Cement Rods--Plus Ears, Business--Take a Pounding

Jolted from sleep at 7:30 a.m. in downtown Ventura, you could be forgiven if you thought war had broken out.

Two days ago, workers began pounding 50-foot rods of cement into the unyielding earth at the corner of Santa Clara and California streets with a giant diesel-powered hammer. Already, only 23 piles into a 253-pile job, the thunderous pounding has taken its toll.

At the Henshaw Hotel on Santa Clara Street, vibrations have shaken pictures askew on walls. At California 66, daytime business is down 50%, according to restaurant owner Frank Parong. And on the surrounding block, some employees are popping aspirin to combat headaches that pound their temples like jackhammers.

“I’ve lost a few tenants who can’t take it,” said Hal Thompson, who manages the 1927 brick Henshaw Apartment Hotel across from the construction site. “It’s shaking their teeth out.”

Theresa Parks at VenCo Properties installed a new stereo and a large fan to drown out the noise in anticipation of construction. But nothing prepared her for this.

“You know what it feels like?” she asked. “Jurassic Park, right before the big dinosaurs come running out.”

Bomel Construction officials told worried downtown merchants earlier this spring in a meeting at City Hall that noise would not exceed 70 decibels--a sound about equivalent to traffic or a “quiet train,” according to the World Almanac.

But Bill Isaacs at the Bella Maggiore Inn on California Street says the noise is more like a car alarm blaring into the night--an alarm that you can’t turn off.

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City redevelopment manager Pat Richardson, who once did noise meter readings as a code enforcer, says the construction din does not violate the city noise ordinance. Ordinarily, noise cannot exceed 60 decibels (the equivalent of a noisy office, according to the World Almanac) between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. But there is an exception for pile driving, Richardson said.

“It’s loud,” Richardson said. “But I don’t think it’s in violation of the noise ordinance.”

Tell that to Thompson at the Henshaw.

In addition to losing tenants, he is worried that the antique gilt-framed mirror that hangs above his living room fireplace is going to jump right off the wall. He has watched in alarm, he says, as spidery cracks have begun to run up some of his walls. He points to pieces of mortar that have already fallen off around his front door jamb.

“I photographed it before this started,” he said, surveying his lobby. As he raises his voice to speak over the earsplitting din of the pounding, 11-year-old Tonya Lovett wanders out of her apartment clutching her pillow and a teddy bear. She is having trouble sleeping.

“The noise was making the floor vibrate,” she said. “And me and my friend were sleeping on a futon. And it became stronger and stronger.”

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Antique dealer Frank Toms has called the city, fretting that the ground vibrations may damage the wares in his Main Street store.

And Isaacs at the Bella Maggiore said he has had a lot of calls from hotel guests. He is worried that he may have to give refunds if the racket continues.

“We might have to consider discounts,” he said.

Frank Parong at California 66 said the loss of downtown parking and the noise are a double whammy for business. He said it has gotten so bad he has had to lay off two employees.

“The restaurant’s empty,” said part-time manager Carlos Acevez, who said that he leaves work with a pounding rhythm in his head. “There’s no place to park. And who would want to sit on the patio with that deafening noise.”

Out on the patio, overlooking the construction site, sit two regulars, sipping coffee from rattling cups.

“Our question is, how long will we last?” said Brandon Clark, who has patronized California 66 three times a week for the past 12 years with his buddy, Steve Horton. “But if all the regulars run away from the pounding this place will go bust, and there will be no California 66.”

The pile driver operators, who all sport yellow earplugs, close up shop each day about 3 p.m.

“We don’t like to admit it, but most pile drivers are deaf,” said worker Dennis O. Jones, who said he has difficulty hearing certain frequencies.

Foreman Rob Stack said there are only 230 more to go. Richardson said they should be in within 15 days, and the parking structure should be completed by next spring.

Noise Level Comparison

50 decibels--the sound of a typewriter or loud conversation

60 decibels--the sound of a noisy office.

70 decibels--the sound of normal traffic or a quiet train.

80 decibels--rock music, or a subway.

90 decibels--heavy traffic or thunder.

100 decibels--a jet plane taking off.

Source: World Almanac

Plugging It Out

To protect your fragile eardrums, the following is recommended:

If it is kind of loud, wear earplugs.

If it is pretty loud, wear headsets that cover your ears, equipped with walkie-talkies for communication on site.

If it is REALLY loud, wear earplugs AND headsets.

Source: Tina Rea of Halliburton Energy Sources