Other Voices
Banggggg ... drillllllll ... whammmm, the sound of a hammer hitting a finger ... expletive, expletive, expletive. So begins another day, right at 7 a.m., in my neighborhood.
With all the heated debate surrounding one- vs. two-story houses, let me tell you the real reason I can't stand two-story houses: the bigger the house, the longer it takes to build. And the longer they take, the more noise I get to enjoy every day, all day.
I'm now well into the second (or is it third, fourth, umpteenth? I've lost count) year of living in the non-stop construction zone known as my block in Los Altos. I'm surrounded by multiple houses going under the knife, or, in most cases, being totally extracted and replaced. And around here, when a new house goes in, you can bet that it's going to be a two story.
Sure, I was spoiled by those years when it was big news if a neighbor had the roof replaced. Now no one even flinches when huge bulldozers show up, ready to knock down anything and everything in their path. And when those big, hulking pieces of yellow machinery arrive, you know that you're in for months (or as is the case with some projects on my block, years) of construction and all the noise that accompanies it.
In fact, there is so much construction on my street that I'm frequently stopped every 50 feet by different construction or utility trucks blocking off traffic. Driving around Los Altos is proof that my block isn't alone in all this construction mania or bonanza, if you're fortunate enough to own stock in a building company.
Now noise might not seem much of an issue for those of you who have to work 80 hours a week at company headquarters. But don't even consider telecommuting. I'm telling you you'll have problems hearing your cell phone ringing or the sound of Windows rebooting in your home office. I'm sure the noise is also really popular with folks trying to get kids to take a nap.
Perhaps the real kicker is getting awakened first thing Saturday morning - even on Labor Day weekend, no less - by the mighty sounds of construction. Add to that having to cope with the sounds of power tools when you're at an outdoor weekend barbecue.
I just hope realtors don't try to sell Los Altos as a quiet village any more, or they'd be liable for making false claims.
I know my griping is falling on a lot of deaf ears. As one friend told me over coffee and complaints, "at least your property value is going up with all the new houses." Yep, but as I look over another cleared lot on my block that's awaiting planning commission approval, I think that all the added assets in my portfolio are coming at a cost.
Susan Kerr is a free-lance writer and Los Altos resident.