We will provide you with comments, suggestions, and concerns without prejudice. We hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. We, the Board of Directors, write to you on behalf of the Squamish Senior Living Society, the owner/operators of Westwinds Senior Living, and our valued tenant residents. While our legal duty is that of a landlord, sometimes our moral obligation lead us to seek collaborative solutions to issues concerning the well-being of our residents.
The recent article in the Squamish Reporter regarding the HVAC noise issue at Shannon Falls has again brought our attention to the matter. Regrettably, we are disheartened by the responses and handling of this issue to date. Our primary concern is the impact this noise is having on the health, well-being, and quiet enjoyment of life of our senior residents, many of whom have been long-time contributors to our Squamish community over many years.
We recognize that addressing this issue requires collective effort. The excessive noise from Shannon Falls poses a real threat to our vulnerable seniors, impacting their daily lives and causing distress. We believe it is a shared responsibility to find a meaningful resolution beyond restrictive bylaws and outdated standards.
To the District of Squamish, we respectfully request the re-opening of the file on complaints from our residents. While we understand that resolution may take time, assuring our residents that their concerns are not abandoned will provide them with some comfort during this challenging period. Additionally, we urge a review of the current noise bylaw, aligning it with contemporary standards, especially given the rise in high-density living in downtown Squamish.
To Shannon Falls, we appreciate the measures taken thus far to mitigate the noise issue. However, it is evident that the impact of those measures has been limited at best. To your points noted in the article. we deliberately positioned our building further north than required by zoning bylaws out of respect for your residents. The absence of air conditioning in our affordable social housing was due to budget constraints as CMHC and BC Housing would not approve the $5 million expense for Air Conditioning. That said, we are not aware of any building standard mandating AC as a solution to mitigating excessive noise from a neighbouring property.
Please note: The Westwinds has air conditioning on the main floor, which is shared with the broader community. We have one more storey than Shannon Falls, not two. For clarity, Shannon Falls was built on top of a raised gravel preload, while The Westwinds was built off a street-level concrete podium (our main floor). Both methods address the required Flood Control Level (FCL).
When our society sold you the property, we did make it clear to the purchaser that the properties on both sides of you were slated for future development. We have always been good neighbours, and we want this to continue. We acknowledge that your rooftop equipment is aging, which is contributing to the noise issue. Understanding this, we kindly request a more substantial effort to address the problem, considering the well-being of our shared community.
As part of our commitment to a comprehensive solution, we have enlisted the expertise of Pinchin Environmental consultants to study this noise problem and prepare a detailed report scientifically. We intend to share this report with you, fostering transparency and collaboration in finding a resolution.
We appeal to all stakeholders to join us in addressing this issue with both empathy and urgency. Let us work together to find solutions that prioritizes the well-being of our seniors. We are open to in-person meetings and dialogue, and remain committed to finding a resolution that benefits the entire community. Thank you for your attention and kind consideration, and we eagerly anticipate your positive response.
Ashley Hallinan is the chair of Squamish Senior Living Society.
We live in Rockcliff and have complained to the city multiple times about the noise coming from that building. Unfortunately, they have not taken any action to address the issue. The loud and disturbing noise from the building’s substandard equipment has forced us to remain indoors with our windows closed. This noise has negatively affected our standard of living, which is unacceptable and should not be tolerated by anyone.
Remember, this could be remedied if the council, whom we voted for, did its job and took action. It’s totally unacceptable. Pathetic
Lots of luck! This present Council appears to have some kind of hearing impairment or if they do hear they often seem incapable of acting upon it appropriately. I could be wrong, but current evidence does point to this!
Downtown Squamish has become much more densely populated. Density will only increase leading to further conflict and required changes. I think it’s important for Squamish to update pollution bylaws, i.e. noise, light and other emissions to avoid dealing with heritage issues. The conception that doing nothing and waiting for problems to be exposed is not the best path. Proactively updating legislation allows greater certainty and reduced conflict. Let’s avoid some of the ills of the big city.
As for Shannon Falls Retirement Residence, the HVAC noise is intermittent which may be part of the reason casual observation does not result in a clear consensus that there is a problem. I live in Rockcliff, approximately 100 meters from the HVAC system on the Shannon Falls building. The noise is not overpowering, but it’s certainly at an irritating frequency. I can’t sleep with the windows open. I often sleep with earplugs and sometimes need to sleep on the floor so that the exterior wall of Rockcliff blocks more of the noise. The chainlink fence with slats in the links facing the Westwinds hides the HVAC unit from Westwinds, but can’t reasonably be expected to block sound and certainly doesn’t consider other neighbours. Given the Rockcliffs walls reduce the noise, it would be interesting to know how many decibels would be muted by walls placed all around the HVAC system. The fans on the HVAC system are on the top of the unit. Having walls around should not dramatically impact the unit’s efficiency.
Another noisy system at the Shannon Falls building is the ground-level fan. When it’s on it makes less noise than the roof-mounted HVAC, but it has to be pretty annoying for Westwind residents.
I’ve complained many times to the bylaws enforcement people, but nothing has happened.