For peace and quiet

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    After reading the letter in your paper today from the Malibu Association of Contractors, I understand that a vote is/was scheduled for Dec. 14 concerning a ban on Saturday construction. I’d like to begin by saying that I hope that the council approves/approved and implements such a ban. I also wish to applaud one Ms. Kay Patterson for her thoughtful letter to your paper. She has articulated the feelings of many residents in Malibu. As such, she does not deserve the rude letter that was drafted in response to her own letter by the contractors. She made some very well-thought-out arguments for the case of banning construction in Malibu on Saturdays.

    I have lived in Malibu for over 10 years and not a week has gone by when there has not been some sort of construction project in the vicinity of the neighborhood where I live with my wife and family. While it is a positive sign of the economy and a necessary part of life that things be constructed, it is also not an absolute necessity to do it in excess of the normal work week of five-days-a-week. Especially in a community such as Malibu that lends itself to the quiet side of nature and the inherent peace of its surroundings.

    Construction is the most disruptive activity that exists that is contrary to Malibu’s “Way of Life.” Allowing the construction to continue on Saturdays does not contribute to anything positive for the majority of Malibu’s residents. It only favors a small fraction of those who work in the construction business and those who are involved in building projects. The noise of one construction project in a neighborhood can negatively impact and affect more than an entire block of residents. The sound of construction noise carries for quite a way from where it actually takes place.

    While some might argue that construction work on Saturdays allows certain individuals to moonlight from their Monday-Friday jobs, this is not a strong enough argument to counter the hardship that the noise from construction crews and equipment causes to those who live around it. If it is necessary for an individual to supplement their income, they should seek work in a community that is not so opposed to, or so affected by, weekend construction. There must have been a strong argument to prohibit Sunday construction — the same principles surely apply to Saturday.

    I trust that if not now, then soon, the City Council will agree to ban Saturday construction here in Malibu. In its favor, it will contribute to the peace and tranquility of an entire community without the noise of work crews, nor the dirt and fumes of their equipment. I react in disbelief when I am with my family on the same road as barreling construction vehicles, who seem to have no regard for the safety of others. As it is, 60 hours a week, as it currently stands, seems to be a sufficient number of hours to allow a construction crew to work on any given project during a week.

    Ronald Danner