PUBLIC HEARING:Consider Ordinance Amending City Code Chapter 105 (Buildings and Building Standards) Related to Allowable Hours of Construction

The City of Ramsey has the code as listed below for construction hours within the city. The reason for this possible amendment to the Code is due to the number of concerns that have been raised to City Council regarding the time limits and to address some of the public perception of the listed hours. The question was most recently raised during the review of a Major Subdivision. 

Residents have had concerns with the hours listed as the maximum allowance, not necessarily being the standard hours of construction that most contractors choose to use. The Developer of Harvest Estates, for example, negotiated construction hours to stop at 8:00 p.m. instead of the maximum stopping time of 10:00 p.m. This contrasts with the the construction of Fire Station Number 2 which is nearby in the same neighborhood and has a ending construction time of 10:00 p.m. Based on discussion in a previous Planning Commission meeting, the goal of this amendment has been to look at the possibly of introducing wording to negotiate an earlier stopping time for construction and creating exemptions built in for public improvement projects.

While an amendment to City Code may be warranted, Staff poses a goal to balance the tranquility of the surrounding neighborhoods with the flexibility to be able to negotiate later hours where feasible.

Motion to recommend that the City Council adopt the Ordinance amending language regarding allowable hours of construction.