Biomass loud, still under legal limit

ALACHUA – The Gainesville Police Department responded to the complaints of residents of Turkey Creek in Alachua regarding the noise from the Gainesville Renewable Energy Center (GREC).

The GREC biomass plant has been online since August. The plant is within Gainesville’s city limits, but residents from Turkey Creek and neighboring communities in Alachua have complained about the noise from GREC, which some citizens said keep them up at night. The Gainesville Police Department, responsible for enforcing the city’s noise ordinances, took some tests in Turkey Creek, but found the volume level within the legal limits.

The GPD said it will no longer respond to calls outside of the Gainesville city limits.

Citizens with concerns regarding the noise from GREC can call the non-emergency number for the Combined Communications Center of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office at 352-955-1818.

The tests the GPD took are not conclusive, said Ben Tobias, spokesman for the GPD. They were only taken over a short period of time and not necessarily indicative of the average volume level of the biomass plant, he said. However, the GPD will no longer be involved in testing the noise, according to its press release.

“The Gainesville Police Department is very sensitive to the needs of the citizens we proudly serve,” the agency said, but directed residents to take their complaints to the jurisdiction where the noise is heard, not where it originates.

Several Turkey Creek residents went to the Alachua City Commission Monday night at the Oct. 7 meeting to voice their concerns.

“If we had our choice today, we’d be gone,” said Russ Pisano, whose family has been affected.

Commissioner Ben Boukari, Jr., said he would talk to the city attorney about possible courses of action.

Boukari said he wished the problem could be solved as easily as flicking a light switch.

However, some residents of Turkey Creek feel that not enough has been done.

“In all essence, nothing has been solved,” said one person, who asked the city to consider a nuisance lawsuit against the City of Gainesville.

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