PUBLICATION: The Dallas Morning News
DATE: November 14, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. 3A
BYLINE: Rani Cher Monson
DATELINE: Dallas, Texas area
The Dallas Morning News reports that Mansfield, Texas officials are concerned about noise and traffic, and are requesting information about Grand Prairie's intentions to build a drag-racing facility.
The report says Billy Meyer, owner of the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, is looking to relocate his racetrack closer to the Arlington-D/FW area. Grand Prairie, Lancaster and an undisclosed city are competing to become the home of the speedway, attracting more than 500,000 visitors annually and having an economic impact of more than $70 million.
According to the article, officials in Mansfield, bordering Grand Prairie on the southwest side, are concerned that residents may be negatively affected if the track is built in Grand Prairie. "We intend to send a letter to the city of Grand Prairie requesting information," said Chris Burkett, assistant city manager in Mansfield. "We want to find out if this would affect our joint boundaries in terms of traffic and noise. " Mr. Burkett said the letter will be sent by Saturday.
The article says Grand Prairie Mayor Charles England, who believes the track would be an asset to his city, said he will answer Mansfield's questions. "We don't want to hurt a Mansfield neighborhood any more than we would want to hurt a Grand Prairie neighborhood," Mr. England said. The mayor said a specific site for the track has not been selected, so it is too early to determine if Mansfield residents would be affected if the facility is built in Grand Prairie. Mr. Meyer, who has said his favorite site for a track is Grand Prairie, said one city will be named the track's home by the end of the month.
PUBLICATION: The Dallas Morning News
DATE: November 12, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. 1A
BYLINE: Bill Swindell
DATELINE: Dallas, Texas area
The Dallas Morning News reports that city officials disclosed a proposal to build a 1,000-foot runway in an effort to convince Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. to house final production of the tilt-rotor aircraft at the Arlington, Texas Municipal Airport.
According to the report, City Council member Joe Ewen, who has been spearheading Arlington's effort to land the estimated billion-dollar project, asked city staff members to draft the proposal. The council's Airport Development Committee discussed it during a meeting Tuesday. The Fort Worth-based Bell plans to decide within the next seven months where to house final production of the tilt rotor, an aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but can move its rotors to fly like a turboprop plane.
The article says many Arlington-Dallas/Fort Worth area cities are making bids to be the final assembly site, including Grand Prairie, with its Dallas Naval Air Station, and Fort Worth, which is home to Alliance Airport. The city staff members' plan calls for the runway to be built 700 feet west of the airport's existing 5,000-foot runway. It would be near Bell's facility at the airport, where 300 workers assemble prototypes of the military version of the aircraft, the V-22 Osprey. No cost estimate of the runway was available, because the plan is still speculative, officials said. The runway would fit into the airport's master plan for creation of an aeroplex, but it would allow only for a tilt rotor to take off and land. Conventional aircraft still would land at the airport's main runway, undergoing an expansion to 6,000 feet. "We wanted to see if this was possible and what it would look like," said Bob Porter, airport manager. "This is the second step along the process." Mr. Ewen said he asked airport officials to come up with the proposal after discussion with P.D. Shabay, executive vice president of operation for Bell, who is heading a study on where to locate final assembly. "As the aircraft continues to fill the mission that they designed it for, we can expect the main runway to be more heavily used," Mr. Ewen said. "The concern raised by Textron was: How do we address the issue of, Do we have ready access to take off and land at the facility?' "
According to the article, Charles Willis, vice president of GRW Willis Inc. and consultant to the airport, said the proposed runway was compatible to any future expansion by Bell or other companies. "It was almost like it was designed to fit," Mr. Willis said. While the runway may offer a solution to air traffic at the airport, the city also must tackle other issues to attract Bell: Transportation problems. The V-22 fuselage is flown from a Boeing Co. facility in suburban Philadelphia to Carswell Field in Fort Worth. Then the large fuselage has to be trucked to Arlington. Boeing is a partner in the project. Mr. Ewen conceded main rival Alliance has an advantage of a long runway space to take the fuselage right off the military planes that carry it and drop it off next door to a facility. "That's one of the great disadvantages we have," Mr. Ewen said.
The article explains how Bell plans to build a civilian version of the tilt rotor, dubbed the 609, that could call for as many as 30 orders a month, Mr. Ewen said. While the Arlington airport has an available 200 acres, the airfield may not offer enough room for a full-capacity run. "They are limited by the structure on what they can produce here," he said. However, Mr. Ewen said Bell had been in business at the airport for 30 years and has a substantial investment there. "It would be probably as expensive to try to move as to construct a new facility," he said.
The report says noise seems to be of the greatest concern to Bell, which does not want to raise the ire of taxpayers who are funding the military version of the aircraft, a $30 million-dollar aircraft. Residents of the airport complained a few times this year - most notably Friday night - about testing that would go on sometimes past 8 p.m. Mr. Porter said most of the problems have been cleared up, and the airport has received few complaints since the summer. But with the noise comes concerns about vibration, which occurs when the engines are ground-tested. Mr. Willis, the consultant, said many proposals could be considered, from high-priced acoustic rooms for such testing, to berms or high concrete walls that could keep down the noise. "It's a solvable problem," he said. Mr. Ewen said he hoped to take the proposal to Bell officials soon and develop other plans to put forward a formal proposal. "We are very much on the list," he said.
PUBLICATION: The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, FL)
DATE: November 15, 1997
SECTION: Community News; Pg. 1
BYLINE: R. Michael Anderson
DATELINE: Jacksonville, Florida area
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Gene and Connie Suggs, residents; Marsha Dumler, chair, Fleming Island Citizens Advisory Committee
The Florida Times-Union reports that residents in Eagle Harbor, in the Jacksonville, Florida area, are worried about the county's plans to build a 3-acre recreational park on Doctors Lake off Lakeshore Drive North, because of the potential noise from loud, late-night music. The county planning commission will hold a public hearing on the matter on December 2, and will decide the matter on December 23.
The article reports that according to resident Gene Suggs, all the neighbors of the proposed park are concerned about the potential problem. In addition, Marsha Dumler, chair of the Fleming Island Citizens Advisory Committee, said because noise travels differently over water and at night, residents on the other side of the lake could be impacted as well. The Committee has recommended that amplified music should not be allowed at the park, that music should be required to stop at 9 p.m., that the park should close by 10 p.m., and that alcoholic beverages should not be sold at the park.
However, Roger Arrowsmith, Eagle Harbor's project manager, said he would not eliminate amplified music from the plans. Arrowsmith did say he believes the park's sound system should be turned off by 10 p.m. on weekends, and that the volume be tightly controlled. He added that the park is buffered by many trees.
Arrowsmith acknowledged that the Eagle Harbor Swim Park hasn't always been a good neighbor. After the park opened two or three years ago, residents in the nearby Oak Creek subdivision complained about loud music coming from the park. But, he said, a new sound system was installed a year or so ago to contain the sound within the park, and since then, there have been no complaints. The same type of sound system is slated for installation at the new waterfront park, Arrowsmith said.
Several residents, including Gene Suggs, visited the Swim Park recently at Arrowsmith's invitation to hear the sound system, the article reports. Suggs said the visit calmed some of his fears, but not all of them. He said, "They assured me that they will have no live bands and that the speakers will be pointed inward so the sound is non-intrusive." Still, he said, he won't be entirely at ease until after the first party.
The article notes that the waterfront park was approved by state and county authorities several years ago. According to Dumler of the advisory committee, it's very unlikely that the county commissioners would vote against the park, because it calls for a family-oriented recreational facility.
PUBLICATION: The Seattle Times
DATE: November 15, 1997
SECTION: Local News; Pg. A7
BYLINE: Jake Batsell
DATELINE: Seattle, Washington
The Seattle Times reports that Keith Olson and Ronald Santi, the owners of the former Celebrity Italian Kitchen, filed suit yesterday in U.S. District Court against Seattle, Washington city officials, alleging police officers and other officials repeatedly harrassed the club because it catered mainly to African Americans, and used a city noise ordinance to destroy the business.
According to the article, the plaintiffs say that their club was unfairly targeted by police because it attracted an African-American clientele. In addition, they say their business was irrevocably harmed by the city's 1992 noise ordinance, which allows the police chief to act against businesses with repeat incidents of illegal drinking, fights, and loud noise. The suit names Mayor Norm Rice, City Councilor Margaret Pageler, City Attorney Mark Sidran, Police Chief Norm Stamper, and several police administrators and officers as defendants.
PUBLICATION: The Baltimore Sun
DATE: November 14, 1997
SECTION: Local (News), Pg. 1B
BYLINE: Suzanne Loudermilk
DATELINE: Towson, Maryland
The Baltimore Sun reports that dormitory rooms at Towson University in Towson, Maryland are at 101% of capacity, with 150 more students waiting for rooms. As a result, more students have been moving into nearby apartments and houses, which has triggered complaints about noise, parties, and trash from residential neighborhoods.
The article reports that Judith Giacomo, president of the Aigburth Manor Neighborhood Association, said, "It's become a tremendous burden. Students have different hours than residential communities. They have a right to be young. But that doesn't work well when you have to get up at 6 a.m. to go to work or have children sleeping." Many residents, including County Councilor Douglas Riley, say much of the problem is due to absentee landlords who divide large houses into apartments, resulting in excessive numbers of students living in each dwelling. The article notes that according to zoning laws, only two unrelated people can live in a detached house unless a boardinghouse permit has been obtained. However, violations are difficult to prove, according to neighbors, and some residents have been monitoring student's movements to document how many live in a building.
Meanwhile, many students say they are unfairly targeted, the article reports. Liz DiZillo, a student who lives on Aigburth Road, said, "They complain about anything -- if there are two people on the porch or nine of us. They tell us what to do. But we live here, too."
Meanwhile, university officials say they are aware of the problems, but they are powerless to do anything about situations in which houses have been rented by individual students. Paul Parker, vice president of student life, says university officials are investigating ways to bring additional housing onto the campus. University workers this semester converted 135 two-person dorm rooms to three-person rooms, and are continuing to pursue buying Valley View Apartments on the south side of the campus. And, members of a university committee are discussing privatized student housing for 400 students. Currently, the article notes, 3,204 students of the university's 13,500 undergraduate and 2,175 graduate students live on campus.
PUBLICATION: Daily News (New York)
DATE: November 14, 1997
SECTION: Suburban; Pg. 3
BYLINE: Donald Bertrand
DATELINE: New York, New York
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Claire Shulman, Queens Borough President; Joseph Fabio, member, Sane Aviation for Everyone
The Daily News reports that Claire Shulman, the Queens Borough President in New York City, is considering challenging a recent federal decision allowing additional takeoffs and landings at LaGuardia Airport, saying the skies already are noisy and congested enough. Last month, the article notes, the U.S. Department of Transportation granted Frontier Airlines, ValuJet Airlines, and AirTran Airways exemptions to the High Density Rule for new services where slots are limited. The rule limits the number of hourly takeoffs and landings allowed at LaGuardia and Kennedy airports in New York, O'Hare Airport in Chicago, and Washington National Airport.
According to the article, Shulman is working with the city's Law Department to explore the feasibility of challenging the exemptions in court. Dan Andrews, Shulman's spokesperson, said that DOT officials did not have to give out new slots, but could have reallocated slots of other airlines.
Earlier this year, in September, Shulman and the full Queens congressional delegation sent a letter to President Clinton, asking him to intercede in the matter and not allow the exemptions to be granted. The letter read, "We believe that the burdens that would be caused by increasing the number of flights at LaGuardia Airport far outweigh any marginal benefits that might occur, and that any such benefits could be obtained through market purchases or reallocations that maintain the present cap on the total number of flights." The officials also argued that granting the exemptions could encourage other airlines to file similar requests to add flights at Kennedy airport.
