Subcommittee Makes Suggestions For Aircraft Noise During Town Board Meeting

An airport planning subcommittee made several suggestions to help with the noise problem caused by helicopters and other aircrafts in East Hampton during the town board meeting this week.

The subcommittee, consisting of 12-members, created a suggested plan that would include the town creating three different categories for aircrafts, noisiest, noisy and quiet, and regulating when they fly over the Hamptons, according to Newsday.

Under the suggested plan, the aircrafts under the ‘noisiest’ category, would be only allowed to fly over the Hamptons once a week under a 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. curfew and on summer weekends and holidays would have a “noise pollution surcharge”, according to The East Hampton Star.

The proposed plan would also require aircrafts under the ‘noisy’ category to only fly over the Hamptons under a 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. curfew, be limited to one trip a week and be banned from the airport on weekends and holidays, according to The East Hampton Star.

The suggestions stem from an ongoing airport noise study conducted by consultants that the East Hampton Town Board hired and are meant to specifically target three problems: aircrafts flying in the evening, night and early morning hours; the frequency of the flights especially on summer weekends and holidays; and flights made by helicopters, according to The East Hampton Star.

The results of the study will be presented on Feb. 3, and new regulations would be released ‘shortly’ by the town board, according to Newsday.

“We believe it is time for the town to ask all airport users to employ the best, quietest aviation technology so that they can enjoy the benefits of aviation without destroying the quiet enjoyment by residents of their homes, gardens and the beaches and open spaces that are our common property,” David Gruber, committee chairman and East Hampton resident said during the meeting this week, according to Newsday.

What do you think is a good solution to the noise problem? Comment below.