The University's efforts to improve housing offered to future students also may have had the unintentional effect of creating a substantial amount of unrest. According to students living near the construction site of the Observatory Hill Residence Hall, construction is interfering with Alderman Road residents' routines?.
Residents of Balz dormitory, located directly in front of the work area, have complained that the noise and dust caused by the construction is bothersome and an impediment to both study and sleep.
"One time in finals last semester they were pouring a foundation, and construction lasted until 1 or 2 a.m.," first-year Balz resident Jackie Wolk said. "It gets very loud and with having to keep windows open, you can hear construction."
Another first-year Balz resident, Richa Khanna, said she agrees with Wolk's assessment of the situation, adding that the problem worsens to a large extent when the weather grows warmer. In those conditions, she said, the windows must be kept open, as Balz is not one of the air-conditioned Alderman dormitories.
Wolk and Khanna also noted that their studying and sleeping habits are often compromised by the construction, which begins in the early morning when many students are sleeping. Garbage pickup for the site, according to Wolk, starts as early as 6 a.m., and actual construction starts at 8 a.m., even on some weekend days.
Though some students may be inconvenienced by the construction project, Alex Arango, co-chair of the Alderman Road Resident Staff, said "the construction is moving the University forward," adding that the new building, when completed, will cut down on triple-occupancy rooms, improve the first-year experience and also offer more up-to-date facilities than the 1960s era residence halls that preceded it.
Regarding student complaints, Arango said housing officials have done as much as possible, referring correctable complaints to those in charge of construction and attempting to solve specific concerns. In all instances, Arango noted, the channels of communication have been open between the Housing Division, Resident Staff and residents.
Wolk noted that Housing has openly communicated with residents.
"Housing e-mails us when construction happens on the weekend," Wolk said, adding that such e-mails seem to be increasing in frequency.
Wolk also said she and other residents e-mailed Housing with their complaints after the foundation pouring last semester. A "mass e-mail apology" from Housing soon followed, with a promise to not allow a reoccurrence of the incident. To date, Wolk said, the promise has been kept.
Other complaints received by Housing, however -- such as dust and noise coming from the work area -- are unavoidable, according to Arango.
"Construction is construction," she said, noting that construction is simply a necessary part of the University's building process.
Such a response, though, does little to appease students such as Wolk and Khanna. As rising second-year students, they likely will be moving to other dormitories or off-Grounds housing next year, and consequently will not be able use the new Observatory Hill facility.
"It's not benefiting you in any way, so it's harder to deal with the inconvenience," Khanna said.
The five-story Observatory Hill Residence Hall, according to the Housing Department Web site, is scheduled for completion later this year. It will house 194 first-year students and nine Resident Staff members.
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