For years, Hayes and residents like him who live near the Northwest YMCA have had to wear earplugs and close their blinds to get a good night's sleep. Light from inside the Y's recreation complex poured directly into their bedrooms, and the pool's ventilation system ran 24 hours a day. YMCA members swarmed into the facility as early as 5:30 a.m., and the traffic generated by the facility clogged neighboring streets.

The YMCA has been a community asset for its 8,000 members but a nightmare for its immediate community.

"I didn't want to go home after a day of work. I had to lock my poor dogs in the garage so the kids won't tease them," said Hayes, a 43-year-old electrician who lives on Garden Gate Drive. His home is right behind the YMCA property at 20803 Alves Drive. "I could even read a book in my kitchen at night with the light from the YMCA."

But to win the city's approval to build an outdoor playground, the YMCA has been learning how to be a good neighbor.

During the last month the Y has installed "quiet zone" signs throughout its parking lot that read "No loud radios, horns, alarms, skateboarding, loitering and trespassing." The Y also removed the basketball hoops so people cannot sneak onto the property to play after open hours. Exterior lights were removed. The indoor pool's ventilation system was repositioned to the south side, away from homes.

The YMCA also established a good-neighbor policy in January, promising that it will conduct quarterly community forums with neighbors and respond to the neighbors in a timely manner.

Recognizing the YMCA's improvements, the planning commission approved the request to build a playground. Cheryl Vargas, executive director of the Northwest YMCA, said the playground will be available in June.

Neighbors like Hayes suspect the playground will generate more noise from the Y but have said that so far they are positive about the facility's neighbor-friendly modifications.

"It's a world of difference now," Hayes said. He is considering having a family barbecue in his backyard in the summer. "We haven't had a barbecue for a while because of the noise. I hope it is going to be nice and quiet this time."