Sunset Development

As part of the construction at the Sunset subdivision development, the contractors have begun overlot grading work along WCR 5 and just south of Erie Highlands. The information below is intended to explain what the work is and ongoing plans.

On the property just south of Erie Highlands is a water pump station (pictured above). The water pump is for filling water tanks the contractor’s construction equipment uses for road grading work. The pump itself is roughly 150 feet from the nearest residential home and the contractor has constructed a berm in front of pump to deflect direct noise. The current location of this water pump is the only one the contractor has to provide construction water to their equipment to complete grading work and the subsequent utility construction.  

Some residents have raised concerns about the sound from the water pump. Staff at the Town have contacted the contractor to ask about additional shielding of the water pump. The contractor is exploring the possibility of lowering the pump into a small hole to help minimize the noise. As for the current noise levels, the Town Municipal Code states that construction noise cannot be above 80 decibels at a property boundary. The Erie Police Department on Thursday, June 16 measured the decibels levels at the Sunset development’s property line to be 65 decibels - within the Code's limits.

The contractor also anticipates using another water connection for an extra water tank. This additional connection for filling a tank would not use a pump, but instead would connect to an existing water blowoff with a meter and hose. There is a hookup to allow this at an existing water line at the end of Albion Way. The use of hoses and meters versus pumping water will help to minimize noise and allows the water holding tanks to be moved further from residential areas with the hoses. 

This sort of grading and construction work is typical for subdivision development. This construction activity along the property boundary will continue throughout the summer and into the fall as development progresses. 

Background of the Sunset Property

The Sunset property was annexed into the Town of Erie in 2007 for the intended purpose of residential development. This parcel is zone for Low Density Residential and is completed separate from Sunset Open Space which is directly south of this parcel and home to the Erie Singletrack Trails. 

The Town of Erie Planning Commission and the Board of Trustees approved the Sunset Final Plat in December 2021 and the Consent to Assignment of the  Development Agreement for Sunset Filing No. 1 was approved in January 2022.