The article goes on to say that in the recent DOT decision, ValuJet was awarded 11 exemptions for service from Atlanta, while AirTran received four exemptions for service from Knoxville, Tennessee. Those two airlines are scheduled to merge, the article notes. In addition, Frontier Airlines got six exemptions for service from Denver.
Meanwhile, American West Airlines recently has filed an application seeking new service here and in Chicago. Joseph Fabio of Sane Aviation for Everyone, a civic group that monitors jet noise levels at Queens airports, said, "Here they go again. The federal government is subjecting its own citizens to monumental abuse. We have what I call a jet noise continuum. We have periods of time right here in Queens within 3 miles of the airports where you have a constant jet roar -- you have a jet taking off, a jet above and a jet landing." The article says that the group will hold a meeting to discuss the problem at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at New York Flushing Hospital's administration building.
PUBLICATION: The Dallas Morning News
DATE: November 14, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. 38A
BYLINE: Christopher Lee
DATELINE: Dallas, Texas
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Dan Custer, president, Perry Heights Homeowners Association; Renee Querbes Farren, resident; Veletta Forsythe Lill, Dallas City Councilor; State Senator Royce West (D-Dallas)
The Dallas Morning News reports that about 150 residents living near Love Field in Dallas, Texas attended a meeting Friday to discuss the prospect of more flights at the airport. The residents believe that the new flights authorized recently by Congress could mean more noise, lower property values, and the eventual elimination of all flight restrictions at the 80-year-old facility. The article reports that the two-hour meeting was co-sponsored by Dallas City Council member Veletta Forsythe Lill and state Senator Royce West (D-Dallas).
According to the article, Dan Custer, president of the Perry Heights Homeowners Association, said, "We're concerned that this is the beginning of the end." Custer added there will be "serious quality-of-life problems" if decades-old restrictions are eliminated. Residents also are frustrated that U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) pushed the new flights through Congress without consulting them, and that Dallas city officials say they have little power to block proposed new flights. Renee Querbes Farren, a resident near Love Field, said, "Senator Shelby and Congress railroaded something, and there's nothing that we can do? It's more than just airlines, airports, gates and noise. It's the principle."
The article explains that for nearly two decades, a federal law known as the Wright amendment limited most passenger flights from Love Field to Texas and its neighboring states. An exception allowed longer flights by commuter planes with 56 seats or fewer. However, Congress recently voted to allow large jets stripped down to 56 seats to fly anywhere, and added Alabama, Kansas, and Mississippi to the list of permissible destinations for all flights. After the decision, the city of Fort Worth filed a lawsuit against Dallas demanding that it abide by a 1968 agreement to ban long-distance flights at the airport, and the city of Dallas is countersuing, arguing it can't override federal law. Meanwhile, American Airlines is seeking to intervene on Fort Worth's side. This week, American officials said they would run new flights out of Love Field if competitors did, and it airport officials for access to six gates. But Dallas officials are questioning whether American would be violating a 1968 agreement, when it agreed to fly only from Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, if it begins flights from Love Field.
At Friday's meeting, Senator West and City Attorney Sam Lindsay said that the city has no power to go against federal law. The city's legal staff also said that if the city tried to limit new flights by imposing tougher noise restrictions, it would require hard-to-obtain approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. Assistant City Attorney Ed Perry said in order to impose new flight restrictions, officials would have to show there was an increased noise problem and prove that its solution wouldn't hurt interstate commerce. Senator West encouraged residents to contact their representatives in Congress and ask them to work out a plan to deal with the problem. Meanwhile, the article says, City Councilor Lill said she would lobby the City Council to undertake new noise and traffic studies around Love Field.
PUBLICATION: The Dallas Morning News
DATE: November 14, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. 3A
BYLINE: Rani Cher Monson
DATELINE: Mansfield, Texas
The Dallas Morning News reports that officials in Mansfield, Texas are requesting information about whether the nearby town of Grand Prairie intends to build a drag-racing facility. Mansfield officials are worried about potential noise and traffic from a racetrack. The article notes that Billy Meyer, the owner of the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, wants to relocate his racetrack, and is considering Grand Prairie, Lancaster, and an undisclosed city as possible locations.
The article reports that because Mansfield borders Grand Prairie on the southwest side, Mansfield officials are concerned that residents may be negatively affected if the track is built in Grand Prairie. Chris Burkett, assistant city manager in Mansfield, said, "We intend to send a letter to the city of Grand Prairie requesting information. We want to find out if this would affect our joint boundaries in terms of traffic and noise."
Meanwhile, the article says, Charles England, Mayor of Grand Prairie, said he will respond to Mansfield's concerns, but he believes the racetrack would be an asset to his city. England said, "We don't want to hurt a Mansfield neighborhood any more than we would want to hurt a Grand Prairie neighborhood." England added that a specific site for the track has not been identified, so it is too early to determine if Mansfield residents would be affected if the racetrack is built in Grand Prairie.
Meanwhile, Meyer, who owns the racetrack, has said his favorite location is Grand Prairie. He added that one of the three cities will be chosen by the end of the month. The racetrack attracts more than 500,000 visitors annually, and has an economic impact of more than $70 million, the article notes.
PUBLICATION: The Hartford Courant
DATE: November 14, 1997
SECTION: Town News; Pg. B4
DATELINE: Windsor Locks, Connecticut
The Hartford Courant reports that the Federal Aviation Administration, the Connecticut Department of Transportation's bureau of aviation and ports, and the Bradley International Airport Commission will sponsor a November 24 workshop to address noise issues at the Bradley International Airport near Windsor Locks and Suffield.
According to the article, the evening workshop will include five work stations on different topics: noise and how it is measured, understanding air traffic control operations, aircraft performance and pilot discretion, land-use planning and federal regulations, and which agencies are responsible for what. The article notes that experts will staff each work station to answer questions and give out information. Afterward, a wrap-up session will be held to summarize the exchanges that took place. Organizers said the summaries will then be used to develop a strategy to address airport noise, the article says.
The article goes on to note that the Bradley International Airport Commission has been flooded with bitter complaints about noise from residents living near the airport. One group of residents in southeastern Suffield has circulated petitions protesting the noise and has also threatened a lawsuit.
PUBLICATION: The Indianapolis News
DATE: November 14, 1997
SECTION: Metro West; Pg. W01
BYLINE: Bruce Smith
DATELINE: Indianapolis, Indiana area
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Susan Felix, Hendricks resident
The Indianapolis News reports that officials from Plainfield and Mooresville, Indiana offered suggestions for diverting most of the planes from Indianapolis International Airport away from Metro West area towns at a public hearing Wednesday night. The article says that about 30 residents and several of their attorneys from areas in Hendricks, Morgan, and Marion counties also offered suggestions. The Indianapolis Airport Authority held the public hearing to gather comments about the airport's latest planned changes in flight patterns and other steps to mitigate or compensate neighbors for the harmful noise. The public's comments will be reviewed before the airport board votes in January on a new noise mitigation plan, according to airport spokesperson Dennis Rosebrough, after which the plan will be sent to the Federal Aviation Administration for approval.
The article explains that jet noise is a problem with a long history for neighbors of the airport, and the airport board has rewritten the plan to mitigate noise three times since the 1980s. Noise has become much worse in recent years, the article says, because nighttime cargo flights and air mail flights have increased on the two new runways. Many residents said jet noise, especially the dozens of Federal Express cargo planes about 3 a.m. each day, is destroying sleep and damaging property values. Susan Felix, a Hendricks resident, said her small child "wakes up at night and is afraid of the monsters" when the airplanes fly over their home. Nancy Ahrbecker, head of the Guilford Township Civic Association's land use committee, said her group is concerned about the impact of noise on both people and property. "The purchase of property by the airport has left the Plainfield community in a state of flux about its future," she said.
According to the article, Mel Daniel, the Plainfield Town Attorney, proposed at Wednesday's hearing that planes taking off to the southwest from the airport should wait longer before beginning to turn toward Plainfield or Mooresville. Daniel said if planes didn't turn before the 6.5-mile marker, they could loop west of Plainfield or northwest around Mooresville. Daniel's recommendation was the result of analysis by a consultant, who looked at the technical studies and reports by the airport board's experts. Consultants for the airport have suggested that planes turn sooner after takeoff, at the 5.5-mile distance. Plainfield officials also suggested that planes be limited to more tightly regulated paths extending from the ends of the runways over a less-populated area between towns. Daniel said currently, planes are approaching in a random fashion over a wide area. He said, "We think this is a reasonable approach so that Plainfield doesn't shift its noise problems to Mooresville."
Meanwhile, the article says, Mark Mathis, the Mooresville Town Council President, said he agreed with part of the Plainfield plan, but suggested the pilots wait till the 7.5-mile point to turn.
PUBLICATION: News & Record (Greensboro, NC)
DATE: November 14, 1997
SECTION: General News, Pg. A1
BYLINE: Stan Swofford
DATELINE: Guilford, North Carolina
The News & Record reports that members of the Guilford County (North Carolina) school board told Guilford residents Thursday that some of the county commissioners have lied to them and virtually eliminated a property from consideration as a site for a new northwest middle school. County commissioners have twice in the past few weeks rejected the school board's request to approve money to purchase a site on Horsepen Creek Road, citing the high price of the site, and safety and noise concerns because of the site's proximity to the Piedmont Triad International Airport. In response, the school board is now considering the possibility of building elsewhere, including on land that is now part of county-owned Bur-Mil Park and a site owned by the Piedmont Triad International Airport.
According to the article, the county commissioners have agreed to consider a proposal that would allow the school board to buy half the property on Horsepen Creek Road, enough for a middle school, with a long-term option to buy the remaining acreage. Some of the commissioners, including Walt Cockerham, Mary Rakestraw, and Phyllis Gibbs, say they still have strong reservations about the safety of the property, part of which is in the airport's flight path and lies about 3 miles from the end of the main landing runway. In addition, they say the planes would make so much noise, that hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra insulation would be required. The article notes that Rakestraw and Gibbs shared their concerns with residents at a meeting Tuesday night.
But school board members are tired and angry of the commission's involvement. Pam Allen, a school board member, said she is tired and angry. She said the school board thoroughly analyzed the Horsepen Creek Road property, and investigated noise levels and safety concerns before presenting it to the county commissioners. School board member Dewey Tedder said the board hired professional engineers to determine noise levels, which were found to be suitable. But, he said, "our recommendations were dealt with in a cynical matter. It's disgusting." Anita Sharpe, another board member, said she does not want to ask commissioners a third time to approve the property. "We've been beat up and called liars," she said. "I've already had my teeth kicked in. Not again."
PUBLICATION: The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
DATE: November 14, 1997
SECTION: Opinion; Pg. L08
DATELINE: Bergen County, New Jersey
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Emma Perez, chair, Bergen County Against Aircraft Noise
The Record printed the following letter-to-the-editor from Emma Perez, chair of the Bergen County (New Jersey) Against Aircraft Noise group, regarding jet noise from the Teterboro Airport:
I wish to express my appreciation for The Record's recent series of articles on Teterboro Airport by reporter Tina Traster.
The response of citizens and elected officials has been overwhelming and very positive. Action and ideas are presently being explored by many individuals who have become acquainted by phone, meetings, Web sites, faxes, etc., as a result of The Record's articles on the ever-expanding neighboring airport, Teterboro.
The shocking findings on Teterboro's low landing and fuel fees, the additional 14,000 movements, future landings of 737s and Airbus 319s, and a Cornell University study that aircraft noise is detrimental to children's cognitive and reading skills have given the people of Bergen County tools to encourage our elected officials to pass legislation placing residents concerns and priorities on a equal footing with those of the airport industry.
