/08/nearby-nature-in-the-city-preserving-and-enhancing-livability/ Progressive Politics Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:52:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Richard Wickboldt http://ronsuarez.com/2007/03/08/nearby-nature-in-the-city-preserving-and-enhancing-livability/#comment-2685 Richard Wickboldt Fri, 04 May 2007 12:44:58 +0000 http://ronsuarez.com/2007/03/08/nearby-nature-in-the-city-preserving-and-enhancing-livability/#comment-2685 I agree with Cy Yoakam. Noise pollution is a concern to quality of life and when loud enough to the health of a person. Any loop holes in AA ordinance/law should be closed. I think also that AA should put on the books far more strict noise ordinance. I myself always find it very discomforting by the noise of motorcycles which seem to be altered by owners from legal equipment to those which make unsafe noise. I do not frequent restaurants downtown because it is just not a very nice experience sitting outside having a meal and then a motorcycle come down the street at 110 Decibels. I agree with Cy Yoakam. Noise pollution is a concern to quality of life and when loud enough to the health of a person. Any loop holes in AA ordinance/law should be closed. I think also that AA should put on the books far more strict noise ordinance. I myself always find it very discomforting by the noise of motorcycles which seem to be altered by owners from legal equipment to those which make unsafe noise. I do not frequent restaurants downtown because it is just not a very nice experience sitting outside having a meal and then a motorcycle come down the street at 110 Decibels.

]]> By: Cy Yoakam http://ronsuarez.com/2007/03/08/nearby-nature-in-the-city-preserving-and-enhancing-livability/#comment-2297 Cy Yoakam Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:19:40 +0000 http://ronsuarez.com/2007/03/08/nearby-nature-in-the-city-preserving-and-enhancing-livability/#comment-2297 April 21, 2007 Dear Councilman Suarez, I am writing in regard to a loophole in the Ann Arbor City Noise Ordinance. I am asking you to take action to close this loophole. As a psychologist, you are no doubt aware of the harmful affects of excessive noise on people. The loophole concerns an exception to the Ordinance allowing lawn services to operate in residential neighborhoods at a very loud noise level (up to 90 decibels). The specific section in the Ordinance is Chap. 119, Sec. 9:364-365. This allowable noise level is louder than the noise from the average factory (75 decibels) and nearly as loud as that in the front row seats of a rock concert (110 decibels). The reason I am so concerned about this is because: 1. Our next door neighbor has a lawn service operating near or at this 90 decibel level, and 2. I taught a course for six years at the University of Michigan on neighborhood quality. I have asked the neighbor to turn the mower noise down, but she refuses. She even refused a request by the Ann Arbor Police to reduce the mower noise. (Other lawn services operate in our neighborhood at these excessive noise levels as well.) As a result, the policemen, Office Mike Cemanzar and Lt. Greg O’Dell, suggested to me that the best way to solve this problem is to have the loophole in the Ordinance closed by an act of City Council. I had contacted former Ward 1 councilperson Kim Groome about this loophole in 2005. She was beginning to investigate it, but then left council to move out of town. A letter and an email to the other Ward 1 councilman Robert Johnson were never answered. Attached are copies of the loophole section of the Ordinance and a Letter to the Editor. Please review it and consider taking action to close this loophole. Its affect is to lower the quality of life in our neighborhood and likely in other city neighborhoods. Please feel free to contact me with questions at 734-996-8610 or cyoakam1@comcast.net (1816 Pontaic Trail). Sincerely, Attachments: portion of Ordinance Letter to the Editor Cy Yoakam April 21, 2007

Dear Councilman Suarez,

I am writing in regard to a loophole in the Ann Arbor City Noise Ordinance. I am asking you to take action to close this loophole. As a psychologist, you are no doubt aware of the harmful affects of excessive noise on people.

The loophole concerns an exception to the Ordinance allowing lawn services to operate in residential neighborhoods at a very loud noise level (up to 90 decibels). The specific section in the Ordinance is Chap. 119, Sec. 9:364-365. This allowable noise level is louder than the noise from the average factory (75 decibels) and nearly as loud as that in the front row seats of a rock concert (110 decibels).

The reason I am so concerned about this is because:

1. Our next door neighbor has a lawn service operating near or at this 90 decibel level, and
2. I taught a course for six years at the University of Michigan on neighborhood quality.

I have asked the neighbor to turn the mower noise down, but she refuses. She even refused a request by the Ann Arbor Police to reduce the mower noise. (Other lawn services operate in our neighborhood at these excessive noise levels as well.) As a result, the policemen, Office Mike Cemanzar and Lt. Greg O’Dell, suggested to me that the best way to solve this problem is to have the loophole in the Ordinance closed by an act of City Council.

I had contacted former Ward 1 councilperson Kim Groome about this loophole in 2005. She was beginning to investigate it, but then left council to move out of town. A letter and an email to the other Ward 1 councilman Robert Johnson were never answered.

Attached are copies of the loophole section of the Ordinance and a Letter to the Editor. Please review it and consider taking action to close this loophole. Its affect is to lower the quality of life in our neighborhood and likely in other city neighborhoods. Please feel free to contact me with questions at 734-996-8610 or cyoakam1@comcast.net (1816 Pontaic Trail).

Sincerely,

Attachments: portion of Ordinance
Letter to the Editor Cy Yoakam

]]> By: Glenn Thompson http://ronsuarez.com/2007/03/08/nearby-nature-in-the-city-preserving-and-enhancing-livability/#comment-1662 Glenn Thompson Mon, 19 Mar 2007 22:10:55 +0000 http://ronsuarez.com/2007/03/08/nearby-nature-in-the-city-preserving-and-enhancing-livability/#comment-1662 There is a small natural area with several trees and a pedestrian bench on Fourth Avenue near the Farmers Market. Unfortunately the proposed Market renovations will cut at least one of the trees and pave part of this area. I find it amazing that Planning Commission and Council will argue that developers should provide 'green' designs but when the Parks Department proposes a modification to the market it removes mature trees, adds pavement and buildings with metal roofs. There is a small natural area with several trees and a pedestrian bench on Fourth Avenue near the Farmers Market. Unfortunately the proposed Market renovations will cut at least one of the trees and pave part of this area.

I find it amazing that Planning Commission and Council will argue that developers should provide ‘green’ designs but when the Parks Department proposes a modification to the market it removes mature trees, adds pavement and buildings with metal roofs.

]]> By: Celeste Whiting http://ronsuarez.com/2007/03/08/nearby-nature-in-the-city-preserving-and-enhancing-livability/#comment-1532 Celeste Whiting Sun, 11 Mar 2007 13:40:34 +0000 http://ronsuarez.com/2007/03/08/nearby-nature-in-the-city-preserving-and-enhancing-livability/#comment-1532 Consider what Chicago has done with rooftops. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/11/1115_041115_green_roofs.html?fs=www3.nationalgeographic.com&fs=plasma.nationalgeographic.com Consider what Chicago has done with rooftops.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/11/1115_041115_green_roofs.html?fs=www3.nationalgeographic.com&fs=plasma.nationalgeographic.com

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