A Chase mobile park resident has turned to the village for help in muffling traffic noise from the adjacent stretch of Highway 1 that is part of the province’s four-laning project.
At the Jan. 9 Village of Chase council meeting, Tom Mataseje requested support in getting changes made to reduce the noise that has become very disruptive to residents of the nearby Mount View Mobile Home Park. He explained that the highway now has an incline on which semi trucks use their engine brakes, as well as a rock face that effectively reflects all the noise back into the park.
Mataseje has already contacted the project director with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) asking that a noise barrier be installed, or have the speed limit lowered there, but after they conducted a noise test at his trailer, they deemed the average levels acceptable and no further action would be taken.
“If you live along the road you’re basically screwed,” he said of MoTI not taking any action on the matter. “I mean, that’s affecting a lot of people. It’s affecting their sleep, affecting their stress, affecting their health.”
Asking for council’s help in getting something done, at least along the section of highway that the mobile home park backs onto, he said they could come out to his place and hear for themselves what they’re putting up with, adding that “you’ll just be amazed at the racket these semis cause.”
Council was sympathetic to his cause, with Coun. Colin Connett in full agreement, stating “I know exactly what you mean; it is noisy over there,” adding that council should look into doing something. Mayor David Lepsoe agreed, and directed staff to explore options to remedy the situation.
“I hope you guys can pull something off, pull a rabbit out of a hat so I don’t have to sell my property and get the hell out of Dodge,” Mataseje concluded, thanking council for their assistance.