PUBLICATION: The Stuart News/Port St. Lucie News (Stuart, FL)
DATE: November 14, 1997
SECTION: Local; Pg. B1
BYLINE: Edward Filo
DATELINE: Stuart, Florida
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Justin Moran, member, homeowners association
The Stuart News/Port St. Lucie News reports that Martin County, Florida officials have a project planned to dredge the sand shoals in the St. Lucie Inlet near Stuart, and residents who live nearby in the Hanson's Landing condominiums have hired an attorney and are planning to sue the county for creating a public nuisance if the workers create as much noise as they did during another inlet project earlier this year.
According to the article, residents said they would rather work with the county than sue them. Justin Moran, a member of the condominium homeowners association, said, "We want to sit down and talk and establish some guidelines before the project begins." Earlier this year, residents were disturbed by an dredging inlet project handled by the Florida Inland Navigation District. The project used a large booster pump in the Intracoastal Waterway just south of Rocky Point to transfer sand to the beaches of Jupiter Island. The article notes that the pump was turned on for 24 hours a day, and forced some residents to sleep with earplugs. Moran said his group realizes that the county's project must be done, but they don't want the pump running 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
However, according to Don Donaldson, the county coastal engineer, that won't happen with the county's project to remove about 500,000 cubic yards of sand shoaled in the inlet. Donaldson said county officials put a condition in the bid for the project that prohibits the use of a booster pump across from residential areas. The project calls for the dredged sand to be loaded onto a barge and shipped down the Intracoastal Waterway to Jupiter Island, where it will be mixed with water and pumped onto the beaches by the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge.
The article goes on to say that the project was scheduled to start soon, but may be delayed or rescheduled until next year because the only bid for the project came in at $12 million, about $7 million more than the county had estimated. County officials are planning to modify the project plans and re-bid the project, Donaldson said.
PUBLICATION: Ventura County Star
DATE: November 14, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. A03
BYLINE: Gregg Mansfield
DATELINE: Camarillo, California
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Lea Gutierrez, resident
The Ventura County Star reports that on Nov. 6, the Ventura County (California) Aviation Advisory Commission voted 4-3 against a proposed residential development near the Camarillo Airport. The commissioners said they wanted to ensure that all potential homebuyers are warned about the noise from planes flying over their neighborhood.
The article reports the developer Kaufman & Broad already has received approval to build 100 single and two-story homes on land south of Ventura Boulevard and Carmen Drive. The developer now is reducing the development to 79 homes, according to Tony Bowden, director of planning and community development. Bowden said developers of new homes or commercial buildings have been required to tell the buyers they are living in a flight path or near the airport since 1990 or 1991, and the developer of this project will face the same requirement. He said, "When they enter into escrow they will have to sign a statement saying they've been informed they're living under a flight pattern."
The article says that commissioners also wanted the developer to soundproof the houses. According to Bowden, the developer will be required to do acoustical testing for freeway traffic and airport noise, and if the results show that noise levels are too high, sound walls or soundproofing will have to be added.
The article also says that one resident, Lea Gutierrez, moved into her home off Ventura Boulevard in Old Town Camarillo near the airport about six years ago. She says she was aware that planes would fly over her neighborhood, but was unaware of the amount of air traffic. She said, "The Realtor told me the airport was not that busy. She's right. We may have a dozen planes a day. (But) if we knew that many planes flew over the area, we probably wouldn't have bought here."
PUBLICATION: Ventura County Star (Ventura County, CA)
DATE: November 14, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. A03
BYLINE: Encarnacion Pyle
DATELINE: Ventura, California
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Bob Anderson, church member and nearby resident
The Ventura County Star reports that residents living near the Ventura Missionary Church in Ventura, California, are worried that the church's proposed 33,000-square-foot expansion will add more noise and traffic problems to their neighborhood. The Planning Commission is set to consider the church's request on Dec. 2, the article notes.
According to Senior Pastor Leonard DeWitt, the church is badly in need of expansion, the article says. The current 50,000-square-foot facility includes administrative offices, a sanctuary, child-care center, counseling office, and school for kindergarten through eighth-grade students. The proposed project would add six classrooms, a gymnasium, multi-purpose room, full-service child-care center, and kitchen. After residents' concerns emerged, the article says, church officials scaled back the project and offered to add a southbound left-turn lane at High Point and Foothill and to widen the north side of Foothill Road across from the Harmon Barranca. DeWitt said, "It's a tough balance, because we really care about our neighbors and want to make things better for them. But we also have a very real need for a new facility." DeWitt has hired former mayor Tom Buford to talk to neighbors about their concerns, the article says.
But, several residents say the church's concessions still aren't enough to keep the streets from gridlock, the article explains. Bob Anderson, a member of the congregation who lives across from the church, said, "There isn't a day or night there isn't something going on over there. I know they're doing great things, but they've allowed themselves to grow out of control." Anderson said the noise from idling buses and stop-and-go traffic became so annoying that he and his wife spent $10,000 to refit their home with double-pane windows.
PUBLICATION: Asbury Park Press (Neptune, NJ)
DATE: November 13, 1997
SECTION: B, Pg. 1
BYLINE: Gina Scala
DATELINE: Barnegat Township, New Jersey
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Jim Allman, Donna Carlson, residents
The Asbury Park Press reports that residents in the Pine Ridge development in Barnegat Township, New Jersey expressed anger and frustration at a meeting last night about the way the New Jersey Highway Authority has handled a project to add three new toll booths to the 11 toll booths already at the Garden State Parkay toll plaza near their homes. Residents were angry about noise and safety issues of the project. In an attempt to satisfy the residents, officials with the highway authority said they would consider building an earthen berm between the parkway and the residents' homes.
According to the article, resident Jim Allman said the expansion of the toll plaza was undertaken with complete disregard for local residents. He said, "All decisions to date center on the parkway's needs with no concern for our plight. We are tired of being strung along, abused and violated." In addition to noise problems with the project, residents are concerned about the safety of their children. A chain-link fence that separates back yards from the parkway does not provide enough protection, they said, nor does it dissuade anyone who may want to gain access to their development. Resident Donna Carlson said her cul-de-sac was once a friendly and safe place for children, but that all changed when construction crews started using it as a passage to the parkway.
The article explains that at last night's meeting, after two hours of listening to angry residents, Charles McManus, chief engineer for the highway authority, agreed to ask the commissioners to consider placing an earthen berm at the boundary of the parkway and residents' properties. McManus said, "We will authorize our consultant to see what it will take to make it work." The article notes that McManus said a study would take three months to complete. McManus also said that a special overlay on the road is being considered to dampen tire noise. The overlay has been used on other sections of the parkway, and has resulted in a 50 percent decrease in noise, he said.
The article goes on to say that a firm headed by consultant Sharon Carpenter already conducted a noise study, and didn't recommend a noise barrier at the site. Carpenter said that federal guidelines say a noise barrier must be erected if traffic noise exceeds 67 decibels, and the highest noise level detected at this site was 65.1 decibels.
PUBLICATION: The Baltimore Sun
DATE: November 13, 1997
SECTION: Local (News), Pg. 1B
BYLINE: Melody Simmons
DATELINE: Lutherville, Maryland area
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Arnold Jablon, director, Department of Permits and Development Management; Richard Buck, president, Valleys Planning Council, a preservation group; Steve Howard, resident; Deirdre Smith, resident and witness
The Baltimore Sun reports that officials in Baltimore County, Maryland have been attempting to collect $800 in zoning citations from a rich executive who lands his helicopter in Green Spring Valley, an exclusive residential neighborhood in the Lutherville area. But yesterday a hearing officer threw out the fines because county zoning inspectors listed the wrong address on the citation. Zoning officials, however, are vowing to file new complaints against Martin Grass, the Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Rite Aid Corp., who uses the helicopter for his 20-minute commute to the company's headquarters in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
According to the article, the squabble began in June, when Grass was accused of violating county zoning laws that prohibit helipads in RC-2 zones, the county's highly restrictive agricultural area. He then directed his pilot to land in a field at Greenspring Avenue and Hillside Road, but last month he changed the location to a thoroughbred breeding operation at 901 Greenspring Valley Road. After neighbors complained in September about Grass's landings on Hillside Road, county zoning inspectors issued four zoning citations against Grass and his wife, Jody, that carried fines of $200 each. At yesterday's hearing, however, County Hearing Officer Stanley Shapiro declared the citations void after Grass's attorney argued that county zoning inspectors listed the wrong address on the citation. The article notes that the ruling was preceded by eyewitness testimony from a neighbor who said she sees Grass's helicopter take off from a nearby property nearly every morning.
The article explains that Zoning Inspector Lavette Bannerman said she would file new complaints with the correct address, and would issue zoning citations to Grass and the owner of Helmore Farms if the helicopter lands in the RC-2 zone again. Arnold Jablon, director of the Department of Permits and Development Management, said, "I have no doubt he is in violation. The whole idea here is to get him to stop landing his helicopter. If he continues to land it, I'm not going to give up. We're not going to stop. If it means taking him to the Supreme Court of the United States, that's where I'm taking him."
Meanwhile, Grass said he's not violating county zoning laws and his helicopter doesn't create a nuisance. He said, "I've heard from thousands of neighbors who have no problem with it at all. The only [complaints] were the ones I read about in the newspaper, and I'm really not concerned about them."
The article notes that the outcome of yesterday's hearing frustrated many neighbors, who said they're fed up with the helicopter noise they hear nearly every morning and afternoon. Steve Howard, a nearby resident, said, "The problem is that people have fought so hard to keep highways out of the area, and we just can't allow the area to turn into a helicopter superhighway." Deirdre Smith, who gave testimony against Grass, said she would fight on, but added, "I'm disgusted with the whole process and the lack of teeth that the Baltimore County zoning laws have."
PUBLICATION: Los Angeles Times
DATE: November 13, 1997
SECTION: Part A; Page 1; Zones Desk
BYLINE: Julie Tamaki
DATELINE: Agoura, California
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Yvette Robertson, Chris Willig, residents; William Spann, former resident
The Los Angeles Times reports that a retreat center called Fantasy Island, located in Agoura, California, has had a long history of noise and traffic complaints. The article discusses the history of the problems at the center, owned by a sometimes-inflammatory Israeli immigrant. The article notes that problems have often stemmed from lame zoning enforcement and lack of action by local officials.
According to the article, the center holds many weekend events and neighbors complain about noise from car horns, traffic, and loud music. Only one road leading to the center means that traffic could delay emergency vehicles in an emergency. Residents say the county is "uncoordinated" and doesn't enforce the laws they have created. One resident calls the center "essentially unlicensed."
The article says that the property was bought in 1991, and by 1992 -- before noise complaints began -- one member of the owner's family attacked a man who was delivering a subpoena by striking him, trying to pull him out of the car, and had his companions break the windshield and back window by throwing rocks. All they received was probation.
The article notes that in 1994, when the family applied for a conditional use permit, it was denied: partly due to police testimony that two patrol cars were sent to complaints at the center because of the extent of past problems. A county supervisor made a deal to allow them to operate their restaurant and hold their events if they quieted their dance pavilion; instead, the family used a loophole by closing the restaurant: a move that allowed the dance pavilion to stay as it was.
The article explains that county officials are dealing with 70-year-old zoning laws that didn't consider amplification. County legal officials decided that dance pavilions -- specifically allowed in the laws -- only needed to be "a large tent or canopy." The county fears that if they challenge the family in court, a loss could mean that other developers could take advantage and make the problems worse. The family notes that the county could just change the zoning laws, which would allow them to sell pieces of their land to housing developers; they maintain that residents would like this scenario even less than the retreat center. They also point out that the area was zones for resort use before neighbors ever moved in.
