Thursday, July 30, 2015

Nighttime noise driving Bethesda condo residents crazy (Photos)

Residents of the Crescent Plaza condominiums in downtown Bethesda have been between the hammer and the anvil over the last week. Not only is the Solaire Bethesda being constructed adjacent to their building on Wisconsin Avenue, but now nighttime road work has begun without any warning at the intersection of Wisconsin and Leland Street.

I had noticed this Sunday night, when the crew pictured above was working in the northbound lanes of Wisconsin at Leland. I've since heard from residents in Crescent Plaza that they were never notified of this nighttime work, which has run some nights between 10:00 PM to after 4:00 AM.

That led me to get in touch with Steve Martin, who handles noise issues for the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection. Martin confirmed that the mystery road crew had not filed for a nighttime noise waiver with the county. In fact, it was unclear just who these folks were.

Further investigation by Martin determined that the contractors are doing unspecified work for Pepco. He also provided a work schedule for the project, which is expected to be completed next week.
Pepco crew working
late last night on
Wisconsin Avenue
Pepco's crew was back again last night, this time in a new spot on Wisconsin directly in front of the Solaire Bethesda site (formerly Eastham's Exxon for those following from out-of-state). They were supposed to do some drilling and rebar work, which undoubtedly thrilled Crescent Plaza residents. They'll be back tonight to pour concrete, weather permitting. Then they'll take Friday and Saturday nights off - but return Sunday night. Finally, they will patch the road (which has been resurfaced twice at taxpayer expense in the last year) next week.

The problem for residents in this case, is that our DEP doesn't have authority over the Maryland State Highway Administration, according to Martin - although he said he is working to improve communication between the agencies regarding nighttime work. He also hopes to confirm Pepco's possession of an SHA Lane Closure Permit by today.

"While we don’t have the authority to stop this nighttime work," Martin said, "prior notification to nearby residences goes a long way towards minimizing complaints."


56 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does Dyer knock on people's doors at 4 AM, and ask them if construction noise is driving them crazy?

Anonymous said...

9:20 AM Sounds more like downtown Bethesda residents reaching out to Dyer.

Anonymous said...

Dyer ignores a lot of readers in his comments so I dunno if he is.

Robert Dyer said...

11:35: You must be thinking of another website. I regularly respond to comments and emails from readers, as any longtime reader here knows.

Anonymous said...

Sure, when it suits you. So many non responded questions and comments in the past two pages alone.

Anonymous said...

Dyer is more engaged with readers than any other local journo I'm aware of.
When was the last time a local Post writer responded to comments online?

Unknown said...

I find Dyer to be responsive. He's covering a very localized beat, and I'm appreciative.

Anonymous said...
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Bob B. said...

Dyer is a fantastic local best blogger! His responses with readers though are more argumentative than constructive. He doesn't take opposing opinions or criticism well. His scoops are great though! Nice for us that he has the free time to walk around Bethesda and report on everything for us going to work all day.

Trawick said...

Bob B.: love your blog! Keep trolling Dyer while we are at work and every other hour of the day. Maybe you'll be as good as Dyer some day? Well, probably not.

Robert Dyer said...

Bob B., your standard talking points continue to fail. Nobody is complaining about me taking on trolls posting troll comments other than the couple of trolls who post them. And not only do I report what's going on around town, but I also publish in-depth analysis and investigative reports, and have exposed unethical and criminal activity within the county. You know how many times the Gazette did that while you were "at work"? Zero.

Bob B. said...

Huh? I'm not a blogger and I just said I like Dyer's blog a lot.

Anonymous said...

Haha Dyer just proved all the points of his "trolls". Reader Bob said dyer was a great blogger and Dyer starts going off on him.

Anonymous said...
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Battery Lane said...

Down with Dyer! He responds to readers. I don't like that. That's why I only read glossy magazines...no reader comments! Down with Dyer!

Robert Dyer said...

7:01: Actual readers know Bob B. is actually a troll, using his same talking points about "good blogger, good information, but not a real journalist, 'resentful', etc."

Anonymous said...

And yet Dyer never complains when his shills use the same talking points about "glossy magazines", as though they don't have electronic versions with reader comments (and you don't even have to register with Disqus).

Anonymous said...

It's still constructive criticism from what we are reading, and you are taking it immature

Anonymous said...

Things wouldn't be the same without Dyer's unhinged stalker/troll. The troll has had to cut back, but he's still out there...thinking about Dyer and posting bizarre comments.

Anonymous said...

Read what Bob wrote. That is hardly unhinged. Nor trolling. Not bizarre. Unbelievable if you think that is.

TG said...

