Жители района Грей Ридж в Энид столкнулись с задержкой восстановления из-за применения старого закона о шумоизоляции

Nearly four months after a tornado destroyed homes in Enid’s Gray Ridge neighborhood, some families say they are finally ready to rebuild but have encountered another hurdle in the permitting process. Dirk McCoy and his family lived in their Gray Ridge home for 12 years before the April tornado destroyed it. McCoy and his wife took shelter as the storm approached. He said the house was lifted off its foundation and bricks from a nearby wall fell on top of their storm shelter, trapping them inside for about 45 minutes. Months later, the debris has been cleared and McCoy said several families now have plans drawn and are reaching the permitting stage. That’s when he said they learned an existing City of Enid noise ordinance would apply to their new homes. “The city has decided to impose a 2004 noise attenuation ordinance that none of us were aware of,” McCoy said. “And that is, at this point, delaying construction out here.” What does Enid’s noise ordinance require? The ordinance applies to residential construction within designated noise zones near Vance Air Force Base. A noise zone letter provided to Gray Ridge residents by the City of Enid cites Section 9-1A-4 of city ordinance and incorporates guidelines developed for reducing aircraft noise inside homes. According to the city’s letter, Gray Ridge receives aircraft noise ranging from 65 to 75 decibels. The standards are intended to reduce noise inside occupied areas of homes to an average of no more than 45 decibels. The requirements vary depending on the noise level at a particular property and include standards involving exterior walls, insulation, windows, doors, ceilings, ventilation and other parts of a home’s construction. The city’s document also includes restrictions or additional requirements involving skylights, kitchen exhaust systems, fireplaces, dryers and other vented appliances. The ordinance states a building permit cannot be issued for a structure within the designated noise zones unless its plans and specifications comply with the minimum noise-reduction standards. Residents ask why the ordinance is being enforced now McCoy does not dispute that the ordinance is on the books. Instead, he and other residents question why they say it was not applied to previous construction in Gray Ridge but is being applied as tornado victims rebuild. “There have been houses built out here since 2010 that that ordinance is not used,” McCoy said. “They were permitted without that.” One of those residents is Rhonda Skrapke, whose home was built in 2010. In a statement to News 9, Skrapke said her home had a fireplace, vented kitchen hood and gas appliances vented through the roof. She said the original owner, who had the home built, told her he had never heard of the noise standards and that they were not applied during construction. News 9 has not independently verified the permitting history of Skrapke’s home. The city has not yet addressed residents’ claims about how the ordinance was enforced on previous construction in Gray Ridge. Our home was built in 2010-2011 well after the City’s 2004-2005 Noise Zone Ordinance was enacted. The City did not enforce the noise attenuation ordinance as my property had a fireplace, vented kitchen hood and gas appliances vented through the roof all of which the noise standards say you cannot have. I visited with the original owner of our property who had the home built in 2010 and he advised he had never heard of these noise standards and they were not applied to this project. Rebuilding costs are another concern McCoy said complying with the additional requirements could increase rebuilding costs at a time when some families are already approaching the limits of their insurance coverage. “It would definitely add to the cost,” McCoy said. “And it’s expensive to build a house now.” McCoy said he does not yet know exactly how much the requirements could add to his rebuild. He said homeowners are also looking into whether insurance coverage for ordinance or law-related costs could help. Beyond the cost, McCoy questions the need for the additional noise protections in Gray Ridge. “Yes, we are next to Vance Air Force Base. There are airplanes and flyovers, but it’s not noisy,” McCoy said. “We’re victims of a tornado. We’re not victims of noise.” McCoy says city helped families after tornado Despite his frustration with the ordinance, McCoy credited the City of Enid for its response following the tornado. He said the city helped remove debris and trees and assisted residents with removing damaged concrete slabs at no cost. “The city was great after the tornado,” McCoy said. He said that assistance is part of why residents are struggling to understand why they are encountering another obstacle now that they are ready to rebuild. McCoy said he understands city employees may be required to enforce an ordinance already on the books. He hopes city leaders can find some form of relief for Gray Ridge families rebuilding homes that existed before the tornado. “We hope that if we should get to the City Council, that they will set that ordinance aside, at least for us, because these houses already existed,” McCoy said. “This is not a new development.” City of Enid responds News 9 reached out to the City of Enid about the residents’ concerns and questions about enforcement of the ordinance. The city said it plans to meet with Gray Ridge residents Thursday to listen to their concerns, better understand what they are experiencing and discuss how the city can support them through the rebuilding process. The city said it wants to have that conversation before commenting further. The City will be meeting with Gray Ridge residents tomorrow to listen to their concerns, better understand what they are experiencing, and discuss how the City can best support them through the rebuilding process. We believe it is important to have that conversation before commenting further on the matter. Gray Ridge meeting scheduled for Thursday The City of Enid is scheduled to meet with Gray Ridge residents at 6 p.m. Thursday at Enid City Hall. There will not be time for public comment during the meeting, but residents can submit questions to the city in advance. For McCoy and his wife, the goal remains getting back to the neighborhood they called home before the tornado. “It’ll be a relief to finally be back in our neighborhood,” McCoy said. “That feels like a million miles away right now.”