The article says that Avi Datner, the family member who beat the subpoena bearer, sued a neighboring family in 1994 for "abuse of process and defamation." The family believes this was because he had previously complained about noise. Another family was sued for "dumping horse manure on the resort and making anti-Semitic phone calls" The suit was dismissed but $25,000 of attorney costs were still owed by the family. One lawyer tried to hire a collection agency to collect court expenses from Avi, but he technically owns none of the resort and says "he knows how to be judgment proof by utilizing his corporate status."
Meanwhile, the article goes on to explain, that the county says the resort needs a public eating license, although the restaurant has been closed for two years. Also, several agencies considered an attempt to shut down the resort because it doesn't have a business license. County supervisors have continuously shirked the responsibility for following up license-related enforcement efforts.
The article says that one attempt to get the dance tent taken down centered on the fact that it had been up for more than 180 days illegally. Unfortunately, because the county took so long to act on that fact, the building was now considered a permanent building without a permit. Avi Datner, who was charged criminally for now getting the permit, said it is only a temporary structure. He says the lack of an original permit for the temporary structure is a "technicality."
Meanwhile, the article explains that a municipal court meeting has been called by a judge who wants sort out the mess of aforementioned problems, in addition to six pending license charges, five nuisance complaints, and the Department of Fish and Game's allegations that the resort polluted a creek.
The article also notes that the parent company of the resort is bankrupt, and Datner has used that fact to say that permit and license issues are now the responsibility of an organization -- American Kosher Supervision -- which took over its "operating responsibilities."
The article notes that the Datner's claim that they have spent over $250,000 reducing noise by building sound walls and putting a special leaded cloth over the tent. Avi Datner says that he suspects the problem started with anti-semitism, and distrust of their money. He said, "I never lie. I just don't always talk politically correct. I tell people to go ---- themselves. This is the privilege of making a lot of money and being independent. . . . If I go into a meeting, I don't care if it's with County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky or God. I'll tell them to go ---- themselves."
PUBLICATION: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
DATE: November 13, 1997
SECTION: Neighbors Pg. 3
BYLINE: Tom Hemman
DATELINE: Franklin, Wisconsin
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the Common Council in Franklin, Wisconsin approved an amendment to the city's noise ordinance that give police officers greater discretion in deciding noise violations. Police officers will be able to issue a citation even if the decibel level of the noise doesn't violate city noise standards, the article says.
According to Mayor Frederick Klimetz, the intent of the ordinance changes is to give police increased ability to respond to noise complaints, the article reports. For example, an officer could issue a citation for noise at a late-night party even if a decibel meter check shows that the noise level is not in violation of the ordinance. Klimetz said the police officer will have to determine whether the noise level is disturbing the peace and quiet that is reasonably expected and customary at the time of his investigation. Noise citations carry fines of $50 to $200, the article notes.
PUBLICATION: The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania)
DATE: November 13, 1997
SECTION: Comment, Pg. A24
DATELINE: Northampton County, Pennsylvania
The Morning Call printed the following letter-to-the-editor from George Werkheiser, a resident of Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, regarding noise from the Lehigh Valley International Airport:
In response to the noise-control measures at Lehigh Valley International Airport, it appears that airport authority member Walter Lysaght has a personal problem regarding the air traffic at our local airport. His suggested resolution that air traffic be redirected to the immediate north comes as no surprise. He wants aircraft, upon takeoff, to make a very dangerous maneuver and risk the lives of all airline passengers.
It is apparent that his main purpose in being appointed to the LVIA board was to reintroduce unsafe and ridiculous measures to correct his personal error in judgment when purchasing his home beneath an established air traffic route.
The authorities (FAA, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission and LVIA) have well-planned immediate and long-term noise abatement measures in motion, and have kept safety at the forefront of the decisions. I live in very close proximity to the airport and the noise is a minor inconvenience that I accepted when I built my home. I believe it is time for the homeowners who built beneath any flight pattern to accept the air traffic. Please do not try to direct the traffic for your convenience by inconveniencing others.
PUBLICATION: The Plain Dealer
DATE: November 13, 1997
SECTION: Editorials & Forum; Pg. 14B
DATELINE: Cleveland, Ohio
The Plain Dealer printed the following letters-to-the-editor regarding the proposed sale of Conrail to Norfolk-Southern and CSX railroads in the Cleveland, Ohio area:
To the editor:
Ohio has a lot riding on the pending joint acquisition of Conrail by two other major eastern freight railroads, CSX and Norfolk-Southern. This division of Conrail promises immense benefits to our environment, our economy and even road safety.
This acquisition, by making rail more competitive, will divert more than a million truckloads of freight from eastern highways to eastern railways. This will reduce traffic, making Ohio highways safer. These truck-to-train diversions also will cut fuel consumption by an estimated 120 million gallons of diesel fuel a year, reducing thousands of tons of emissions from five critical pollutants identified by the EPA's National Ambient Air Quality Standards, including: more than 2,500 tons of nitrogen oxides, 5,800 tons of carbon monoxide, 1,600 tons of particulate matter, slight reductions of lead and 939 tons of volatile organic compounds -- the precursor to smog.
The economic benefits are no less dramatic. The Conrail acquisition will balance two highly competitive railroads of roughly equal size and scope, the surest way to expand options and lower costs for Ohio shippers and consumers. The division of Conrail's routes will eliminate interchanges and delays of a day or more, while linking Ohio into every major market in the East over faster, direct, single lines.
It is a rare opportunity to be able to improve both the environment and the economy with one bold stroke. The joint acquisition of Conrail does just that for Ohio.
Charles Callahan, Washington D.C. resident, chair of the Ohio Transportation Advocates for Competition, and director of transportation for Mulch Manufacturing Inc. in Reynoldsburg
To the editor:
Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White is concerned that the proposed Conrail sale to Norfolk-Southern and CSX railroads "would be likely to mar city neighborhoods with grit, noise and vibration." I'm glad he is concerned.
Now, I would be even happier if the mother city's mayor were as concerned about the same "grit, noise and vibrations" he plans to impose on his neighboring suburb of Olmsted Falls by the proposed expansion of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport runways to the southwest, generating a pattern of neighborhood degradation over that suburb and neighboring Olmsted Township by increasing the sound footprint.
Ain't it amazing that what is good for the goose (or bad for the goose) suddenly changes when it comes to the gander? Why is additional runway noise not a big problem when it comes to Olmsted Falls? The answer probably is that we are not White's constituents, and he doesn't need to be concerned about our property values.
Hello, Mayor White. The fate of the suburbs is the fate of the city of Cleveland. Residents of Olmsted Falls' neighborhoods have as much right to a clean, soundproof environment as do neighborhoods in the city of Cleveland.
Beverly Smith, Olmsted Falls resident and president of the Olmsted Falls City Council
To the editor:
I wish the citizens who are so opposed to rail traffic would stop and understand the need for cheap freight and passenger service. I wish that for just one day they could see truck after truck hauling tons of coal or oil to our power plants, and then get home to review that day's mail, only to find the electric bill has skyrocketed because of the high cost of shipping coal or oil. What if they were caught behind this endless parade on the freeway?
We all know commuter trains are a heck of a lot safer than your average freight train going through Lakewood, Berea or wherever, don't we?
Joseph Kurilec, Berea resident
PUBLICATION: The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC)
DATE: November 13, 1997
SECTION: B, Pg. 5
BYLINE: Chris Sosnowski
DATELINE: Berkeley County, South Carolina
The Post and Courier reports that the South Carolina Department of Archives and History has decided that the predicted noise level of a proposed racetrack in Berkeley County will not prevent Francis Beidler Forest from being placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The state agency's decision eliminates a possible roadblock for the proposed Interstate Speedway. Opponents, who are worried about the racetrack's effect on the wildlife sanctuary two miles away, had hoped the noise level issue would halt the project, the article notes.
According to the article, an administrative law judge recently upheld the speedway developers' permit for a septic tank for the 60-acre site next to Interstate 26 and off S.C. Highway 27. Plans call for a $1.5 million facility with a half-mile concrete oval, grass infield, parking areas, and stadium to hold 4,500.
The state Department of Archives and History got involved in the noise level controversy because it is involved in placing sites on the National Register of Historic Places. The agency's findings, detailed in a Nov. 7 letter to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control's bureau of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, were based on noise level tests conducted last month at a Myrtle Beach track considered similar to the one planned. Staff archaeologist Lee Tippett wrote in the letter: "We recommend a finding of no adverse effect on the characteristics that make the Francis Beidler Forest eligible for the National Register of Historic Places." But, the letter encouraged the state and developers to find ways to reduce noise levels at the racetrack.
PUBLICATION: The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
DATE: November 13, 1997
SECTION: News; Star, 1 Star ; Pg. L06
BYLINE: Linda Johnson
DATELINE: Trenton, New Jersey
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Patricia Connelly, director of audiology services, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-University Hospital, and assistant professor, New Jersey Medical School; Cora Lee Stewart, program development director, American Tinnitus Association
The Record reports that tinnitus, the ringing, roaring, or hissing sound in the ears that often is the start of noise-induced hearing loss, is becoming more common, according to the American Tinnitus Association. The article says the cause of the increase is our increasingly loud society.
The article reports that there are an estimated 50 million cases of tinnitus in the U.S., 12 million of which are severe and debilitating, according to the American Tinnitus Association. Noise from power tools, boom boxes, high-powered stereos, motorized garden and recreation equipment, and other common items is the cause of many of these tinnitus cases, the article says. The article points out that many of these common items are louder than the 85-decibel level above which tinnitus or hearing loss can occur with chronic exposure. City traffic, garbage disposals, subway trains, jet planes at takeoff, rock concerts, and even screaming children are all above this level.
People with severe tinnitus are often unable to work or sleep, their relationships fall apart, and in rare cases are driven to have their hearing surgically destroyed or to commit suicide, according to Patricia Connelly, head of audiology services at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-University Hospital in Newark and an assistant professor at New Jersey Medical School. Cora Lee Stewart, program development director of the Portland, Oregon-based American Tinnitus Association, said the actor William Shatner developed tinnitus after a loud explosion while filming "Star Trek" years ago, and later said he was suicidal until professional help enabled him to cope with the problem.
According to Connelly, tinnitus is the first sign that chronic exposure to loud noise is damaging the hearing system, and when people first experience tinnitus, they should immediately see a doctor. When people have tinnitus, the nerve bundles that carry electrochemical signals from the inner ear to the brain's temporal lobe, where hearing is processed, misfire. Or, misfiring can occur in the brain stem, which the auditory nerve passes through en route from the ear to the front of the brain.
The causes and mechanism of tinnitus are not understood in detail, the article reports, but according to Stewart, a 1996 survey of association members gives an overview of the most common causes. The survey found:
18% of cases were caused by chronic exposure to excessive noise and brief exposure to very loud noise, such as gunshots or explosions.
12% of cases were caused by ear infections.
5.6% of cases were caused by medications.
5.1% of cases were caused by illnesses such as thyroid and blood pressure problems.
3.1% of cases were caused by head injuries.
1.4% of cases were caused by whiplash.
An exact cause could not be determined for the remaining cases, but according to Stewart, many of the remaining 55% of cases are caused by noise exposure.
The article explains that many tinnitus sufferers can be helped through treatment or therapy, but the condition often cannot be cured. For some, tinnitus treatment can range from removing built-up ear wax to stopping medications that may be causing the problem. But most of the time, treatment is more complicated and will only offer some relief. Some patients with mild cases can play background music while awake or soft music at bedtime. Other patients, according to Connelly, are experimenting with a new therapy that uses a custom-made sound generator worn in or over the ear to train the brain to ignore the noise caused by tinnitus.
