BLUEWATER BAY —Homeowners in Chardonnay Estates and White Point Village upset over the noise, lights, and environmental issues from living next to the Mid-Bay Bridge Connector will share their concerns Thursday with the Mid-Bay Bridge Authority.
A portion of the road connects the north end of the Mid-Bay Bridge to State Road 20 to allow motorists to bypass White Point Road. However, some residents in Chardonnay and White Point Village now live only 150 feet from the connector, said Darlane Landsberger, the homeowner association manager for the two developments.
“Chardonnay Estates is located right in the line of fire, so to speak,” Landsberger said.
Since the connector’s construction in May 2011, Chardonnay Estates resident John Ormsbee has noticed a significant increase in noise. From 5 to 7 a.m. each morning he hears cars speeding on the road and on the bridge. The noise subsides during the day, he said, but only because drivers aren’t speeding as much.
Ormsbee used to live near the Long Island Expressway in New York, and said the only way nearby residents got any peace was when a sound wall was built.
“That’s the only solution to this,” he said.
Edward Chapman moved to his home in White Point Village only a few hundred feet from the road about three months ago. The noise is terrible, especially when a semi-trailer’s engine breaks down, he said.
“I wouldn’t even move here now,” Chapman said. “It was really nice here before. I’m sure the resale value has dropped just because of the interchange.”
Under the direction of the association’s board of directors, Landsberger sent the Bridge Authority requests to start resolving noise and drainage issues residents blame on the connector road.
The authority has begun installing temporary irrigation improvements and replanting shrubbery on the perimeters of the developments, Landsberger said.
Copies of past noise studies and current state Department of Transportation provisions for noise abatement on roads also were requested.
The Mid-Bay Bridge Authority released the names of eleven homeowners that were supposed to receive a letter asking them to comment on noise, Landsberger said. None of them said they received a letter, but Landsberger noted that they may have thought the letter was junk mail and threw it away.
Thursday’s meeting was also among the demands.
Jim Vest, the Bridge Authority’s executive director, said no noise abatement structures were built along with the connector because the original design criteria didn’t warrant them.
The complaints reached the authority last fall.
“I’m not saying there’s not noise there, but there are certain criteria established by the state or federal government to warrant sound walls,” Vest said. “The noise level predictions didn’t warrant that.”
The Bridge Authority will discuss potential measures to ease the problems at Thursday’s meeting, Vest said. Another noise study is in the works and the results will determine what will be done next.
“Basically, it boils down to one thing,” Landsberger said. “The residents have grown intolerant of the noise issues from the roadway.”
WANT TO ATTEND? The meeting will be at 6 p.m. Thursday at Niceville City Hall at 208 N. Partin Drive.