Northern Hills Homeowner's Association

Groups Battling over Airport Noise

Jun 27, 2000

The link to this story at the Express-News site is no longer valid, so we have added the story to our newsletter section.

Northwest: Groups battling over airport noise
(Last updated Tuesday, Apr 25, 2000)
By Chuck McCollough
Express-News Staff Writer
Two Northeast Side neighborhoods are conducting a loud war of words over noise coming from nearby San Antonio International Airport. Northern Hills, which is northeast of the airport, and Northwood, southeast of the aviation complex, are the main antagonists in the Airport Noise Abatement Plan. Northwood said the plan offers an opportunity for it to get relief from a majority of house-shaking airplane takeoffs.
Northern Hills said the plan takes Northwood's noise and "dumps" it on Northern Hills. Whatever the outcome of the Noise Abatement Plan, District 10 Councilman David Carpenter said residents of his district will only see more airline traffic and noise as the airport grows.
The airport is surrounded by District 9, represented by Tim Bannwolf, and Carpenter's district. A public hearing on the noise abatement plan will be held in June and the City Council will vote on the plan in July. After that it could take between six and 10 years for it to be implemented after review by the federal government and lengthy environmental studies, city officials said.
Despite the project's potential long time line, residents in Northern Hills and Northwood are as passionate and vocal about the airport noise plan as people for and against light rail. During an April 18 meeting of the Northern Hills Homeowners Association, nearly 200 people showed up for an explanation of the noise abatement plan.
Amanda O'Krongley with the city's airport noise mitigation office, discussed the plan but was constantly interrupted by the skeptical crowd which demanded to know why Northern Hills would get more airplane noise. When asked pointedly if Northern Hills would get more or less airplane takeoff noise under the noise abatement plan, she replied "that remains to be seen." Jay Cooper said he was angry about the airport noise plan.
"I think the noise from other neighborhoods is being dumped on Northern Hill. It is that simple," he said. "I lived near the airport for 16 years and takeoff noise was so loud you couldn't hear your TV. A year ago, we moved to Northern Hills because it doesn't have much airplane noise, and we like the houses out here," Cooper said during the meeting. "Now they have a plan to send the planes right over Northern Hills and my house. I just can't believe it," Cooper said.
Supporters of the airport noise plan, including Northwood neighborhood leaders, said if the plan is approved by the federal government, the noise level over Northern Hills will not be significantly louder. Les Hobgood vehemently disagrees. He is a Northern Hills resident and was the airport's noise abatement officer for 10 years, retiring recently.
"The plane noise I can hear when I'm out in my back yard is about the same as a car driving by. If the noise abatement plan passes, the noise level will be like a rock band next door," he said. The part of the noise abatement plan that is the bone of contention between neighborhoods deals with rerouting of some airliner takeoffs when possible.

cmcc@express-news.net
Tuesday, Apr 25, 2000