Gillibrand, Lowey, Schumer Invite FAA Over Noise Concerns At WCA

HARRISON, NY — In the newest cycle of complaints and criticism of the Westchester County Airport, the region's representatives to Washington, D.C. have joined in.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, and U.S. Congresswoman Nita Lowey have called on the Federal Aviation Administration to hold a public meeting in Westchester to listen to residents' new overhead airplane noise concerns.

Their call comes in support of County Executive George Latimer’s request for this public meeting to help address the new pattern of overhead noise from planes landing and departing at the HPN.

"When people say, 'well you bought a home right next to the airport what did you expect'...but the flight paths that are currently in effect have a continual set of airplanes coming over a number of communities that are not particularly close to the airport," Latimer said at a press conference in June.

The county has placed portable noise monitoring devices in key locations generating an increasing number of complaints, notably Pleasantville, Scarsdale, White Plains and Chappaqua. Plus by looking at the historic data, including flight patterns and type of aircraft, Harris, Miller, Miller & Hanson, consultants hired by the county, hope to determine changes over time which can explain why certain communities are experiencing noise issues now when they have not in the past.

The business community welcomed the new study.

John Ravitz, executive vice president of The Business Council of Westchester and founder of the BCW Coalition for Westchester Airport, said "Portable noise monitoring will help to provide actual data that can be tracked and analyzed, taking the issue of noise out of the realm of anecdotal evidence and making it something we can more objectively quantify and understand. The airport's neighbors need to be respected, and the Coalition favors reasonable approaches to mitigating noise issues. "

He added that he hoped the residents who have been most vocal in their noise complaints, in some cases filing literally thousands of reports, also would agree to have monitors placed at their properties.

In December, the Business Council of Westchester released data showing that only a handful of households accounted for a 6,616 percent year-over-year increase in noise complaints at the airport. Noise complaints spiked from 51 in May 2017 to 3,425 in May 2018. Of those 3,425 complaints, 2,033 came from four households in Armonk.

The airport's critics on the county's new Advisory Board offered but tabled a resolution last year that all maintenance stop completely until a supplement to the master plan was complete. In March the Westchester County Board of Legislators unanimously approved a $10 million bond act on Monday to rehabilitate Runway 16/34, which had last been repaved in 1998.

Gillibrand, Schumer, and Lowey urged the FAA to listen to residents' input directly to develop solutions that help reduce noise pollution.

"In keeping with the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, we urge the FAA to hold a public meeting to hear how Westchester residents are being negatively impacted by the noise," they wrote to Evelyn Martinez, the manager of the FAA Airports District Office.

In a press release, the three offered statements:

“Excessive overhead airplane noise is severely affecting the quality of life for too many residents living near Westchester County Airport, and the FAA must take substantive steps to provide these communities with the relief they deserve. That’s why I am joining County Executive Latimer in his call to the FAA to hold a public meeting in Westchester,” said Gillibrand. “A public meeting would allow the federal officials who are responsible for determining flight patterns to listen to the concerns of Westchester residents directly, and ensure that any effort to reduce overhead flight noise carefully considers the needs of the Westchester community.”

“There’s very little more obnoxious for the residents of Westchester than the non-stop noise pollution emanating from the Westchester County Airport and the planes that fly in and out of it each and every day. These people have serious concerns that deserve to be heard out by the FAA,”said Senator Schumer. “That’s why I’m glad to join the County Executive in his calls for the FAA to come to Westchester and host a public meeting, ASAP. Communities like Westchester have long struggled with incessant airplane noise caused by the highly-trafficked skies above, it’s about time we tackled the issue head-on.”

“I remain committed to mitigating airport noise for the people of Westchester and am pleased to work with County Executive George Latimer to identify solutions to help constituents who live near Westchester County Airport. In keeping with the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 the FAA should hold a public meeting in the County to hear residents’ concerns and then implement strategies to address the noise problems faced by many communities near the Airport,” said Congresswoman Lowey, chair of the House Appropriations Committee.

Latimer thanked them for their support.

SEE ALSO:

• New Check Of Noise Levels Around Westchester Airport
• County To Further Study Westchester Airport Operations, Impacts