Atlanticade too noisy for some - Jul. 07, 2010
BY BARB RAYNER
barbrayn@nbnet.nb.ca
ST. ANDREWS – While there has been overwhelming support in the town for Atlanticade, which was a huge success this past weekend, the motorcycles were just too noisy for some residents.
David Wold, who owns a property at 6 Queen St. by the junction of Harriet Street, told town council Monday night that while he understands the event was a way to increase sorely needed revenue there had to be better cooperation and effort in order for it to have less of a negative impact on a town of this size.
“St. Andrews has always prided itself on offering its residents and visitors outstanding quality of life in dramatic scenery in an uncrowded, unpolluted environment. Let’s not lose sight of this way of life.”
While many local merchants expressed delight with the increase in revenues the event generated, Wold questioned whether that benefit justified ignoring noise bylaws and subjecting residents to excessive noise pollution.
He called for the town to purchase sound measuring devices and strictly enforce noise bylaws, create dedicated bike parking areas and create a shuttle service to reduce bike traffic on residential streets.
Coun. Mike Craig countered Wold’s claims, noting he lives right across from where Atlanticade’s headquarters were set up and he “slept like a baby.”
“As far as I was concerned it was a good event and it was good for the town and I didn’t have a problem with the noise.”
Mayor John Craig pointed out that excessive noise from a motorcycle falls under the province’s jurisdiction. He noted that Wold failed to mention the immeasurable benefit of the event to the town that will come when Atlanticade participants tell others from outside the about St. Andrews.
“That is advertising we cannot buy no matter how much money we put into it,” he said.
Craig noted that he, too, lives right where most of the traffic come into town and said the noise didn’t bother him.
Steve Marien, who has lived at 10 Queen St. since September, backed Wold’s demands for police action, and called for, at least, warnings to be issued to bikers with mufflers modified to create extra noise.
“If things don’t change I will be making plans not to be here for four or five days next Canada Day,” he said. “I found it really disturbing. It was really bad.”
Coun. Stan Choptiany said this was council’s first chance to evaluate the event with an eye to making improvements.
“There were different areas where it was relatively quiet and other areas where you bore the brunt of the noise.”
The council chamber was packed Monday night, and many of those in attendance came to show their support for Atlanticade.
Chris Burley, owner of the Kennedy Inn, the St. Andrews Motor Inn and the Waterfront Garden Suites, thanked town council for bringing the event to the town as it meant a lot to his business.
“We have had nothing but compliments for our community … These people have expensive motorcycles. They also have cars and families and almost to a person they said they were going to come back,” Burley said. “They left a lot of dollars in our community.”
The event gave the town an enormous amount of good publicity, he said, not just in New Brunswick but all across North America and this was just the beginning.
“We have to look at our community. I am sorry if the noise interfered with you for a few days but if I close my business there will be 30 or 40 people who won’t have a job.”
Leona Golding, chair of the town’s business improvement association, praised the event and the organizers – particularly the town crew who received a number of accolades throughout the meeting – and said her only recommendation was that it be held on a different weekend than July 1.
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