Morrison has concrete issues

At today’s City Council work session, Council Member Laura Morrison plans to ask some pointed questions about a proposal to allow construction workers to pour concrete overnight in the Central Business District, downtown Mixed Use district and in areas zoned Public. The idea is to give contractors the option to pour concrete between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., which is cooler and considered safer for workers than daytime pouring. Downtown neighborhoods are concerned about the noise. Morrison said, “I think we need to limit what you’re allowed to do rather than expanding … I’m thinking of limiting the permits to only go to 2 a.m. That should give them enough time to get on the street and do some work but people can at least go to sleep at 2.”  Ted Siff, president of the Old Austin Neighborhood Association, said he has asked planning director Greg Guernsey to require anyone getting a permit to pour overnight to notify neighbors within 300 feet of the construction site, letting them know when the pour will occur and how long the project will last. As written, the ordinance only requires notification of adjacent property owners and only if the director orders it. Siff said that during the construction, workers should be required to identify where concrete trucks will line up to minimize disruption. Siff was careful to say that his group understands the need to work at night in order to relieve congestion. They just want as much notice as possible.