Music in the Park…Coming Soon!
Please join us on Saturday, September 7, 2024, from 3:00 to 7:00 pm at Discovery Ridge field for this year’s Music in the Park. This amazing event is brought to you by David Pellettier and the Discovery Ridge Community Association. Come along for an incredible afternoon filled with live music, featuring the best of the 60s and 70s Soul and Motown, classic rock hits, as well as pop, blues, and country tunes. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets, gather with friends and neighbours, and savour drinks from our curated beer and wine garden, along with delicious bites from YYC Food Trucks. We can’t wait to see you there!
As Previously Shared in the DRCA Members’ Email…Noise Matters
We have noticed the increase in resident concerns regarding noise from, and because of, the Ring Road. For those newer to the community, the DRCA engaged with the Provincial government, and Alberta Transportation (AT) in particular, on an ongoing basis from as far back as 2013 before the Ring Road construction near DR even began. For 10+ years a dedicated and vigilant group of volunteers on the DRCA Ring Road Committee advocated for the best interests of our special community, including sound attenuation measures. This included several trips to Edmonton to meet with various Ministers and AT Senior staff.
There were some major successes the DRCA Committee achieved including:
• Having the eastbound lanes paved further away from the northern edge of our community than they were planned to be.
• Getting the earthen berm installed that runs most, but not all, of the length of the community, from 69 Street heading west.
• Having AT leave at least some of the trees east of 69 Street, when they initially intended to remove them all.
There was no movement from AT to:
• Change their refusal to implement sound attenuation measures at Jackson Coulee (nicknamed Funnel Ravine by the nearby residents).
• Change their refusal to implement sound attenuation measures east of 69 Street.
• Change their refusal to implement sound attenuation measures at the west end of the community.
• Use City of Calgary noise measurement standards not Provincial standards.
That final point is likely the most notable at this time as we hear of residents working hard to have testing done with the hope of changes being made. Why has this been such an important request for the DRCA to strongly advocate and fight for all along? Because the City of Calgary standards use peak period noise whereas the Provincial standards are far harder to “fail” as they use 24-hour weighted averages. This is the narrowest corridor of the entire Ring Road project thereby placing the road and exit ramps closer to homes. Also, Discovery Ridge is within the City limits so we deemed using the City standards more than reasonable in the circumstances. This was always refused and is still refused.
Specifically, from the Ring Road website: Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors’ noise guidelines outline the conditions for noise attenuation in cities and urban areas. Noise attenuation will be considered if noise levels exceed a 24-hour weighted average of 65 decibels. These noise levels are determined by noise studies that consider roadway design, topography and anticipated traffic volumes to model, or predict, future levels. The future noise levels are used to determine if noise attenuation is warranted based on the provincial noise guidelines. Noise attenuation will not be installed for aesthetic/visual screening purposes.
In simple terms, this means that what the noise level measured at for the loudest 1 hour period is what would be used by City standards, vs the quiet times of a 24-hour average watering down the loudest times to a point whereby it would be incredibly difficult for the noise levels to fail by the Provincial standards being used.
We hope this background and information is helpful and useful to residents as they work to advocate for support and change.
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