Northern Hills Homeowner's Association

Countdown to Coker (October 24th)

Reasons Why Air Traffic Should NOT Be Redirected

You know, the FAA does number counts. At the first meetings (the ones where we did not think airport noise would
concern us), Northwood had over 100 speakers make comments about noise in Northwood. I think that if more Northern Hills people showed up at this hearing, our numbers would defeat the issue. And the issues we have are not just noise issues.
What do you think?
Here are just some of the reasons that make this proposal wrong.

(1) Air Pollution
Now, here is something to think about next time you hear that the TNRCC
has announced an "Ozone Action Day" for San Antonio. It is an article about Ozone Action Days at O'Hare, but the same principles apply.

A sample (from Chicago)...
"Today, and for the next few days Ozone Action Alert Days, the public is
urged to cut back on their activities, almost unjustly, and urged not to
even mow their lawns. Yet, just one 747 aircraft take-off is equivalent
to operating four state's worth of lawnmowers for 20 minutes (2.4
million lawnmowers)."

Maybe, every time we have an Ozone Action Day in San Antonio, we should call for the reduction of one flight out of San Antonio! It would reduce more pollution than having the people who going to mow their lawns stop mowing for a day.

This would be a good question to bring up at the public hearing to be held
October 24th at Coker United Methodist Church.

Where: Coker United Methodist Church
When: October 24th, 4p.m. to 7.p.m.

(2) Quality of Life

Quality of life issues are the effects on outdoor recreation.

I know that being "so far" away from the runway, we are told that the
planes will be high enough not to matter. We are out of the 65dNL Noise Contour. That is because they use
noise averages as the basis for their statements. I was at a garage
sale a few weeks ago on a street in Eden and when a 737 flew over. I
know that all activity stopped and everyone looked to the sky. (I
guess it's just to make sure it was still headed UP!). Having a plane
buzz Northern Hills at that loudness and altitude several times a day
would make any outdoor activity less enjoyable. And for all you golfers, try getting off a good putt with a 737 coming at you. Never had to contend with that before. Why should you now?

The reason I bought in Northern Hills instead of Eden was to AVOID air traffic. Why should my quality of life suffer? Who would benefit?

What do you think?

Form your own opinion on quality of life, and bring it to the public
hearing at:
Coker United Methodist Church.
October 24th. 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

(3) Effects on Schools, Churches, and Retirement Homes

Channel 12 news showed Northwood Presbyterian Church in a story about the noise abatement issue. The story led the viewer to believe that sound insulation was the only solution being offered to the citizens of San Antonio. The story did not mention the redistribution of the flight tracks to Northern Hills. The story focused on the fact that the sound insulation that was done on the church helps to keep the noise out during services. "You can still hear the planes, but at least we can continue talking" is what the minister was saying to the interviewer.
The sound insulation was paid for by the FAA because the church was within the 65 dNL Contour.


Now, if the planes are redirected over Northern Hills, they will also be
very loud in the churches along Higgins Road, and in the area that seems
to be cropping up little churches everywhere, the area between Higgins
Road and O'Connor Road. These poor churches won't be eligible for funding, because they will fall outside the 65dNL noise contours. The best they can do is pray for a strong Southeast wind every Sunday morning, or they will have to tolerate a flyover about every five minutes.

If you have attended a funeral service at Sunset on Austin Highway, you will be able to know what to expect in these churches. They are not in the 65dNL contour, yet services must be interrupted several times to allow the plane to finish flying over.

Also, the day care center at the apartment complex, Madison High School,
and Northern Hills Elementary will have all those flights overhead everyday, and will also not be eligible for noise insulation funding.

The Waterford is the new retirement home at Bulverde (Scarsdale) and
Thousand Oaks. Check the Map.
I have attached as a jpg. They will be about 25 yards away from the 65dNL line. It's seems funny how just enough of those planes headed west just in the nick of time.

I can hear it now, "Government assistance for noise abatement? Too bad. Not in the 65 dNL Contour. Sorry. Better luck next time."

Nobody in Northern Hills will qualify for assistance with sound proofing, except for the Apartments on Thousand Oaks. Cost to insulate the average home is about $25,000.00. Are you ready to spend another 25K to live here?

Does this seem odd, or strange, or just a bit not quite what it should be? Then go to the Coker United Methodist Church, and tell the people about it. Our numbers will count, believe me.
Tuesday, October 24th. 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. See you there.

(4) Accuracy of Input Data

It is my understanding that when Ricondo began to take noise
measurements, some of the equipment was not working correctly. Then it
started raining, and they turned off the equipment. If the noise levels
represent the Annual noise levels, and rain causes aircraft noise to be
louder, then why would they turn off the equipment?
How can they give us projections for sound levels in the year 2004 when
they only have sound level measurements from 4 days.
If they used more days, and I am in error, I will happily mail the
correct figures.
Don't allow these "experts" to "guess" where sound levels will fall.
Demand to see the data that created the sound contour maps.
Have more to add? We hope so.

Show up at Coker United Methodist Church.
Tuesday, October 24th, 4p.m. to 7 p.m.

