Northern Hills Homeowner's Association

Bonnie Connor Responds...

Jun 06, 2000

Thanks for contacting me concerning the airport. I appreciate your concerns
and views. This is what I know...

According to the information available to me, the Planning Department sent more than 200 letters out to promote community involvement. [The Northern Hills HOA was offered a spot on the Technical Advisory Committee and declined.] This all transpired during Jeff Webster's term which was some time ago. This is obviously not a new item and an issue being reviewed for
some time now.

The study I believe you are referencing is one going to Council for a vote to send the study to the FFA. Once the FFA has it, they will do their own studies and evaluation. The whole process is estimated to take a long time to complete and then again be brought before Council in about 8 years.

One of the recommendations in the San Antonio study is to extend the runway, which will require an environmental statement. This will also extend the time before possibly impacting the community. So, as you can see, we are talking about a long, involved and time consuming process, not one in the immediate future.

In the immediate future however, Policy and Planning will be reviewing plane contracts to limit building to Stage 3 Manufacturing Planes (Quiet planes.) This will help in the current level of noise given the planes will be
quieter.

I appreciate your concern over home value. As a homeowner and a retired teacher, I understand your concerns. Hope all of this information is useful and addresses some of your concerns. Thanks for contacting me and being an
advocate in our community.

Regards

Bonnie
Bonnie J. Conner
Councilwoman, District 8
San Antonio, TX
207-7086 - Office
207-7027 - FAX
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Dear Councilwoman Conner,

Thank you for replying to my father-in-law concerning this important issue. This form letter left me with a few concerns/questions that I would appreciate responses from you; as well as from Mayor Peak, Councilman Carpenter and the other Councilpeople. In this letter (see below), it states that the FFA will be sent the airport noise study and will then have to conduct studies of their own. It concerns me that the Future Farmer's of America would be involved in this issue. I certainly hope this was a typo
and not reality or we are definitely in trouble! Most responses from City Council thus far have been that we should not worry about this issue as it will take years to become a reality. Let me ask you, if the value of your home was being jeopardized, would you sit back and take that as an answer? I do not think it is too much to ask for a straight answer about what each Councilperson's opinion is on this topic. We should expect nothing less from our City Council and if we did that would not say much for the City or the Mayor.

Northern Hills was given an opportunity to attend a meeting about this when it first came up, however, NH has never been considered an area to have aircraft noise issues. We passed on the invitation so that a representative from an area already affected by the noise could be involved. Little did we know that they would try to push the noise our way.

The neighborhoods already affected have Federal grants available to them for acoustical treatment. NH does not. We are considered outside the Noise Contour and will have to treat our own home with our own money even after our property value has declined. The now affected homes have this issue already figured in to the value of each home. The residents of those homes chose to
buy there after the airport was in place and with the noise as it is currently.

This is a very unfair proposal and by other estimates I have seen will not take the eight years you attest to in your letter. I am concerned that this issue can be sloughed off by stating it will take a long time to complete. By this response, are we, as residents of NH, supposed to interpret this as we have eight years to unload our property or hope that something will fall through in those years?

I would like to know your opinion about this proposal and how you will vote. I think this is a fair question and would appreciate a response.

Thank you for your time,

Mitchell and Amanda Way
Northern Hills residents

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Dear Michael and Amanda,

First, thank you for your thoughtful response. Your concerns and views are appreciated as I value what everyone has to say on any issue.

Secondly, thanks again for pointing out the typo...oops!!

I cannot answer what my vote will be until all the data is in and I have reviewed it. As the supposed timeline indicates, this will be in the tenure of another councilperson. I wish not, but this is the reality of these types of studies.

And no, I am not intimating anyone has 8 years to sell their home. This is the information availble to me at this time. I cannot change the process for the study but must wait for the FAA to do their review.

Thanks again for contacting me. Please do so in the future if I can be of assistance.

Regards

Bonnie