By LEAH WEATHERSBY

On Thursday mornings, often between 3 and 5 a.m., Laurelhurst resident Heather Newman is awakened by loud noises and flashing lights.

Newman lives behind a short commercial strip on NE 45th Street between 35th Avenue NE and 37th Avenue NE. She said over the last year and a half, garbage or recycling collection for the businesses in that area has awakened her regularly.

³You name it, Iıve tried it,² said Newman of her efforts to block out the noise. ³This problem is seriously diminishing the quality of life in that neighborhood. People blocks behind me can hear it.²

Exactly what company is causing this disturbance has yet to be determined, according to Sheila Strehle, spokeswoman for Seattle Public Utilities.

Since last April, the City has contracted with Rabanco, a waste disposal company, to collect garbage from commercial properties. However, businesses must still hire other companies themselves to pick up recycling. Strehle said many commercial garbage collectors prefer to operate in the wee hours because there is less traffic and itıs more convenient for the businesses they are servicing. She added there are technically no time restrictions on when those companies can collect trash.

³The commercial (garbage collectors) can operate on 24-7 basis,² Strehle said.

While the noise ordinance seems to discourage pick-ups near residential areas during predawn hours, it is vague, said David George, noise abatement coordinator with the Cityıs Department of Design Construction and Land Use (DCLU). Also, George said, a noise can be bothersome without violating the noise ordinance and DCLU inspectors must catch perpetrators in the act in order to start the enforcement process.

Strehle said both the City and Rabanco want to respond to residents complaints ‹ if and when they determine the noise is coming from Rabanco trucks and not a recycling company.

³We want to make sure we stay on top of those things,² Strehle said. ³If itıs a Rabanco truck, itıs going to get resolved very quickly.²

To report noise ordinance violations, call David George of DCLU at 684-7843.