(5) Home Property Values will decline

There have been many published reports around the nation that show that being in the flight track reduces property values. Having the tracks moved to Northern Hills will reduce our property values. No one can tell how much, but you can bet that property values will decrease for Northern Hills and the surrounding communities. You can also bet that if the primary runway is changed to 3/21 then the property values for Eden, Oak Ridge, and Communities in the current path will decrease with the increased number of flights.
Discussions lead us to believe that the FAA would not approve "moving" the noise from Northwood (south of 410) to Eden, so that is why they are trying to maneuver the flights east of Wetmore Road.

Don't let your primary investment go down in value to satisfy the ego of
a City Council that is trying to turn San Antonio into a Houston. Save your property value by going to Coker United Methodist Church and speaking up!
When: October 24th, 4 p.m. to 7. p.m.

(6) Effects on Businesses
I was getting my oil changed yesterday on Nacogdoches Road (where Perrin-Beitel turns into Nacogdoches above Thousand Oaks), and the attendant asked me, "Why do you have those "No airplane stickers" taped to your back window?" I told him that the City wants to redirect air traffic over the cement plan, which will bring the air traffic about a mile or so closer. "That would not be very good for all these businesses." I commended him on his observance, and gave him a brochure.
The businesses that will really feel this are the Luby's and the Frost
Bank and the Bowling Lanes, and all the shops in the business center on Thousand Oaks. They will be in the "64.5" dNL contour, and of course ineligible for noise insulation assistance.
The apartments towards Wetmore Road will have the assistance for noise
insulation, but remember, the city has just now made private homes eligible, and are testing noise insulation in Northwood. The 75dNL contours will get insulation first. It could be decades before the apartments get sound relief.

Sound like a bad plan? Have more to add? I hope so.
Bring your comments to:
Coker United Methodist Church
Tuesday October 24th, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

(7) Is this a Fair Plan?
I think I know why we are in the mess we are in. By making runway 3/21
the primary runway, the number of flights heading over Stone Ridge, Oak
Ridge and Eden will increase, thereby causing the "noise contour" to
grow further, and affecting more homes than are currently affected in
Northwood. The FAA would not allow the noise to be "moved" from one
NOISE SENSITIVE area to another NOISE SENSITIVE area. I know this
sounds picky, but I suspect that since Northern Hills was not previously
considered NOISE SENSITIVE, and they were able to tweak the data to
reduce the noise contour map to stop at the edge of the golf course,
they can now show a reduction in number of people in the "bad noise"
areas. Remember, they are projecting air traffic for 2004, using data
collected on 4 days. They use this to compute the AVERAGE Day/Night
noise levels (dNL). It is because they use noise averaging instead of
single event noise measurements that they can get away with this unjust
plan. Can they tell me how many 737's per day the 2004 contours
represent?

Below is a short clip from the letter to the FAA by Jack Soporito, who
is president of the US-Citizens Aviation Watch Association /
www.us-caw.org . The full letter can be found in our newsletter
section, under the title "Let's Change The FAA Noise Abatement Policy".

"Many critics of aircraft noise and the scientific community have raised
serious objections to the use of averaging when addressing the aircraft
noise problem. One individual has suggested averaging distorts the real
nature of noise events with the analogy: "Dropping a feather on
someone's head every minute for one hour, followed by a large brick
would result in the conclusion that, on average, the total impact is
equal to dropping a ping pong ball every minute for one hour."
Averaging hides the true impact of noise on individuals. The FAA has
unjustifiably accepted the 65 dBA DNL as the standard for determining
"significant" noise impact. In reality, substantial impacts occur to
millions of people well below the 65 decibel level. The 65 DNL standard
is inadequate for many reasons."

Please read the full statement of his letter, because it addresses this
unfair way to measure noise much better than I can.

Want to say more about the fairness of this plan? I hope so.
Be at Coker United Methodist Church.
Tuesday, October 24th. 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Instructions on "How to get to the Church on time" will be posted on
Monday.

(8) Is this plan Safe?

No. Here is why:
1) A 15-degree turn causes the flight path to be over the cement plant. But we are on the other side of the cement plant. The proposed noise contour map shows that the “bad noise” stops at the edge of the Northern Hills Golf Course. How? They have widened the ''estimated'' flight path in order to make the average sound lower, thus reducing the 65dNL noise levels. But, remember, single event noise will still reach 85 to 90 decibles for more people in Northern Hills than it did for people in Eden.

2) Asking all pilots to turn 15 degrees to the east, then to turn back to the left after crossing Wetmore road would make this a difficult task for any pilot. On takeoff, their nose is up, and they won’t be able to see where Wetmore Road is.

3) It is a SAFETY Issue.
Having all traffic diverted 15 degrees causes a dangerous condition. Air Traffic controllers will tell you that it is standard procedure to have slower traffic turn out both right and left, and the faster traffic go straight. Making all aircraft go 15 degrees to the right, will mean that they will have to either time the take-off traffic further apart, or change all take-off schedules. This will cause unnecessary delays in take-offs and could also cause a fast plane to overtake - or even collide with a slower plane. This take-off procedure would be an issue to any traveller leaving San Antonio.

4) The current airport system will serve San Antonio for many years to come safely and without wasteful runway extensions and aircraft diversions. There are better, quieter planes, such as the 757 that will reduce the noise just fine, and carry a lot more people on less fuel. They will be in use by more airlines in the years to come.

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