Because tinnitus is often hard to cure, doctors and the American Tinnitus Association stress prevention. The association gives school presentations on tinnitus in Portland to fifth-graders, the article says. According to Stewart, "In every single classroom, three or four kids will come up and say, I hear sounds and I never told anyone about it." Some kids think the condition is normal, she said. Connelly also said, "There are more and more young people experiencing tinnitus as a result of our society getting louder and louder, and especially young people developing it as a result of listening to loud music." The chances of prevention are much greater if kids start thinking about the problem when they're young, Steward said. Common sense advice to prevent tinnitus includes turning down the volume of music and TV, and wearing earplugs when working with loud equipment, including lawn mowers.
The article also notes that the American Tinnitus Association also distributes brochures and a quarterly journal, organizes patient support groups around the nation, makes referrals to hearing specialists and counselors, and funds research on a small scale. The organization recently helped convince the federal government to allocate $800,000 to study tinnitus.
PUBLICATION: The Timaru Herald (Timaru)
DATE: November 13, 1997
SECTION: News; National; Pg. 3
DATELINE: Timaru, New Zealand
The Timaru Herald reports that officials are reviewing the resource consent (permit) for the loudspeaker system of the South Canterbury Car Club's Falvey Road site near Timaru, New Zealand. The car club had sought to raise the permitted noise level from 45 decibels to 50 decibels, but the council intends to review two conditions of that proposal.
According to the article, Graeme Broker, the group manager of planning and regulation on the council, said the council wants to change one of the noise monitoring points. If the new condition is approved, the sound level of the loudspeaker system would not be able to exceed 50 decibels (dBA L10) when measured at the monitoring points, and the system could not be used more than 20 days a year. In addition, the car club would be required to provide a certificate from its acoustic adviser saying that the system would achieve that level.
PUBLICATION: The Union Leader (Manchester, NH)
DATE: November 13, 1997
SECTION: Section C Pg. 4
BYLINE: A.S. Kneeland
DATELINE: Manchester, New Hampshire
The Union Leader reports that an information meeting was held last night by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation on the bridge reconstruction project on Interstate 93 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Most of the 50 residents who attended the meeting wanted more noise barriers as part of the project, but according to the article, it's not likely that more barriers will be built.
According to the article, the southbound and northbound bridges on I-93 over Bodwell Road, and the northbound bridge over Cohas Brook and the southbound bridge over the 1-293 ramp must be rehabilitated. Most of the federal funding for the $12 million project won't be in place till 2002, the article says, but the state would like to have the project's plans settled by 1999.
The noise barrier planned for the project would run south 3,500 feet from shortly north of Bodwell Road on the easterly side of the southbound lane. There will also be a 2,000-foot-long section of retaining wall incorporated into the noise barrier, according to John Butler of the state Department of Transportation. The retaining wall will range from two to 22 feet high, and the noise barrier from 10 to 18 feet. When the sound barrier is on top of the retaining wall, the highest section will be about 35 feet.
The article reports that the complaints from residents at last night's meeting were mostly about the lack of noise barriers being planned for the easterly side of the northbound lane. Some residents complained that the traffic noise is terrible even without the proposed widening of the bridge. One resident said conversations outside her house are impossible without shouting.
According to Jeff Brillhart, the state Department of Transportation project manager, it probably would be too costly to add another noise barrier to the northbound lane. However, another employee of DOT said no studies had been made yet on noise barriers for the northbound lane. Brillhart added that residents' requests for barriers on the northbound lane would be taken back to the state and considered.
Officials from the Transportation Department also said that the work will include construction covering approximately two miles of I-93, reconstruction of 1,000 feet of Bodwell Road to lower the section under the bridges by four feet, and construction of retaining walls and noise barriers. In addition, lowering Bodwell Road will require lowering about 300 feet of the Corning Road intersection.
Residents also complained about other aspects of the construction project, including concerns related to safety, rights-of-way, and incorrect information given by state officials.
The article also says that according to Brillhart, the federal government is considering widening I-93 from the Massachusetts border to Manchester. If that project was approved, the bridge would have to be widened from two lanes to five instead of four. However, the article notes, the federal government won't allow such "pre-planning," and the bridge work can't wait for the other project. At the earliest, the federal project might be approved by the time the bridge construction plans have been set, in mid-1999, which would probably be too late to allow the state to add the fifth lane to the bridge.
PUBLICATION: Waikato Times (Hamilton)
DATE: November 13, 1997
SECTION: News; National; Pg. 2
BYLINE: Kris McGehan
DATELINE: Hamilton, New Zealand
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Joe Simpson, resident
The Waikato Times reports that a car race was held over the weekend in the Hamilton, New Zealand city boundaries, and residents are angry about the excessive noise and smell of burning rubber. Residents have started a petition asking city councilors to move the competition out of the area. The competition was held by the Te Awamutu Rod and Custom Club and sponsored by the Te Rapa Tavern.
According to the article, residents in the area say the cars, many without mufflers, were driven around residential streets before the competition to warm up their tires. Joe Simpson, a nearby resident, later canvassed the streets with a petition asking the council to move the competition out of the area, and collected 30 signatures in 90 minutes. Simpson said the residents didn't object to the race, just to the place it was held. He said, "The idea may have some merit and it gives these young people somewhere to do that sort of thing. But it needs to be held away from people's homes in an industrial or rural area."
Meanwhile, Brian Impson, the Hamilton North/Central ward councilor, said he had a stream of complaints Sunday from residents on Heath St., Forsyth St., and Mahana Rd about the noise and smell. Other complaints, intended to be made to the council's noise control officers, somehow ended up with health officers. Impson said he was trying to find out why noise level readings were not taken. Impson added that it was unlikely the competition could be held again without resource consent approval. A permit wasn't needed on Sunday because the event was held on private property, the article notes..
Craig O'Hanlon, who organized the race, said the location was chosen because it was central and the pub was an enthusiastic sponsor. O'Hanlon also said the event was gaining popularity and other locations might have to be considered for next year.
PUBLICATION: The Arizona Republic
DATE: November 12, 1997
SECTION: Mesa/Apache Junction Community; Pg. Ev13
BYLINE: Edythe Jensen
DATELINE: Gilbert, Arizona
The Arizona Republic reports that a proposed 300-house subdivision near Gilbert, Arizona is being opposed by town officials because the development would threaten town land use plans for development around the Williams Gateway Airport, and because it would place homes next to the future San Tan Freeway, exposing future residents to traffic noise and fumes. However, town officials lack jurisdiction over the 75-acre land parcel, because it is an un-incorporated county "island" surrounded by the town. The proposal for the Hudson Ranches housing subdivision is expected to come before the Maricopa County Planning and Zoning Commission on November 20.
According to the article, Cynthia Dunham, the Gilbert Mayor, said the site is a prime spot for commercial and industrial development around the airport, and construction of homes could hurt the town's economic development efforts. The town's planner, Hamid Arshadi, will attend the Nov. 20 hearing to voice the town's objections to the housing proposal. Arshadi said that almost all of the proposed development's open space and a few houses would have to be destroyed when the San Tan Freeway is built, and residents would be exposed to traffic noise. He added the plan violates many Gilbert requirements, and should have been discouraged earlier in the process by technical advisers familiar with Gilbert's rules. The site currently is designated for high-density housing such as apartments, the article notes, but Mayor Dunham said a special design team is working on a new area plan that takes expanded airport activity and traffic into account.
The article goes on to explain that if the housing development is built, the land would have to be annexed by Gilbert to get sewer service. Mayor Dunham said the town's only power over the development's design may be the option to refuse annexation.
Meanwhile, Steven White, a county planner, said the county has not yet taken a stand for or against the project, although "we are very sensitive to the cities and committed to working with them." White said the owner of the property was Hugh Hudson Ranches Inc. in Brawley, California, but a spokesperson for the company said the land was sold in February.
PUBLICATION: Aviation Daily
DATE: November 12, 1997
SECTION: Vol. 330, No. 30; Pg. 257
DATELINE: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Aviation Daily reports that officials from the airline Polar Air Cargo are complaining about the consequences of strong noise limits imposed by the Dutch government at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. The noise limits will lead to airport-wide frequency reductions next spring, the article notes. Polar Air officials also are asking the U.S. Department of Transportation not to approve an application by KLM airlines (a subsidiary of Northwest Airlines) to place Northwest's "NW" code on KLM flights between Amsterdam and Calcutta. Meanwhile, KLM officials also oppose the Dutch regulations, but say they should be granted the code approval.
The article reports that officials from Polar Air filed their complaints with the Department of Transportation, opposing KLM's application for authority to place Northwest's NW code on KLM flights between Amsterdam and Calcutta. The problem for Polar, according to the article, is that its 747-100s have dual FAA certification as Stage 2 and Stage 3 aircraft, but the Dutch government no longer accepts the dual designation for operations at Schiphol. Under rules set by the Federal Aviation Administration, the 747-100s qualify as Stage 3 (quieter) aircraft if their takeoff weight remains below a threshold and they are operated at restricted power settings. Polar officials said three-quarters of its 747-100s now operate exclusively as Stage 3 aircraft in the contiguous 48 states. Polar officials wrote in their complaint, "The government of The Netherlands has now informed Polar Air that in order to continue to operate to Amsterdam it must have the FAA recertificate Polar Air's aircraft so that they can be operated only at Stage 3 levels, regardless of where they are being flown." Polar officials said this will force them to terminate their operations through Schiphol with the "vast portion" of their fleet, or "accept restraints -- which have absolutely no relationship to noise at Schiphol Airport -- that will curtail Polar Air's competitiveness on a worldwide basis." The article explains that every aircraft in Polar's fleet operates at some time through the Schiphol Airport. Polar officials maintain that using their 747-100s as Stage 2 aircraft, as permitted in large parts of Asia, South America, the Middle East, and Africa, is necessary for their competitiveness. The Dutch rule violates Article 6 of the U.S.-Netherlands bilateral agreement, according to Polar, which requires that certificates of airworthiness, competency, and licenses issued by one party be recognized by the other, provided the effective requirements meet the minimum International Civil Aviation Organization standards. In the complaint, Polar officials asked the Department of Transportation to defer action on KLM 's bid until The Netherlands rescinds its decision.
The article goes on to explain that officials from KLM also told the Department of Transportation that it is impacted by the new noise limits. KLM officials said, "KLM has vigorously and publicly sought to persuade The Netherlands government to seek alternative means, apply less stringent noise measures and, among other things, permit all airlines serving The Netherlands sufficient notice and time to adjust their operations." KLM officials went on to say that they did not want to "defend or justify" the actions of The Netherlands, but insisted the Dutch government's action doesn't violate Article 6 of the bilateral agreement because the government believes the FAA's dual certification doesn't conform with the regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Airline officials said that punishing both KLM and Northwest because of "adverse effects of such regulations on one U.S. carrier desiring to operate a single 747-100 aircraft to The Netherlands" is not sufficient reason to deny the code-share approval, which merely adds the Northwest code to flights already being flown by KLM.
PUBLICATION: Aviation Daily
DATE: November 12, 1997
SECTION: Europe; Vol. 330, No. 30; Pg. 261
DATELINE: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Aviation Daily reports that officials at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport have submitted operational guidelines for the new noise regulations at the airport to the Dutch transport ministry. According to airport officials, the noise limits will require "far-reaching limitations on flights and runway usage" during 1998. Dutch carriers will have to reduce frequencies after April 1, airport officials said.
According to the article, the new guidelines limit the takeoffs and landings at Schiphol in 1998 to 360,000, and officials predict about 353,000 this year. According to airport officials, the market needs 400,000 takeoffs and landings. Between April 1 and December 31, about 7,400 fewer landing slots will be available than during the same period this year. An independent coordinator approved by the transport ministry will review flight schedules for compatibility with the Schiphol noise limits after April 1.
