DOWAGIAC — A resident of Dowagiac has been losing sleep and made the city council aware of the problem on Monday.

Karen Clark, of the 600 block of Alayna Street, said she has been having difficulty sleeping for more than a year and raised noise complaints coming from the north side of Fryman’s Recycling, 300 E. Railroad St., Dowagiac. While she said the noise does not affect her all the time, it is still causing her problems. 

“This is ridiculous that we can’t even sleep in our own homes,” Clark told the city council. “I bought insulation board and cut them and put material on to look like curtains. Stapled it on and duct taped them around my bedroom windows, and I can still hear them. There was one officer who came to the house. He did go into the bedroom. He listened. He said there was no way he could listen to that noise at night and sleep, either.”

Clark, who has been in contact with the police department, code enforcement and Mayor Don Lyons, said she has taken decibel readings from her home, and they reached levels of 40.

“This is affecting the whole city,” Clark said. “If my decibel readings are at 40 and a little over, which is the night time high, and its 40 at the airport and the industrial park, that means that noise blight is over the city the whole entire evening.”

Clark said she also has friends who live on the corner of Twin Lakes and Dutch Settlement, who have a dog they take out at night and in the morning, and they also hear noise. Clark added that two other neighbors had not heard the noise during the night.

Clark is hoping the city council can do something to help address the noise.

“I’ve read up on the recycling business. There are filters that can reduce the noise. There’s mica that can go in with the material that dampen that noise,” Clark said. “Something needs to be done.”

Following Clark’s comments, City Manager Kevin Anderson told Clark she would hear back from the city.

Representatives from Fryman Recycling could not be reached for comments as of press time.

Also on Monday:

• A second public hearing was hosted for the Michigan Housing Development Authority’s modular grant program. The home would be built in the area of Spruce and Parsonage streets. Currently, the city has all the approvals from the state. Anderson said the grant is predicted to be in the low $180,000 range for a 1,300-square foot and two-bedroom home. Anderson added the state is willing to take a certain amount of money as a loss if the home would not sell. Any losses beyond that would be the city’s responsibility. Immediately after the public hearing, the council unanimously authorized an agreement with MSHDA modular grant program.

• A resolution was passed to set permit fees for the building department effective on April 1. Council said the increases are about 3 percent across the board.

“We do this regularly to make sure we are staying competitive and within our cost range,” said Mayor Pro Tem Leon Laylin. “My guess is about a $5 increase on permit fees.”

• A resolution was unanimously passed for the continuation of a contract with Domestic And Sexual Abuse Services to provide emergency services, outreach and advocacy for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Anderson said from the police department standpoint, the contact for DASAS’ services is one of the best Dowagiac has in the community.

“It’s unfortunate this service is needed, but the police really rely on [DASAS’] professionalism and their backgrounds to be able to come into these difficult domestic situations and provide the kind of support to victims that are needed during that time and place,” he said. “They are a tremendous asset to the police force and community that is there.”

The proposed contract requests an amount equal to $0.25 per resident based on a population of 5,786 which represents an allocation of $1,446.50.

• The first reading of a zoning ordinance amendment requested by the planning commission was hosted.

At the past few planning commission meetings, members have discussed zoning ordinance changes, including classifying residential apartments downtown as permitted uses. Currently, the upper floor residential areas are special land use and in order to get them approved, it takes extra steps, Assistant City Manager Natalie Dean said.

Another recommendation would be to add modular housing as a permitted use in all residential districts. Lastly, the ordinance change recommends allowing brewpubs, micro distilleries and micro wineries as permitted uses. Dean said just like any bar, the businesses would have to have a liquor license. Dean said breweries, wineries and distilleries should be a permitted use in the industrial districts.