FedEx responds to noise complaints from Richland residents

Following feedback from Chadwick Manor residents in January about noise at the nearby FedEx Freight facility, Richland Township zoning officer Scott Shoup addressed their complaints with the company.

Shoup shared the findings of a noise study taken at the request of the Chadwick Manor Homeowners Association and stated that FedEx Freight violated the township’s zoning ordinance. Shoup detailed the consequences of failure to comply with the ordinance and requested a written plan that addresses actions that FedEx would take at the property to mitigate the loudness of operations.

Township manager Dean Bastianini shared the correspondence at the Feb. 15 board of supervisors meeting.

Shoup received a response from Shawn Gallagher, counsel for FedEx Freight, detailing the facility’s plan for noise reduction. Because many residents complained about banging and crashing coming from loading docks, FedEx will install noise reduction pads on all existing and proposed docks, and the company has changed its construction schedule to begin retrofitting loading bays, according to the correspondence.

“We ask for the township’s and residents’ patience and to be mindful that this is an active construction project. FedEx will do its best to complete the project, within allowable hours, as expeditiously as possible,” Gallagher wrote.

After construction is finished, additional landscaping and screening will be added. Gallagher also said that FedEx will look into what other operational changes can be made, such as relocating where trailers are coupled in the yard.

To tackle the problem of excessive construction noise, FedEx is relocating its construction road around the building through the employee parking lot. Gallagher said that the relocation will move traffic to the opposite side of the facility from Chadwick Manor to help mitigate the noise issues and minimize tracking mud onto the roads.