WESTFIELD- On the agenda at Thursday’s Legislative & Ordinance Committee (L&O) was a report on the Noise Compatibility Program (NCP) from Barnes Airport manager Brian Barnes, originally submitted to the City Council in June. He said the plan will be enacted if a vote to approve and accept a $2.5 million grant to continue the program passes the City Council at its next meeting on August 22, after which it will go to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Barnes said the NCP was prepared by Wyle Acoustic Engineers and highlights the changes made in the Noise Mitigation program that affect the public.
“Accurately, you’re not voting per se, we just want input,” Barnes said about the NCP. He said when the Council approved the budget they already approved the program, which has also been approved by the Airport Commission. He said they were bringing it before the committee to share the changes, and to be as transparent as possible.
According to city attorney Susan Phillips, who reviewed the report for the City Council, the Airport Commission made several recommendations, which the FAA will be looking for them to implement. She said the city has little authority over the plan.
The first new recommendation is not to go forward with testing each individual home for decibel levels. The FAA guidelines recommend testing 10% of each type of home. For example, if there are ten capes in the affected area, one would be tested. If twenty ranch houses, two would be tested. If 30% of all the homes passed the test, then the city would have to pick up 100% of the cost to soundproof the homes. If 10% of homes tested failed the test, all would be eligible for the program. The pass/fail level is 70 decibels within the home.
The footprint of the noise mitigation contour map was also changed. Homes that were previously considered to be in the 70 decibel levels area fell to 65 decibels, not qualifying them for noise mitigation.
Barnes said with the $2.5 million in grant money, they are going to offer to buy out 25 people – six new homes, and 19 carryover homes from the old program. The program has already bought out 10 homes.
He said because the rules were changed significantly to qualify for sound mitigation, the Airport Commission voted in June to discontinue the sound mitigation program after the buyout, because the remaining homes would not qualify anyway.
“If there are homes that were getting soundproofed before, why give it up now?” asked Ward 6 Councilor William Onyski, a member of the L&O Committee.
“Because the criteria has changed,” Barnes said.
Wyle Engineers construction manager Melvin Baker said there is a big movement afoot to get the new louder F35 fighter jets to come to Barnes. He said if that happens, they will have to re-enact a new program anyway.
Barnes reported that they have already paid $16 million for noise mitigation. He said the city has been reimbursed 95% of the funds, and more in some cases. To date, the city has put in a total of $558,000.
“This has always been a program to improve the quality of life of those most affected,” Barnes said. He said it began with a recommendation from the Environmental Protection Agency, then an environmental impact study, and went on from there.
“My concern is by taking homes and leveling them, you’re taking them off the tax rolls,” said Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy, who chairs L&O. “I love the idea of soundproofing, which keeps them in their homes and on the tax rolls.”
Barnes said the ten homes that were already demolished can’t be residences. Figy said the matter should go to a Round Table and have the city decide what to do with the empty lots.
Figy then opened the meeting up for comments from the residents in attendance at the meeting.
North end resident Carol Shannon said that her home has been in and out of the program for the last ten years. She said when it started they were not eligible for the program, which they didn’t ask for. Shannon, who lives on Cara Lane, said there are only nine houses on her street, and they want to acquire three of them.
“The program is flawed. Why let it continue,” Shannon said. “You’re butchering our neighborhoods. It’s all chopped up. You’re devaluing homes, devaluing neighborhoods.”
Peter Morizio, who owns a home on Dry Bridge Road, said his house has been empty of its tenants for ten months now, waiting for a promised buyout.
Jane Verbeck, program manager for Wyle Engineers, said they do an appraisal of a home, and an offer is made to the homeowner. She said they just made two offers, one on North Road which was accepted, and one on Terra Lane which has not yet been accepted.
“We like to hear back in 30 days one way or another,” Verbeck said. She added that once the FAA approves the NCP, the money will be disbursed to the homeowners. She also said that Morizio’s home is one that was previously rated to be in the 70 decibel level, and is now at 65, but it previously qualified. She that Morizio has been very patient and “a perfect gentleman.”
Verbeck also stressed that the program is voluntary.
Ward 1 Councilor Mary Ann Babinski said the program needs clarification. She said the fact that it was not mandated, but something the Airport Commission chose to do was not clearly explained from the beginning.
“I have issues with public outreach,” Babinski said. “I thought the FAA mandates at a certain decibel rating.”
Verbeck said it is only mandated if a residence is in the runway protection zone (RPZ), and can then be taken by eminent domain.
“If an individual wants to pay for their own noise test, they should be allowed to,” said Onyski.
Verbeck said the FAA doesn’t disallow that, but they would have to bring it to the FAA.
“We won’t be doing noise mitigation for two years anyway, because we have to acquire the homes,” said Baker. “Then we’ll know if the F35s are coming here, and have to redo everything anyway.”
L&O member Mary O’Connell made a motion to place the report on file, which passed the Committee.
