Temple Beth El needs to plan to minimize adverse impacts during the Beth El expansion and during maintenance and landscaping.
Special Note: Children walk to and from school, and to the bus pick up area on Morseland and Commonwealth Avenue, and congregate on the corner. Beth El project managers and contractors need to be considerate of children and other walkers and traffic in the area. The project coordinator should also be aware when children are on vacation, have an early release day from school, and other times when extra care and consideration is necessary to prevent accidents. Planned coordination should include the Newton Safety Officers and Traffic Officers as well as neighborhood residents to manage high risk activities.
Also, many residents have young children, work at home, are elderly, medically fragile, and have other reasons to need information and cooperation from Beth El and the contractors to avoid hazards, to avoid disrupted access to residences and personal or work activity, to avoid disruption of phone service and necessary electrical services (computers, refrigerators, cable, hot water, heat, air-conditioning), to avoid gas leaks from street digging or sewer and drain breakdowns, to ensure access at all times for emergency vehicles, to maintain neighborhood safety and security, etc.
All problems are foreseeable and avoidable with good planning and communication.
The plan should include:
a. Project Schedule and Construction Management Plan, committee members, etc.
b. A notification and communication system so that Beth El provides all neighbors, especially direct abutters, with a reliable advance calendar of the demolition, construction, repair and maintenance activities, and, prompt notice of any changes.
c. The home, business and cell phone numbers of Beth El's operations manager, project coordinator, and all contractors so that abutters know in advance who the contractors are (security concerns) and so abutters and other residents can get an immediate response to any question and complaint regarding noise, debris, hazards, etc. during the day or night.
A building demolition creates large quantities of dust and wide distribution of pollutants so that anticipatory guidance and oversight is required for pollution control to protect the neighborhood.
Beth El contractor's need to prevent emissions from the work site by shrouding, wetting, covering and otherwise managing area to prevent emissions of particulate matter.
Potential air pollution hazards include dust, asbestos, chlordane, lead, arsenic, etc. as well as noise.
Instead of testing for hazards, assume dust is contaminated and completely enclose and shroud the area and wet down dirt and building for maximum dust control. Do not exhaust fumes and particulate facing any residences.
Be considerate of children and other walkers and traffic in the area. Children walk to the bus pick up area on Morseland and Commonwealth Avenue, and congregate on the corner, and walk to and from school.
Safety: Need designated truck access and exit routes. Timing of truck traffic needs to be considerate of neighborhood needs.
Noise: This is a residential area.
-Do not start demolition or construction activity that creates noise before 8 a.m.
-We assume that no work will be done on Shabbat. If work is done on Sundays, it should start after 9 a.m.
-Neighbors should be notified of times when activities will produce extremely loud noise so that they can plan accordingly. Contractors should do everything they can to mitigate noise.
Trash Control: Provide for worksite trash and debris disposal and crew's personal trash, garbage and other debris. Dumpster and dumpster pick up guidelines should minimize hazards to children during bus pick up and drop off times, and noise and disruption to neighborhood.
Plan for adequate police and inspectional services and oversight when large vehicles such as concrete trucks are pouring cement or bulldozers and/or backhoes are digging and dump trucks are coming and going?
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES
Good Neighbor guidelines for trucks and service vehicles
-No idling
-Designated crew parking area
-Designated truck access and exit routes
-Designated truck waiting/idling locations so as not to block streets or add to pollution and noise
-Designated truck and service vehicle parking areas
-No overnight parking on residential streets
-Plan for safe truck turning
Guidelines for maintaining sidewalks during construction and after? Who will shovel snow? Where will snow go?
Plan for adequate police and inspectional services and oversight when concrete trucks are pouring cement or bulldozers and/or backhoes are digging and dump trucks are coming and going.
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