No noise walls along I-277

CHARLOTTE – The N.C. Department of Transportation last week announced that it would not be putting up noise-cancelling walls along the south side of Interstate 277 next to Uptown’s Fourth Ward.

The noise walls had been a contentious issue with people in Charlotte, with many claiming that the walls would obstruct views of the city from I-277. In the end it was the residents of Fourth Ward who got to vote, and they rejected the walls, but only after some controversy.

The DOT sent ballots about the noise walls to residents who would realize a 5-decibel reduction in interstate noise if the walls were built. When the DOT originally sent out ballots to those residents earlier this year, it counted both “yes” ballots and unreturned ballots as “yes” votes. Only returned “no” ballots were counted against the walls.

That approach caused backlash from residents and the Charlotte City Council because the DOT didn’t get enough “no” votes from residents to reject the noise walls. In response to that backlash, the DOT hired a firm called Atkins to conduct an independent analysis of the balloting to ensure all eligible property owners were provided the opportunity to vote on the issue.

According to the DOT, Atkins contacted management companies, homeowners associations and individual property owners to verify ownership records. The firm also visited properties and redistributed ballots to make sure every available voice was heard, and in the second go around, the noise walls were voted down.

─ Payton Guion