Did they have to write "launched"?
The model #'s on aircraft 777, 320 etc represent decibels emitted by the
craft or perceived by those under flight (fright) paths?=A0=A0
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Article Launched: 3/15/2006 12:00 AMResidents bring the noise to
councilPanel agrees to study fines for late flights after hearing
recorded noise.By Jenny Marder, Staff writer
Long Beach Press TelegramLONG BEACH =97 As the planes flew over the City
Council meeting, Councilwoman Jackie Kell held her hands over her ears
and winced.
These weren't actual planes, but a series of flights recorded by
resident Larry Mebust from his patio: A small aircraft at 84 decibels, a
regional jet at 96 decibels and finally an Airbus 320 passenger jet at
96 decibels.
"We want you to understand what all of these residents have to
experience every night,"
Councilwoman Rae Gabelich said, adding, "The point being made here is if
you're sleeping in your bed or if your children are sound asleep and
that goes over your head, you're not going to be able to enjoy the
solitude of your home."
The City Council on Tuesday took steps toward a measure that backers say
would give more teeth to a noise ordinance that regulates flights at
Long Beach Air****t.
In a 7-0 vote, they directed the city attorney to return at a later
meeting with a re****t on the average costs of fines at other Southern
California air****ts.
"My request is to ask the city attorney to come up with what is a fair
and equitable amount of fine levels we can charge based on what other
cities charge," Gabelich said.
Armed with that information, the council will vote on a new fine
structure for noise violations by planes that land or take off between
10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Guidelines will also be set for what constitutes an
"unanticipated delay" in flights and the city's lease with aircraft
operators revised so that "willful failure" to follow the noise
ordinance restrictions on late-night flights could result in suspension
or termination of air****t privileges.
"We need more detail and we need a remedy for the community,"
Councilwoman Tonia Reyes Uranga said.
According to a city re****t, there were 292 noise violations in 2005,
with 69 involving commercial passenger jets or cargo operators. Between
September 2005 and January 2006, there were 99 noise violations between
10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Also, 239 flights in 2005 that landed or took off
between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. were determined to be unanticipated delays,
and had their violations waived.
In a letter to the mayor and the City Council, Curt Castagna, chair of
the Air****t Noise Abatement Committee at the air****t, said that those
violations only represented 1 percent of total flights last year at the
air****t.
Also, attempts to change the ordinance could expose the city to losing
local control over noise and the number of flights at the air****t, he
added in the letter.
Discussion also touched on whether the city's Air****t Advisory
Commission would be included as the council works to draft the policy.
"They are an appointed body," Richardson pointed out. "Are we planning
on giving them on op****tunity to respond?"
Gabelich said that the decision-making process was the responsibility of
the council, not the commission.
"We are the policy-setting body of this city," she said.
Residents at the meeting applauded the council's efforts to control
late-night flights.
"It's not so much that we're woken up with the noise," Joe Mello said.
"It's the anger we feel knowing this is not supposed to happen."
And Jan Sampson, who lives in the 4th District, directly under the
flight path, said noise has become so bad, she's on the verge of moving.
But she said the council's action was encouraging.
"It's feels like we're finally making some progress," she said. "I'm
just so thrilled."
Both said that the recording didn't do justice to the noise.
"Oh, it's much louder than that," Sampson said.
Jenny Marder can be reached at jenny.marder@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
or (562)
499-1278.
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