Residents of a downtown condo building say they’re losing sleep over a loud noise coming from a condo building across the street.
They say the noise started in October, a few months after Xin Tien moved into his unit at 2320 Tupper downtown.
“It’s like a helicopter over your house, so it’s not acceptable at all,” said Tien.
They say the loud sounds are coming from a large ventilation system on the side of 1111 Atwater, a brand-new condo building that directly faces Tien’s building. According to them the vents are on 24/7.
Jenny Chen, another resident at 2320 said she has to sleep in the living room on an air mattress.
“I am less impacted in half my living room,” she said.
“I don’t use my bedroom now unfortunately,” added Chen, who said she can’t open her windows or even use her balcony.
“I spent a lot of money to buy the unit but with this kind of quality and this air pollution and this noise, I am a little bit depressed.”
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Frustrated, Xin Tien said he recorded the noise level from his balcony.
“I used an app to test the noise levels and actually I found it’s already over the city’s requirement,” said Tien.
The World Health Organization recommends 55dB is the maximum level people should be exposed to. Tien said his app peaked at 78dB
After he contacted the city, an inspector was able to offer some feedback.
“They said they have talked with an 1111 contractor and they gave them a 20 day notice to give a solution to the city but they aren’t sure if the noises will stop,” said Tien.
An email to Global News from EMD-Batimo, 1111 Atwater’s developer, reads in part that they are aware of the noise complaints.
They confirm they have been visited by a city inspector who they say was understanding of the situation.
The email also explains they want to be good neighbours and have hired a company that will measure the noise to make sure the vents are at an acceptable level.
For now, residents of 2320 Tupper are in a holding pattern as they wait to see if the city decides to intervene or their new neighbors find a solution to the problem, which the company says is temporary and due to construction.
The City of Montreal could not respond to Global News’ inquiry.