City to hear McGraw appeal on work hours next week

Borough Assembly members, acting as the Borough Board of Adjustments will hear testimony next week on McGraw Custom Construction’s appeal to last month’s Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission decision regarding the company’s operating hours on the Front Street improvement project

McGraw is asking permission to work as early as 6 a.m. and as late as midnight Monday through Saturday on main street. On Feb. 9, P&Z voted in favor of allowing construction to occur 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays.

A week later, McGraw Superintendent Mike Ashton wrote a letter to the city appealing that decision, and again asked the city allow construction work to occur as late as midnight six nights a week.

The Board of Adjustments is set to hold a hearing at 6 p.m. March 22 in City Hall on the issue. Written and oral testimony on the appeal is welcome at the public hearing. A decision will follow, according to the meeting notice.

Under the city’s noise ordinance, construction is typically allowed between the hours of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends.

According to McGraw’s original noise variance application to the city, filed in January, the extra work hours are needed in order for the project to remain on schedule. The Wrangell road and utility improvement project is set to improve about 2,500 feet of Front Street and underground utilities.

At the Feb. 9 P&Z meeting, P&Z members agreed that while allowing construction to occur later into the night would move the project along, the work was loud and may disrupt residents who live close to the construction site.

A construction update meeting also takes place today at 10 a.m. at City Hall.