DENTON, Texas — A Denton neighborhood off of Interstate 35 says it’s become impossible to sleep or be outside at their own homes because of a recent increase in the sound of traffic.
For 11 years, Jim Cinnater has lived on Claydon Drive in Denton, but says in the past three months everything has changed.
“All of a sudden it got louder and louder and louder,” he said. “It’s like someone’s cleaning the house with a loud vacuum cleaner in the next room. It just never shuts off.”
He blames the new Zimmerer Kubota building directly across the interstate from his home for amplifying the sound into the neighborhood.
The city did two decibel readings for both the neighborhood and along the interstate by the Kubota building and got numbers as high as 80 decibels — much higher than the 65 decibels needed for a noise violation. But a city spokesperson said since the source of the sound is traffic, they can’t cite anyone.
Two doors down from Cinnater, John Strittmatter blames both the building and a recent increase in the speed limit.
“It’s really hard to sleep. You get constant headaches from it,” he said. “Try to sleep in your master bathroom with your exhaust fan on.”
Sam Zimmerer, the co-owner of the new Kubota building, says he’s sorry people are suffering but believes the issue is traffic, not them.
The Texas Department of Transportation said in a statement they can’t add sound walls because the neighborhood is too far away to qualify. The property that does qualify is planned to be a commercial development and would only get the option of requesting sound walls if the state had a road improvement project on that section of I-35.
“We never experienced anything until it was directly across from us,” Strittmatter said.
Zimmerer Kubota, TxDOT and Denton city officials all say that no one took decibel level readings before the building was built or the speed limit was changed, so no one knows exactly how much the noise has increased.
“It’s incredible. There’s no escaping it,” Cinnater said. “The main issue to me is there’s lack of concern.”
City officials said they’re still reviewing the information surrounding the noise, but currently don’t have any options to help residents. Both Strittmatter and Cinnater said with the new noise they can’t even afford to move
“I just hope and pray that the city can help in some way,” Strittmatter said.
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