SAN ANTONIO — Some San Antonio residents are saying "goodnight" to loud construction equipment after building and development work lasting into the early-morning hours was bothering some in Councilman John Courage's district.
Now new rules are in place to prevent the overnight noise.
“There were things going on at 4:00 or 4:30 in the morning and things going on at almost 11 or midnight at night,” Courage said. "We needed to make accommodations so that people can live their lives without major distractions or disruptions, which construction can cause on occasion."
Since 2019, the councilman and his constituents have been hard at work to quiet down the work. They brought in builders, developers and contractors to come to an understanding, while also studying other cities like Fort Worth.
“We don't want to stop development,” Courage said. "We just want to make sure it is adequate enough."
Meg Lorente lives in the Stone Oak area and is also the manager of the Stone Oak Property Owners Association. She credits the councilman and other residents for working on this issue.
“You don't want to have disruptions at 3 in the morning waking you up with concrete,” she said.
She supports the new rules recently approved by San Antonio City Council.
“It is nice when you go home at night and have our serene bubble,” she said.
Construction work must now happen in certain windows of time, after city leaders approved the request earlier this month:
- 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., from Monday through Friday.
- 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays.
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
City officials also say that if construction falls outside of normal operating hours, a waiver must be sought and granted. It would require the contractor to notify residents who live within 300 feet of the construction site of the day and time of the construction noise waiver, three days in advance.
There are exceptions to the rules, like TxDOT. Since it's a state agency, Courage said the city doesn’t have jurisdiction.
The other is the construction work of city crews. Courage said there was no need to regulate them because they usually don't start work very early or very late.
If you feel like there is someone that could be violating the new rules you can call 311.