Queen’s has submitted a request to the City of Kingston for a one-year extension to the temporary, limited exemption to the city’s noise control bylaw in effect for the sports fields at the corner of Johnson Street and Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard, and for Richardson Stadium. The current exemption expires on June 30, 2015.

The university is requesting a further one-year exemption, under the same terms and conditions previously approved by city council, until June 30, 2016.

“We have been in regular communication with our West Campus neighbours throughout the past year, and the feedback we have received suggests that there have been significant improvements in terms of the sound emanating from our sports fields,” says Leslie Dal Cin, Executive Director, Athletics and Recreation. “This temporary extension will allow the university to continue to work collaboratively with community members toward a long-term solution for the fields, and for the revitalized Richardson Stadium, which is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2016.”

At the time of approval, city council placed a number of conditions on the exemption, including:

• Communicating with internal and external field users on the importance of keeping noise levels to a minimum, posting field signs with the same message, and ongoing communication with the community, including the creation of a dedicated web page, reporting line and response plan;
• Limiting the volume, frequency, duration and type of amplified sound permitted;
• Providing the City of Kingston with a copy of the noise impact assessment along with a proposed list of actions by December 31, 2014; and
• Reporting field usage on a monthly basis to the City of Kingston for the duration of the exemption.

The university has complied with each of these conditions.

Last year, HGC Engineering conducted a noise impact assessment that led to several recommendations for noise reduction in the area.

The university began making a number of adjustments to field usage prior to receiving the current exemption, and has since implemented all of the consultant’s recommendations.

The City of Kingston has opened a public comment period and Kingston city council is expected to consider this matter at its meeting on May 19.