Airport officials said the new restrictions will keep KLM Airlines from carrying out its "five-wave" strategy for growth, which requires use of at least four runways during five peak periods during the day, the article reports. KLM is working with airport officials to institute longer approaches, steeper descents, and other measures to reduce noise on the ground, but the article says these measures still will not enable Schiphol to grow enough to meet market demand, according to airport officials.
Schiphol officials also said that flights will be able to increase 1.9% in 1998, the article says. About 11,500 of the 360,000 aircraft movements will take place at night, which is a decrease of 16.7%. Many of the nighttime noise restrictions imposed this year will be extended in 1998, the article notes, and surcharges on noisy aircraft will increase.
PUBLICATION: The Baltimore Sun
DATE: November 12, 1997
SECTION: Local (News), Pg. 1B
BYLINE: Melinda Rice
DATELINE: Baltimore, Maryland area
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Frances Jones, resident and president of the Arundel Improvement Association; Jacki Dvorak, Priscilla and Robert Marcoccio, residents
The Baltimore Sun reports that residents in a Brooklyn Park neighborhood outside Baltimore, Maryland are angry with the activities of a inter-denominational Protestant church that opened recently in an old bingo hall. The church angered residents by holding a noisy event, and now some residents are suspicious that the church's activities will be undesirable.
According to the article, the Church on the Rock, a 9-year-old church in Brooklyn in Baltimore City, bought the former bingo hall last month, and church leaders plan to spend nearly a half-million dollars to renovate the building. About 90 families belong to the church, which operates a food pantry, counseling services, a prison ministry, and hospital and nursing home visitation programs. The church also welcomes everyone as members, including prostitutes and drug addicts, the article says.
Some Brooklyn Park residents weren't happy when they learned the details of some of the church's activities, the article says, but on October 13, the church closed on its new property and held a week-long revival that resulted in two calls to the county police and many calls to elected officials. Resident Jacki Dvorak said, "It was so loud the windows were rattling." Frances Jones, a resident and president of the Arundel Improvement Association said, "I don't know what they were thinking making all that racket. Their attitude was not that of a peaceful people. They were very antagonistic." Dvorak said after about two hours of noise, she went to the church to ask leaders to lower the volume. She said, "These people were out of control. They told me, 'Satan sent you here.'"
The article explains that residents called the police at 7: 34 p.m. and again at 9: 35 p.m. According to Carol Frye, a spokesperson for the police department, officers who investigated the complaints said that the church members were cooperative. But residents say that's not true. Priscilla Marcoccio, who lives across the street, said after the first police visit, she could hear the evangelist inside declaring that people in the neighborhood called police because they were not Christians and did not want the neighborhood cleaned up. State Senator Philip Jimeno, whose office received many calls about the noise, said, "I don't think it was in their best interests to get off on that kind of foot with the neighbors. They're going to have a hard time convincing the community that they'll be good neighbors now." Jimeno said his office received calls from people who live more than a mile from the church.
After the revival, the article reports, Reverend John Krach, the founder and pastor of the church, went door-to-door to apologize to neighbors. "We went overboard that night and I'm sorry," he said.
Now, residents are voicing other fears about the church, including fears that the church may try to close nearby liquor stores and bars, open a homeless shelter, soup kitchen, or drug rehabilitation clinic, or go door-to-door trying to get new church members. Krach denied that the church was intending to do any of those activities.
PUBLICATION: Bangor Daily News
DATE: November 12, 1997
DATELINE: Bangor, Maine
The Bangor Daily News printed the following letter-to-the-editor from Geoff Battick, a Bangor, Maine resident, about noise from events in Bass Park:
In response to Royce Day's letter ("Neighborhood noise, " Nov. 7), I must state that as a resident of the "local neighborhood," I found the noise less bothersome than the truck pulls that are held at Bass Park, and since the activity that Sunday only lasted a few hours, I found it less offensive than the Bangor State Fair, with its constant clamor, smells, bright lights until late at night and horrific traffic that lasts for 10 days.
The truck pulls are by far the loudest event held, but I don't begrudge the competitors and their fans the fun of attending the events. The same goes for the snowmobile races held a couple of winters ago. If one wants constant quiet and only the chirping of the birds, in the city is not the place to live. The city and Bass Park officials are always looking for ways to create revenue from that facility.
I took the time to see what [the dirt bike] noise was all about, and after meeting and speaking with the riders and their families who were testing the track with an eye toward a future event at the facility, I went away impressed.
I encourage the powers that be to seriously consider an event of this type. It is a huge sport throughout the country (except Maine) and after witnessing it first hand I can see why. It would provide people with a spectacular show and provide the park with much-needed ticket-sale money. So, rather than an all-time low, this could be the start of a real high.
PUBLICATION: China News
DATE: November 12, 1997
SECTION: News
DATELINE: Taichung, Taiwan
The China News reports that four mayoral candidates in Taichung, Taiwan held a two-and-a-half hour debate yesterday on local environmental issues. The debate was sponsored by Global Views Monthly magazine and the Commonwealth Publishing Company, and the candidates were Hung Chau-nan, for the KMT party, Chang Wen-ying, the DPP candidate, Eric Soong, the New Party candidate, and Cheng Pang-cheng, a Taiwan Independence Party candidate. The candidates discussed improving enforcement of related laws, noise reduction around the North-South Freeway, environmental protection taxes, and increasing public confidence in government efforts.
According to the article, the candidates agreed that it is important to upgrade environmental protection efforts, but disagreed on some of the strategies and approaches. Soong and Cheng were opposed to constructing a second garbage incinerator in the city, and supported increased recycling efforts instead. The other two candidates, Hung and Chang, supported the new incinerator, and said it is important to begin construction soon so the city's quality of life is not negatively impacted. All candidates agreed that the city's waterways are polluted, and that waste water treatment and proper sewage systems are needed. Hung and Cheng proposed a new, environmentally-friendly recreation area/wildlife reserve at the Fa-tzu Creek. Cheng also said that Taiwan's environmental laws need to be stronger, and that Singapore's laws were a good model. Soong agreed that the country's current laws need to be revised. None of the candidates, however, supported the idea of building highway noise-reduction walls to combat noise-pollution, and suggested measures such as sound-proofing nearby buildings instead. Levying a new environmental protection tax also was unpopular with the candidates, the article concludes.
PUBLICATION: The Dallas Morning News
DATE: November 12, 1997
SECTION: News; Pg. 1A
BYLINE: Bill Swindell
DATELINE: Arlington, Texas
The Dallas Morning News reports that city officials in Arlington, Texas have proposed building a 1,000-foot runway in an effort to convince Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. to locate a production facility of the tilt-rotor aircraft at Arlington Municipal Airport. The city council's airport development committee discussed the plan at a meeting Tuesday. Officials from Bell Helicopter have raised a number of concerns, including the desire to avoid angering nearby residents with noise that would come from ground-testing of the aircraft.
The article reports that Bell Helicopter officials intend to decide in the next seven months where to locate their final production facility of the tilt rotor, an aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but can move its rotors to fly like a turboprop plane. Many cities in the area are competing to lure the facility, including Grand Prairie, with its Dallas Naval Air Station, and Fort Worth, home to Alliance Airport.
The article says that Joe Ewen, a City Councilor, has been leading Arlington's effort to land the project. The city's proposal calls for a runway to be built 700 feet west of the airport's existing 5,000-foot runway. The new runway would be located near Bell Helicopter's current facility at the airport, where 300 workers assemble prototypes of the military version of the aircraft, the V-22 Osprey. The runway would allow only the tilt rotor aircraft to take off and land, the article explains. Other aircraft would still use the airport's main runway, which is being extended to 6,000 feet. Charles Willis, a consultant to the airport, said the proposed runway was compatible with any future expansion by Bell or other companies.
But, the article notes, the city must address other problems before it will attract Bell. One issue is transportation: the fuselage for the V-22 is flown from into Carswell Field in Fort Worth, and would have to be trucked to Arlington. Councilor Ewen said Fort Worth's Alliance Airport, which is also trying to lure Bell, has an advantage of a long runway space to take the fuselage right off the military planes that carry it and drop it off next door to a facility.
A second issue, the article says, relates to future expansion by Bell. The company plans to build a civilian version of the tilt rotor, dubbed the 609, that could call for as many as 30 orders a month. The Arlington airport has 200 acres available, but that still may not be enough room for a full-capacity run. However, Ewen added that Bell has had a facility at the Arlington Airport for 30 years, and has a substantial investment there. "It would be probably as expensive to try to move as to construct a new facility," he said.
The final issue, and one that seems to be of the greatest concern to Bell, is noise pollution. The article says Bell officials don't want to anger taxpayers who are funding the military version of the aircraft, which cost $30 million each. Residents near the airport already complained earlier this year about testing at the Bell facility that would go on sometimes past 8 p.m. According to Bob Porter, the airport manager, most of those problems have been cleared up, and the airport has not received many complaints since summer. There are also concerns about vibration when the engines are ground-tested. Willis, the airport consultant, said there are many ways to mitigate these problems, including high-priced acoustic rooms for testing, or berms or high concrete walls to diminish the noise.
PUBLICATION: The Evening Post (Wellington, New Zealand)
DATE: November 12, 1997
SECTION: News; National; Pg. 1
BYLINE: John King
DATELINE: Wellington, New Zealand
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Sue Kedgley, City Councilor; Maxine Harris, spokesperson, Residents Airport Noise Action Group
The Evening Post reports that officers of the Wellington (New Zealand) City Council are preparing a proposal that Air New Zealand be forced to pay extra charges every time its noisy Boeing 737 jets land at Wellington Airport. The extra costs paid by the airline would be used to insulate homes around the airport against noise. The proposal is being championed by Councilor Sue Kedgley, who said that if the idea was accepted by the City Council, it would ask Wellington International Airport Limited -- 34% of which is owned by the Council -- to impose the extra charges.
The article reports that according to Kedgley, the proposal is based on the principle underpinning the Resource Management Act and the council's district scheme that the polluter should pay. She agreed that the airline's 737s, which are fitted with hushkits to make them quieter, comply with the noise rules. But, she added, "they are right on the border of the air noise levels. They do technically comply, [but] they are noisier than any other aircraft that uses Wellington." Under the proposal, a fund would be established to help insulate the 500 homes closest to the airport against noise. The article notes that the proposal will go to the council's cityscape committee next month. Celia Wade-Brown, the co-chair of the committee, said the legal implications of the proposal would have to be studied, but she believed the proposal had a good chance of getting approved by the committee and going to the full council.
The proposal has been welcomed by residents in the eastern suburbs who are fed up with airport noise, the article says. Maxine Harris, a spokesperson for the Residents Airport Noise Action Group, said higher landing charges for noisy aircraft were used overseas and seemed like a good way to pressure the airline to upgrade its fleet.
The article goes on to explain that David Beatson, a spokesperson for Air New Zealand, said the extra charges would be discriminatory, and the airline's 737s already met the airport's noise requirements. The airline already pays the Wellington Airport $636.56 each time a 737 lands, the article notes. Beatson said the issue of noise had been agreed on between airlines, residents, the city council, and the airport company during an Environment Court hearing in August. He said, "This is an attempt to recanvass an issue that has already been addressed by the Environment Court." He added that the airline already has spent $50 million hush-kitting its 737 fleet, and was considering upgrading its fleet to newer aircraft in the next few years. Beatson also pointed out that Air New Zealand is was the main provider of air services to the Wellington region.
Meanwhile, Don Huse, the chief executive of the airport, said the airport company had recently signed the Environment Court consent order, and a long-term agreement with the airlines about using the new $41 million terminal being built. He said, "The company sees no good reason with the settlements so recently completed to suddenly reopen matters at this stage." Part of the Environment Court consent order required that an air noise management plan was developed, the article says. According to Huse, airport company officials were waiting on community groups to see how they wanted to be represented on the committee that would develop the plan.