Read a recent study that found trolls who hate-stalk do it because they want to make the targeted people feel badly about themselves. The trolls feel badly about themselves and resent people who seem to be positive and centered. Seems about right.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

8:24am is right on the money. Dyer's trolls/stalkers hate themselves and want to spread the hate with their poisonous comments. Sad.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

@ 8:24 AM - "they want to make the targeted people feel badly about themselves. The trolls feel badly..."

As your hero loves to say, you could use a course in Remedial English.

Also, I thought that the talking point was supposed to be, "you people think everything is perfect".

Anonymous said...

@ 4:26 AM - Sure looks like that.

Anonymous said...

@ 4:32 AM, I meant.

Anonymous said...

We knew he was deleting obscene and foul posts, but now he is deleting anything he doesn't agree with.

Robert Dyer said...

8:05 AM: False statements about me will be deleted.

Anonymous said...

If someone thinks you're rude - that's a false statement? And will be deleted?

Robert Dyer said...

4:32: If it's not true, it's a false statement. No actual reader has ever been treated rudely on here, and trolls have been dealt with in admirably restrained fashion, to say the least. Honesty is indeed the best policy.

Anonymous said...

So you are the judge and jury on truth. Whether it relates to someone's "opinion" about you, or your analysis of a local politician's actions being swayed by donors, etc. Got it. Fair and balanced.

Anonymous said...

@ 4:39 AM:

"trolls have been dealt with in admirably restrained fashion, to say the least."

I love the way you praise yourself using the passive voice.

Anonymous said...

What a joke to demand to be treated as an honest journalist and politician and then delete comments that you don't like. That's not honest at all.

Anonymous said...

An "admirably restrained fashion"? By who's definition? You are just as mean as your trolls.

Robert Dyer said...

6:04: You have absolutely no evidence to back up your false claim.

Robert Dyer said...

6:40: When you rely on the facts, you'll always be right.

Robert Dyer said...

7:42: I "love the way" you often refer to "the passive voice" in your trolling comments. More proof it's the same couple of guys trolling.

Robert Dyer said...

10:18: Can you name an "honest" mainstream media outlet that doesn't delete bigoted, offensive, libelous, racist, defamatory comments? Hint: Zero. It's called a comment policy.

Anonymous said...

So you are saying you are all the same? Gotcha. I can live with that statement and sentiment.

The comment policy includes comments that are someone's opinion stated in a constructive criticism manner? That's how most of us read Bob's comments.

Anonymous said...

Read your comments. That's evidence. Hard proof. Just as much so as your evidence and proof for anything you present.

Robert Dyer said...

7:36: Regular readers would quickly recognize that "Bob" was one of the couple of trolls who post on here, by the dead giveaway of his repetitive talking points. "Bob"'s comment wasn't even removed!

Anonymous said...
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Robert Dyer said...

7:37: I invite anyone to read my comments, and they will quickly find you are lying. And they will applaud my handling of the couple of resident trolls in the comment section, which has been far more civil than they deserve.

Robert Dyer said...

8:46: The existence of a political machine and weak economy in Montgomery County are established facts. You making libelous statements about me won't change that. Your libelous statement is deleted. "Cookie cutter concrete canyons" are indeed in the Westbard plan, and the fact that so many residents use that language only proves my point.

Anonymous said...

Thinking someone is rude is libelous?

Anonymous said...

Noting that Dyer tends to use "repetitive talking points", and giving examples of those that he uses regularly, is "libelous"? And then deleting the comment so that readers can't see what was in it?

Anonymous said...

Ok let's see if we got this straight.

"Moribund economy" - fact

"Existence of a political machine" - fact

"Weak economy" - fact

Dyer's handling of trolls - "applauded"

Others using same talking points as Dyer - "proves [Dyer's] point"

"Concrete canyon" - fact

"Rude" - libelous opinion

Anonymous said...

"Referring to 'passive voice'" = "trolling"

Anonymous said...

"Passive voice" = "proof it's the same couple of guys trolling"

Robert Dyer said...

12:55: No, but writing false statements about what I've written is indeed libelous.

Robert Dyer said...

5:00: You mentioned all of the content of the deleted comment *except* the libelous statement that caused it to be deleted! It is you who is trying to deceive.

Anonymous said...

So Dyer is now claiming that pointing out that he is wrong is "writing false statements", and therefore "libelous".

Robert Dyer said...

1:17: Nope. There was a specific false claim made about what I written in comments. A lot of people post comments that disagree, and they are not deleted.

Anonymous said...

What did they write that was a false claim? I think if you show the statement (which you agree is false) then the disbelievers will be disproven.

Trawick said...

It seemed to have been just something dyer disagreed with.