Leah LaVelle has reluctantly embraced a new bedtime routine over the last three months as the noise from a pipeline-replacement project in North Park has made it impossible to sleep at night.

LaVelle rents an apartment in the neighborhood on 30th Street, with a bedroom window facing the road. Every night she moves her blankets and pillows to the couch. It’s one way she can rest, she said, but it doesn’t always work.

“Some nights I’ve had zero sleep,” she said. "(It) has pushed me over the edge.”

The city is currently replacing nearly 6 miles of water distribution mains on 30th Street between Thorn and Upas streets to prevent future water main breaks.

In October, construction work hours were shifted to nights, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., to prevent road closures from impacting small businesses, said city spokesman Alec Phillipp.

“If this work were to happen during the day the local businesses, which are already operating under the COVID-19 restrictions, would be severely impacted because no vehicle access would be allowed while the crews are working,” Phillipp said in an email.

On the stretch where nighttime work is occurring there are about six businesses, and more than a dozen residential buildings. Residents on those blocks have complained to the city about the noise for weeks. Many say they can’t sleep because of constant beeping, the sound of jackhammers and bright lights outside their windows.

“I don’t want the businesses affected either but I can’t understand figuring out some sort of middle ground,” LaVelle said.

LaVelle, who works as a teacher, said she stayed at a nearby hotel one night in October to sleep.

“I gave up trying to really sleep in my bedroom ... it makes me anxious and angry,” she said. According to emails sent to the city’s project email obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune, LaVelle is not alone.

In November, one resident questioned why the needs of business on the corner of the block were being prioritized since they were outnumbered by residential structures.

“I’m not satisfied with your previous assurances that ‘compromises’ are being reached regarding this situation,” the neighbor wrote.

Another person said the noise and light from the project was horrifying and should not be done at night.

“We all as neighbors are really losing our patience with this project by lack of sleep,” the resident wrote Nov. 24.

One resident wrote on Dec. 2 that noise persists from 8:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. and questioned why construction wasn’t moved to daylight hours.

“While I don’t intend to come across as ‘that guy’, I am someone that has gotten very little sleep over the past two weeks due to heavy equipment,” the resident wrote.

That same person followed up with the city five days later after not receiving a response from the city and wrote, "... I’m currently listening to an oversized jackhammer outside my living room.”

Most received similar responses from city staff explaining that night work was being done to avoid hurting businesses and thanking residents for cooperating.

LaVelle believes communication with residents could be better than generic email responses.

“It’s completely unfair to ask us to be patient not to sleep for three or four months,” she said.

Phillipp said residents are notified of construction activities through email blasts, door hangers and letters. He said the city’s community liaison has received around six inquires about the night work and on-site staff have had discussions with community members.

The city anticipates construction to continue through the end of January, with the possibility of extensions due to rains.

Liz Saba, owner of Presley & Co., a jewelry store on 30th Street, said although she’s thankful the city is thinking of the businesses because a street closure could be a “nail on the coffin” for many merchants, she understands why residents are frustrated by the nighttime construction.

She said the city could look for a compromise because most of the businesses on the block open at 11 a.m.

“It’s a Catch-22 unfortunately because we don’t want the residents to be inconvenienced,” Saba said. “But it has been a challenging year.”

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