PUBLICATION: Fort Worth Star-Telegram
DATE: November 12, 1997
SECTION: Metro; Pg. 1, Focus On:
BYLINE: G. Chambers Williams III
DATELINE: Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport soon will have its new noise monitoring system finalized. The 34 noise-monitoring stations scattered around the airport and in nearby neighborhoods have been up and running for more than a year, but the computer system to which they were supposed to be attached has been delayed for more than a year. But now airport officials say that part of the project will be completed by Christmas. The noise-monitoring system was promised by airport officials as part of a federally required environmental impact study in connection with the east runway that opened October 1, 1996.
According to the article, the original contractor on the project, The Flood Group of Los Angeles, didn't finish installing the noise-monitoring system before the east runway opened, and the company was fired. Six months ago, Tracor Applied Sciences of Austin was hired to finish the work, according to Jeff Fegan, the Executive Director of the airport.
Today, the article says, the airport will get a major piece of the computerized system that will tie the noise monitors together with a control center in the airport's administration building, according to Karen Robertson, the airport's noise-compatibility manager. The equipment consists of a computerized map that will show what lies under the aircraft arriving at and leaving the airport. By late December, information from the noise monitors will be superimposed on that map on three giant computer screens, complete with measurements of the noise from each aircraft as it passes over the monitored areas. The system will show both current flights and their noise levels, and all the information about other flights that have been recorded in the past. Robertson said, "If someone comes in with a noise complaint, we can put up on the screen the day and time of the event, and in effect re-create it just as it occurred over that person's vantage point," she said. "We can even listen to the noise as it sounded on the closest noise monitor." Joe Dealey, a spokesperson for the airport, said the purpose of the system is to show that noise levels are within acceptable ranges. He said, "People are hearing aircraft but not to the extent that their health is being imperiled."
Dealey went on to say that, "The airport promised as part of the environmental impact study that we would install a permanent noise-monitoring system, not only to monitor airport noise but to demonstrate that we were true to our word when we said that the noise impact associated with the new runway and all of our other runways would be much lower than it has been in the past." Dealey explained that newer aircraft are less noisy than the aircraft that used the airport five years ago, and the noisier aircraft are required to be phased out by the federal government by 1999.
The article also reports that the airport's Noise Center will be open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, beginning in January, but Robertson suggested that people make appointments so that a noise expert is sure to be on hand. Dealey said, "We know this system won't eliminate noise complaints or the noise problems associated with any large airport. But it will help us keep the complaints to a bare minimum. We will continue to work with our surrounding communities, the Federal Aviation Administration and the airlines so that as flights continue to expand at D/FW, everyone has a commitment to maintaining a high quality of life."
PUBLICATION: Los Angeles Times
DATE: November 12, 1997
SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 8; Editorial Writers Desk
DATELINE: Laguna Hills, California
The Los Angeles Times printed the following letter-to-the-editor from Dave Schlenker, a Laguna Hills, California resident, regarding the proposal to convert the El Toro Marine Corps Base to a commercial airport:
Praise the Lord for Judge Judith McConnell, who recently ruled the Orange County proposal for a huge international airport to replace the El Toro Marine base is badly flawed with much misinformation. We folks in South County are so disturbed about them trying to jam a huge airport on us that if there is a way we can secede from the county, we will try.
Noise, pollution, traffic congestion, crime and danger from crashes will destroy the quiet serenity of South County. Also, Leisure World, a retirement community of 18,000, would be right in front of the runway. We have worked hard all our lives, put our life savings in our final homes and have no income to relocate.
We don't hear so well, but the noise and vibrations on our hearing aids will ruin our lives. Newport Beach, which doesn't have an international airport, hates John Wayne Airport so much that they want it closed and their problem dumped on us. March Air Force Base, remotely located and larger, will soon close and could provide a huge "state of the art" international airport. There are several other better proposals for El Toro. Please don't destroy our lives.
PUBLICATION: National Public Radio: All Things Considered
DATE: November 12, 1997
SECTION: News; Domestic; Transcript # 97111207-212
BYLINE: Richard Harris and Robert Siegel
DATELINE: Bangor, Maine
National Public Radio reports that NASA is finishing a mission to study air pollution in the upper troposphere, the layer of the atmosphere where jets fly. NASA's research involves collecting air samples using a jet that has been turned into a flying laboratory. Researchers hope that the information they are gathering will teach them about what ozone (smog), which causes global warming, does in this level of the atmosphere.
According to the radio broadcast, air traffic around the world has doubled in the past 20 years and it's expected to double again in the next 20. But according to Han Wat Sing of NASA, scientists don't know much about the air pollution effects in the upper troposphere of growing air traffic. He said, "Our big problems have been either air pollution, which has been at the lowest part of what we call the troposphere, where we live. And the other big problem has been stratospheric ozone which is well above this region. So, this part is sort of the neglected part of the atmosphere." The broadcast says that scientists do know jets are emitting tons of chemicals into the upper troposphere that cause the familiar pollutant ozone (smog). And according to Sing, nobody knows what effect that has on the health of the atmosphere.
The broadcast continues with the reporter going on a flight of NASA's flying research laboratory. The flight takes off from Bangor, Maine, where about 700 planes to and from Europe pass by every day. The DC-8 that NASA has outfitted as its laboratory has pipes and probes sticking out from above, below, and through windows, the reporter says. Inside, most of the seats have been torn out and replaced with laboratory equipment. Nearly 40 scientists are on board, preparing 15 individual experiments for the flight.
According to the broadcast, the plane takes off and heads up to 15,000 feet. During the seven-and-a-half hour flight, the plane will fly back and forth between two points at progressively higher altitudes, sampling the air as it goes. Scientists monitor about 75 different materials in the air, ranging from radioactive lead venting from the granite rocks far below to man-made pollutants.
The radio reporter says that during the flight, most people are huddled over computer screens, monitoring the research instruments. For one experiment, two chemists spend the entire flight opening and closing valves in rack upon rack of stainless steel canisters. Niccola Blake, from the University of California at Irvine, conducts an experiment that simply gathers air. She said, "We're running the lowest-tech experiments on the plane. We just collect whole air samples and don't do anything with it here. But we send it back in the lab and that's where they do all the fancy stuff." Blake said more than 30 different chemicals in the air will be studied, ranging fuel molecules to chloro-fluorocarbons, the man-made compounds that can damage the ozone layer. Another group of scientists is measuring naturally occurring chemicals that clean the pollutants out of the atmosphere. According to Ian Falluna, a graduate student at Penn State University, these chemicals are critically important to the atmosphere, but are present at very low concentrations -- parts per trillion or less. One of the most powerful research instruments on board, the broadcast explains, is a laser that can measure ozone thousands of feet above and below the airplane.
According to William Grant, a scientist with the Langley Research Center, on an earlier flight, the plane was near the Azores, which are two thousand miles across open ocean from the United States. Grant said the scientists found a "plume of aerosols and elevated ozone" from the U.S. Grant added, "Over land, it might go 500 miles, a thousand miles and then get a storm activity and get rained out. But over the ocean, it just keeps going and going and going like the Energizer bunny rabbit." The reporter notes that the pollution was probably from automobiles, power plants, and factories. While planes contribute just one or two percent of the total ozone-creating pollution, they inject it up in the atmosphere were it can stick around.
The reporter goes on to say that it will still take months for the researchers to piece together all their data to get an idea about what's going on in the atmosphere. But they hope to be able to understand the many chemical reactions in the atmosphere and the impacts of ozone at this level. While it's already understood that ozone contributes to global warming, there are many more subtle effects as well, the reporter concludes.
PUBLICATION: The Orange County Register
DATE: November 12, 1997
SECTION: Metro; Pg. B01
BYLINE: Eric Carpenter, Heather Lourie
DATELINE: Fullerton, California
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Anna Madrigal, Kerry Graham, Florence Dagneau, residents; Mike and Shannon Carson, former residents
The Orange County Register reports that residents in a neighborhood of Fullerton, California are angry about the noise and activities of the six fraternity houses located there. The article says the clash between the students and residents has escalated in recent months, causing police to adopt a zero-tolerance policy with the fraternities, and city officials to call for meetings with university representatives. The Fullerton Planning Commission is set to discuss the issue on November 19.
According to the article, the neighborhood around the 2100 block of Teri Place, houses California State University at Fullerton's unofficial Greek row. The six fraternity houses are intermingled with apartments, many occupied by families and senior citizens. Conflicts between students and residents prompted the Fullerton City Council to pass an ordinance in 1985 requiring fraternities to obtain conditional-use permits. In 1989, under pressure from school officials, Tau Kappa Epsilon disbanded for two years after a rowdy Labor Day party, and a few months later, the city revoked conditional-use permits for Sigma Pi and Sigma Alpha Epsilon after repeated complaints to police about fighting, drinking, and illegal parking. Ted Commerdinger, the senior city planner, said, "Fraternities in that neighborhood have been a problem for more than 25 years. It's simply a compatibility problem."
Police say this year, there have been about 100 calls to the police department from Teri Place, for problems including an alleged rape, robberies, assaults, and shots fired. One night in August, the article reports, police had to close the department's front desk because they needed the officers to help control a Teri Place party with almost 800 partiers. The article says that cars blocked the street, music blared, and a roof caught fire after somebody tossed a bottle rocket. Sergeant Dan Hughes said, "It's out of control. It has become a public-safety issue." Hughes added that police believe the fraternities shouldn't be in a residential area. Meanwhile, city officials believe that the police are spending too much time dealing with the fraternities. Commerdinger said, "(Teri Place) is a 400-foot-long street that on some nights requires the response of a (large portion) of our Police Department, taking police away from the rest of the city."
The article goes on to explain that Kerry Graham, a resident who lives across from some of the fraternities, said, "When it's warm, it's really bad because we have to keep the windows open. My 10-year-old will say, 'Did you hear them screaming? I couldn't sleep.'" Another resident, Anna Madrigal, said parties go on till 5 or 6 in the morning, on weekends as well as weeknights. Mike and Shannon Carson, who used to live in the neighborhood, moved to Lake Forest three months ago because of noise and the burglarizing of their cars three times. Mike Carson said, "I had to go down on occasion and protect my property. After awhile you get fed up." Bob Wall, who manages an apartment complex next to Teri Place, said he offers a $200 discount on the first month's rent for units facing the fraternities.
Meanwhile, the article says, fraternity leaders say they will cooperate, but they also believe they have been treated too harshly. The students at the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity say they've received visits from the police even at small gatherings. This semester, at least four fraternity presidents have been arrested for failing to control disruptive parties, the article reports. In addition, Tau Kappa Epsilon may have its city conditional-use permit revoked, which would prevent the fraternity from conducting meetings at the house, force the removal of the Greek letters from the building, and could force the fraternity brothers to move. Tau Kappa Epsilon is now renting a warehouse in the city of Industry and chartering buses to throw parties there. Bryan Campanelli, president of Phi Sigma Kappa, said, "There's been an enormous police presence. We don't feel like we have much of a voice in the issue." Campanelli, who was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace, added, "I felt like I was being made an example of." Campanelli was faced with a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail, but a judge eventually reduced to the charge to an infraction and placed Campanelli on probation. He says he is reluctant to host another party, because he can't afford another arrest. Emil Nazaryan, president of Tau Kappa Epsilon, said he understands neighbors' concerns, but he also believes the problems are being exaggerated. Nazaryan said, "If there are five people hanging out on the stairs, they report there are 15 people. And if we have 50 people at the house, they say there were 150." Lou Regla, a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, said fraternity members are often accused of vandalizing property and littering when they didn't do it. "This isn't the greatest neighborhood," he said. "It's not always us causing the problems. "
The article goes on to explain that meetings are being planned for fraternity leaders and residents. But some residents say they don't want to meet because they believe solutions would only be temporary. Florence Dagneau, who has lived next to the fraternities for 15 years, said, "Sometimes it will quiet down for a while if they think the city is going to come down and kick them out. One bunch gets the message, but then they graduate, and the noise comes back. I'm tired of fighting it. I've given up." Some people believe the only solution is to move the fraternities out of the neighborhood and onto campus. That solution would shift the burden of law enforcement from city police to campus police. Robert Palmer, vice president for student affairs at Cal State Fullerton, said moving the fraternities on campus hasn't yet been seriously considered by the university. Palmer said other solutions need to be explored, and added he plans to organize a meeting before Thanksgiving. University officials will consider placing more severe sanctions on fraternities as one solution, Palmer said, including revoking recognition.
