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What's with all the racket? County quiets noise near Koep's home Senior Reporter The city of Brainerd found recent noise levels at Crow Wing County's construction project exceeded nighttime regulations, prompting the county to take action.
The county is building a downtown Brainerd government complex with two three-story buildings going up along Laurel Street. Jeff Hulsether, Brainerd city engineer, reported readings taken last week exceeded the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency noise regulations. The MPCA's nighttime maximum is 50 decibels. According to the Sight & Hearing Association, 30 decibels is a faint whisper while 90 decibels comes from a lawn mower or truck traffic.
Homeowners Mary and Walter Koep, who live across the street from the county's construction projects, earlier lodged a complaint with the city that noise levels were disruptive, especially at night when they were trying to sleep.
In January, the county hired Northern Technologies Inc., St. Cloud, to take a decibel survey near the residential area next to the construction site. Northern Technologies reported decibel levels ranged from 47.1 to 50.3 when traffic and other background noise was excluded.
Hulsether reported the city's noise measurements found decibel levels were 52.8 between 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Feb. 15. The noise appears to have been related to exterior heaters at the Community Services building. A complaint on Feb. 17 prompted another measurement about 7 p.m. Hulsether reported the base decibel level was in excess of 58 decibels, which "is clearly and significantly in excess of the MPCA nighttime noise standards."
Peter Herlofsky Jr., Crow Wing County administrator, said the county had another noise test as well after hearing from the city. And with sound levels exceeding regulations, the county moved heaters inside.
"We think it's all been taken care of," Herlofsky said.
Mary Koep said the noise level was reduced after Tuesday night.
"It's still noisy," she said. "It isn't the level that it was."
Koep said the noise level, which she said was like having a running semi truck parked outside the home at all hours, had disrupted use of their home and altered their sleeping area. The Koeps were not using an upstairs master bedroom because of the nightly noise, she said.
"All we are asking is that we could sleep at night," she said.
Koep said it would be nice if the county made good faith efforts instead of denying the problem. She said Commissioner Dewey Tautges came to her house several times and she felt he was truly concerned. Herlofsky also went to the Koep's home to check on noise complaints.
Koep said the building project had other negative effects, which she previously expressed to the county in writing.
"We won't ever see the water tower at night again," she said. "It was meaningful to us. I think we sacrificed a lot."
Koep said the county buildings will mean they cannot watch the moon cross the sky from certain windows in their home. And she said they won't have the sun from the same angle or shadows from trees dancing on the wall in the early summer morning.
"We've been forced virtually to give up a lot that was dear to us, but the attitude was like 'so what,'" she said. "So it has been a difficult situation. There has been no understanding that this is our home and it's dear to us."
Koep said she felt the county could have voluntarily done more instead of making them feel ridiculed.
"We do feel we sacrificed a lot and to not even be able to sleep is the crowning insult and to not have people even care has been hard," Koep said.
There has been speculation the county may be interested in purchasing the Koep property. Koep said she has heard that ever since the county started to build. She said they know it is likely as they get older they will sell the entire property. But Koep said such a sale is years down the road.
Herlofsky said there is no official offer from the county and such a purchase is not currently in the county's budget.
RENEE RICHARDSON can be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.
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