Sheeba Paul MEng, BSc, PEng Associate, Senior acoustical consultant
Sheeba is an expert in assisting developers and builders of residential subdivisions and master plan communities to obtain land use approvals by meeting the noise and vibration limits set out by municipalities. Modern urban intensification often juxtaposes noise sensitive residential or commercial lands uses next to busy traffic infrastructure such as roadways, railways, light rail transit (“LRT”), subways, street cars, and airports – or near “stationary” industrial/commercial sources of noise and vibration.
Over the past two decades, Sheeba has prepared hundreds of impact assessments and mitigation strategies for residential and commercial development next to noise and vibration sources of all types. She is well-versed in Provincial and Municipal noise requirements, including those of the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (“MOECC”), development criteria stipulated by the major transportation authorities including CN Rail, CP Rail, Metrolinx, the Toronto Transit Commission (“TTC”), and various municipal/regional airport authorities.
As part of the land-use compatibility studies she conducts, Sheeba evaluates or specifies buffer distances between residential or mixed-use communities and commercial or industrial sites and determines the need for noise and vibration control measures at all stages of development—from early planning through detailed design and final inspection. Notable projects include The Barton Tiffany Lands, Markham Uptown Community, and Brampton Block 5. Sheeba often acts as an Expertise Witness in noise control and compatibility during Municipal Board proceedings and mediation sessions.