Waterfront residents concerned about late-night gravel trucks

The owners of a bed and breakfast near the Charlottetown waterfront are raising concerns about late night noise coming from theindustrial wharf run by Charlottetown Port Authority.

"They're doing it in the middle of the night when the majority of the people are looking for their rest," said Fred Martens, who runs a B&B on Water Street. "We all need our rest for our health and that is essentially what it comes down to."

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Marten said this past Saturday, the trucks were hauling gravel from the wharf through the night.

Martens's wife took their concerns to city hall Monday for a meeting with the mayor. The couple claim the night work violates the city's nuisance bylaw.

However, Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee said no laws are being broken.

"It's obviously not ideal to havea bed and breakfastacrossthe street from apieceof land that's zoned industrial," said Lee. "I'm not sure there's anythingunderour rules and regulations that the city can stop the port from doing activity that they're legally entitled to do."

Night work takes place 6 to 12 times a year

Charlottetown Port Authority said Saturday'swork involved hauling some of the60,000 metrictonnesof gravel that have arrived on the Charlottetownwaterfront this spring.

Most of it is being trucked out to the airport, whererunway expansion is underway.The Port Authority says night work helps ships stay on schedule and keepcosts down. Night work takes place at the wharfsix to 12 times a year, according to the Port Authority.

Martens says he and his wife plan to start a Facebook page to get discussion going on the issue.

"There has to be work done in the province and in the city.I understand that," said Martens. "We just would like to see that there be some compromise here for the trucks to be loading when it'sappropriatehours so people can get their rest."

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