PUBLICATION: Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, MA)
DATE: November 12, 1997
SECTION: Local News; Pg. B1
BYLINE: Stacey Grossi
DATELINE: Sterling, Massachusetts
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Charles Miracle, Zoning Board member; John Wallace, owner, Barbers Crossing North Restaurant; Dr. Richard Antonelli, founder, Nashaway Pediatrics
The Telegram & Gazette reports that the Zoning Board in Sterling, Massachusetts, near Worcester, has granted a special permit to Colnon & Co. to develop a freight yard behind the Barbers Crossing North Restaurant on Route 12. Residents and business owners are angry at the decision, and some are planning to appeal.
According to the article, James Colnon, owner of Colnon & Co., said he plans to expand existing railways and develop a facility for rail cars where trucks can empty them. He said, "The rail is very important to the region. It will bring competitive alternatives, which, in turn, will bring product and transportation costs down for everybody. The facility will be dramatically lower than the abutters' properties and won't be noticed."
But according to Zoning Board member Charles Miracle, the facility will be noticed. Miracle cast the only dissenting vote in the 4-1 vote during Thursday's decision. He said there could be up to 90 freight cars in the yard at any given time. He added, "Trucks would go through the restaurant's parking lot at all hours, creating dust, vibration and glare that would greatly affect abutters. I don't feel that the use for this land is appropriate for a special permit. "
Opponents of the project have 20 days in which to appeal the special permit decision, the article explains. John Wallace, who owns Barbers Crossing North Restaurant, said he will file an appeal. He said, "We received notice on a Friday afternoon that there would be a meeting on this subject Tuesday (Nov. 4); we had little time to research and prepare." Dr. Richard Antonelli, the founder of the neighboring Nashaway Pediatrics, may also appeal. He said the town didn't model or monitor data to study the impact on the surrounding environment. He said, "I'm against the way the process has unfolded. I'm concerned that the impact of noise and pollution isn't understood. I need to see data. I am trying to work collaboratively with all parties, but I will not allow anything to compromise the standards of my practice."
The article also says that Wallace's attorney, John Morrison, said the Zoning Board didn't follow town bylaws. Morrison said a special permit can be issued if: 1) The specific site is an appropriate location for such use; 2) The use will not be injurious or dangerous to the public health or safety because of undue traffic congestion or danger of fire; 3) The use will not produce noises, vibrations, dust, smoke, odor, heat or glare observable at the lot lines; 4) The use will not change the character of the area because of design or appearance. Wallace said he is worried that if the trucks use the right-of-way at the top of his parking lot, there could be too much congestion for his customers.
PUBLICATION: Asbury Park Press (Neptune, NJ)
DATE: November 11, 1997
SECTION: B, Pg. 3
BYLINE: Sherry Figdore
DATELINE: Holmdel Township, New Jersey
The Asbury Park Press reports that the Township Committee in Holmdel Township, New Jersey adopted a noise ordinance last night, based on a model drawn up by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The ordinance was passed in order to give protect residents against noisy lawn equipment, loud parties, or concerts at the PNC Bank Arts Center, the article says.
According to the article, the ordinance carries the following stipulations:
Noise levels cannot exceed 65 decibels between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. and 50 decibels between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
"Impulsive sounds," or intermittent loud noises that occur less than four times in any hour, may not exceed 80 decibels.
Commercial commercial power tools and landscaping and yard maintenance equipment cannot be used between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays and between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. on weekends.
Motorized equipment must be equipped with mufflers.
Construction and demolition is prohibited between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays and between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. on weekends.
Exterior burglar and car alarms must stop within five minutes of continuous sound.
The article explains that all noise complaints will be referred to a certified noise enforcement officer. The noise measurements will be made at the property line of the resident who is complaining, according to R.J. Kirk, of the township health department.
PUBLICATION: The Cincinnati Enquirer
DATE: November 11, 1997
SECTION: News (Wire, Page 1), Pg. A01
BYLINE: Terry Flynn
DATELINE: Hebron, Ohio
The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that jet noise around the Cincinnati - Northern Kentucky International Airport in Hebron, Ohio hasn't dissuaded people from purchasing homes in noise corridors around the airport. The article says that since April 1996, when the Kenton County Airport Board began a purchase assurance program as part of a federally mandated noise mitigation effort, 105 houses have been sold and an additional six sales are pending. According to figures released by the board's noise mitigation committee, the properties sold for an average of 94 percent of their appraised value and 95 percent of their list price.
The article reports that houses that have sold or are being sold through the program have appraised values ranging from $60,000 to $385,000, with the average at about $120,000. Dale Huber, the airport's deputy aviation director, said, "I think the important figure is the percentage of appraised value. That figure is fairly consistent with what most houses sell for in this area, according to the real estate estimates." The article also notes that many of the homes sold are in the older neighborhoods of Florence, but a few are newer homes on the edge of the Oakbrook subdivision.
The article goes on to explain that the noise corridors around the airport outlined by the Federal Aviation Administration pass mostly through Florence. The corridors extend from both ends of both north-south runways, and after one runway was extended in 1995 and a new one opened in 1991, some neighborhoods were closer to the jets during takeoffs and landings.
Under the purchase assurance program, airport officials contact homeowners that live in the noise corridors and give them three options: ignore the program; keep their house and have it insulated for sound at the airport's expense; or place the house on the market through the program. If the house is placed on the market and it doesn't sell within 120 days, the airport can buy the property at fair market value and then attempt to sell it. The article notes that since the program started, the airport has bought 60 homes and resold 37 of them.
The article says that according to Kent Dailey, a real estate broker for Re-Max in Fort Mitchell who sells houses in the program, the company has been very pleased with the program. Dailey said his firm "has been selling houses in the noise corridors long before the program started, and not at reduced prices. Obviously, people were not concerned about the airport noise." Huber of the airport said that when people who looked at a property but didn't make an offer were contacted to find out the reason they didn't make an offer, only 2% of them said that jet noise was the reason.
PUBLICATION: Los Angeles Times
DATE: November 11, 1997
SECTION: Business; Part D; Page 17A; Zones Desk
BYLINE: Barry Stavro
DATELINE: Los Angeles, California
The Los Angeles Times reports that according to a noise consultant, the construction that Universal Studios has proposed should follow county standards rather than the more lenient city standards. He also said that noise measurements should be taken at the studios at unannounced times.
According to the article, the noise consultant contradicted Universal Studios' request to use the city's noise rules and to conduct noise tests on announced dates. He said that the county's stricter rules should be used, since the city's rules are unenforceable and give "little protection for the surrounding communities." He also said that noise tests should be random and unannounced.
The article notes that residents oppose the 3.3-million square feet of new construction that would increase the complex by 60 percent. Even those numbers are reduced by 40 percent from original proposals. The complex is on some city land and some county land. The planning commission will next consider the issue in the middle of the month.
PUBLICATION: Los Angeles Times
DATE: November 11, 1997
SECTION: Metro; Part B; Page 6; Letters Desk
DATELINE: Los Angeles, California
The Los Angeles Times printed the following letters-to-the-editor regarding the leaf-blower ban in Los Angeles:
To the editor:
Re: "200 Gardeners Sound Off Against Ban on Leaf Blowers," Nov. 5: Regulations instead of a ban? The fact is, there are already regulations regarding hours and noise levels (65 decibels) for gas blowers that have been in effect for years. Yet the city fails to implement them and gardeners fail to abide by them.
So why are the gardeners now asking for regulations we already have? It's their own fault that a ban was passed as law. People are fed up with listening to those horrendous, polluting noise machines. Six months is enough of a wait for gardeners to convert to electric or battery-powered blowers. My gardener converted and he still gets the job done.
Gregory Gibbs, Los Angeles resident
To the editor:
With regard to the substance of the gardeners' protest, the City Council's Environmental Quality and Waste Management Committee has held two public hearings in recent weeks on the leaf blower ordinance. It has also formed a task force to review enforcement, public education and other possible changes to the law, as we prepare for the start of citations in January.
Cindy Miscikowski, City Councilor, 11th District, Los Angeles
PUBLICATION: Morning Star (Wilmington, NC)
DATE: November 11, 1997
SECTION: Local/Regional; Pg. 2B
BYLINE: Diana D'Abruzzo
DATELINE: Leland, North Carolina
The Morning Star reports that the Board of Education Monday approved the installation of acoustical panels in the band rooms of seven schools in Brunswick County, North Carolina. The panels will help suppress noise for students in classrooms near the band rooms, and also will reduce the noise inside the band rooms, the article says.
According to the article, Clarence Willie, assistant superintendent of operational programs, said, "We found that the installation of acoustical tiles will simply improve conditions in band rooms. It's an effort to improve teaching and learning conditions. And it's a safety issue. The panels will make the noise softer, and the music won't be as harsh on eardrums."
The article notes that the project will cost $58,303, and the panels will be installed at West, North and South Brunswick high schools, Shallotte Middle School, South Brunswick Middle School, Leland Middle School, and Waccamaw Elementary School. According to Willie, the panels will start to be installed in the next two months.
PUBLICATION: The Union Leader (Manchester, NH)
DATE: November 11, 1997
SECTION: Section A Pg. 1
BYLINE: Roger Amsden
DATELINE: Canterbury, New Hampshire
ACTIVISTS, INDIVIDUALS, AND GROUPS MENTIONED: Hillary Nelson, resident
The Union Leader reports that a public forum was held last night regarding the expansion of the New Hampshire International Speedway near Canterbury, New Hampshire. The forum was attended by more than 100 people, and issues were raised about the effect of the expansion on the largely rural small communities in the area. The article notes that most of the complaints centered around traffic, noise, and changing the character of the surrounding towns.
According to the article, residents said there are many traffic problems on town roads during major events at the speedway that draw as many as 88,000 people. Noise is also a big problem, residents said, on days of major races and during weekday practice sessions. The Speedway's plans to increase its seating capacity from 75,000 to 110,000 over the next several years was also criticized by residents, who said the expansion will intensify the traffic and noise problems and change forever the character of the rural towns. Hillary Nelson, a residents who lives near the track, said that decisions regarding the track aren't being made in a larger context involving regional planning and the track's impact on the quality of life in the entire area. Other residents complained that Baptist Road and Shaker Road are being used by many who are trying to get to the track or take a shortcut to I-93 when leaving, and that the speed and volume of traffic on those roads is excessive.
Meanwhile, the article says, Bob Bahre, the Speedway's owner, said the track has tried to be a good neighbor and the loudest noise lasts only three-and-a-half hours on race day.
The article also notes that Gil Rogers of the state Department of Transportation was laughed at when he told the audience that the recently completed widening of Rte. 106 south of the track wasn't done for the Speedway's benefit. Rogers said the plans for the project were proposed in 1985 and were adopted as part of the state's highway plan before Bahre purchased the track in 1988.
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