Glebe residents say noise from neighbouring apartment building AC unit spoiling summer

Some residents who live near a Glebe apartment building say the noise of the rooftop air conditioner is ruining their summer. CTV’s Natalie van Rooy reports.

Residents who live around the Clemow apartment building near the corner of Carling and Bronson avenues say the persistent noise coming from the rooftop air conditioning unit is ruining their summer.

The residents tell CTV News that the noise started in the spring, when the air conditioning units started running and it gets louder on hotter days.

The continuous noise has some neighbours recording audio levels.

“It’s a constant and it’s 24/7,” said Marc LeBlanc, who lives a few houses down from the building.

LeBlanc says the sound can be heard in backyards down the street.

“We’re used to having noise from events. We’ve had fireworks, we have Bluesfest, that’s not an issue for us,” he said. “There’s something about living downtown, but a constant 24/7 at all times of the day, that’s where the irritation becomes a bit of a higher level and it’s hard for everyone with families and kids.”

Ottawa Bylaw Services says it has received 59 complaints about the sound coming from the unit since May but says the noise does not exceed the allowable level. Still, residents want something to change.

“It’s very loud,” said Melissa Jones, who lives nearby. “It’s changed the atmosphere in the neighborhood and on the street, whether it’s being able to use the sports field or hanging out in each other’s backyards. It interferes with the enjoyment, and it sounds like a helicopter taking off.”

The spokesperson for the owner of the Clemow says its systems are operating within the city’s noise guidelines, but says “As a good neighbour, we’re proactively exploring additional noise abatement measures to further reduce any impact on the surrounding community.”

“It’s a quick fix. It’s noise canceling that they could put on the air conditioning units,” said LeBlanc. “Most of the buildings have that, if not all the downtown buildings, because otherwise every neighborhood would have a constant AC noise problem.”

Capital Ward Coun. Shawn Menard said in a statement, “We’ve been working non-stop to ensure that bylaw completes more noise readings in the area and that the noise engineer hired by the building owners offers practical solutions to reduce this noise, which affects the quality of life for residents.”

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