SKANEATELES - It was standing room only during Monday's Skaneateles Village Board meeting as more than 30 residents packed into the small meeting room to voice their opinion on a proposed village code that would limit outdoor construction hours for contractors and residents.

After more than an hour of discussion, the village trustees decided not to vote on the law, and instead encouraged West Lake Street residents and contractors to work together to solve the noise problem in that neighborhood without the need for new regulations. Representatives from the contractors, the residents and the board agreed to meet at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday to work out a compromise.

“If we need to vote on this local law, there will be some revisions,” said village Mayor Bob Green. “It would be ideal if there was a compromise between the home owners and the contractors.”

The proposed law, which was created after 17 West Lake Street residents signed a petition regarding noise from residential construction in their neighborhood, would limit work for contractors and residents alike to 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday and holidays. Public works and emergency conditions would be exempt.

Most of the residents in attendance believed the law would be unfair and would prevent them from working on their own home projects.

“This is because of one bad experience,” said resident Joe Delaney. “Most of us, if we want to work on our house, we have to do it out of the time allowed. This really restricts property owners, which is not the intent of the law. I just want you to know I'm very much against this law.”

West Lake Street resident John Young said he wanted the law to be more restrictive by banning construction all together on Saturday and Sunday, among other requests.

“We want an addition to this for a noise ordinance,” Young said. “We do believe that there needs to be a noise ordinance that should be created to regulate construction equipment.”

Jim Falso, a general contractor for the home remodeling project on West Lake Street that has alarmed some of the neighbors, said bad weather had caused construction to go on for 10 hours a day to make up for lost time.

“You have to make hay when the sun shines, and there are going to be days when there is no work,” Falso said.

Kurt Nelson, owner of Big Horn, the company contracted for the project, said that until he had a chance to talk with the residents on Wednesday, he would restrict construction hours to 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“We are not trying to cause problems here, we are just limited by time,” Nelson said. “We have tried to be good neighbors. I want everybody to be happy.”

Staff writer Nate Robson can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or nathan.robson@lee.net