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Westfield airport neighbors share thoughts on noise reduction

Date: 2/8/2023

WESTFIELD — Residents living near Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport gave their own input on Feb. 1 into the most recent draft of the Noise Compatibility Program, as airport administrators shift their noise mitigation strategy from property acquisition to the soundproofing of eligible homes and modifications to takeoff and landing procedures.

Airport Director Chris Willenborg said that this iteration of the Noise Compatibility Program is based on a noise contour map developed for the airport in 2019. It would be the first update to the program since 2015. The contour map outlines how far noise from the airport travels, and how many decibels are detected at each location.

When the compatibility program is updated, Willenborg said the idea is to change that map.

“Want to move the contour so that [noise] does not affect certain areas, that itself is a noise abatement measure,” said Willenborg.

A noise abatement measure is a step taken to reduce the impact of noise from the source of the noise itself, like the F-15C fighter jet fleet at Barnes. The goal is to keep the average noise level below 65 decibels, which is the equivalent of a noisy urban residential area.

This includes changes to takeoff and landing procedures, like limiting them to certain runways in certain directions, and enacting “high initial approach” procedures that limit how loud aircraft noise is when it reaches the ground.

Diane Carter, an aircraft noise consultant from the Jones Payne Group, said that there are some property acquisition recommendations in this draft of the plan, but they will be limited in comparison to the previous plan.

“We kept acquisition of properties in the recommendation because there are a couple properties where, if the homeowner wanted to sell, it would be beneficial for the airport to have,” said Carter.

One example she gave was the Arbor Mobile Home Park on Klondike Avenue, which she said the airport could purchase if the owners were willing to sell.

One focus will continue to be funding to provide homes near the airport with better sound insulating windows and doors. After an inquiry from one resident who said they had been next in line for new sound insulation in their home, Willenborg said that the priority would be to address the homes with the greatest sound impact first.

Another recommendation was for the reestablishment of the Noise Mitigation Advisory Committee, which had existed once but became inactive.

Willenborg noted that if the 104th Air Wing of the Air National Guard is chosen to receive an upgrade to its aging F-15C fleet, a new noise contour map would have to be created to reflect noise generated by the new aircraft. The 104th is in consideration to receive either the F-35A or the F-15EX as an upgrade. In the meantime, Willenborg said the airport will continue using the map from 2019.

“Until a fighter decision is made, we can’t do the new noise exposure map,” said Willenborg. “It is an expensive process to update the map and we need FAA funding.”

Since 2018, Willenborg said there has been a 20 percent increase in aircraft operations at the airport. He said that 89 percent of all aircraft operations at Barnes are civilian, while 11 percent are military.

Former City Councilor Mary Ann Babinski said during the public comment session that she was disappointed the hearing wasn’t better attended.

“I am concerned that people are not here because they feel resigned to living this way,” said Babinski, referring to other residents near Barnes complaining of house-shaking levels of noise from aircraft.

At-large City Councilor Kristen Mello responded to a statement Willenborg made during the hearing that the noise contour map is generated using software, rather than by physically measuring the noise generated from fighter jets and civilian planes.

Mello said that she would like the airport to look into whether planes have been making approaches from the air that go against the policies outlined in the Noise Compatibility Program, and suggested that the noise contour map should be calculated from measurements on the ground.

“I understand that computer models are the way things are done, but there is no replacement for actual data,” said Mello, who then suggested that the noise should be physically measured at the most affected homes near Barnes.

Other speakers said they have heard planes coming in for landings from the south, but had been told in the past that pilots were not supposed to approach from that direction, to reduce the noise impact on neighboring homes.

An online copy of the Noise Compatibility Program draft report can be found at bit.ly/rp14cp. Further written comments on the draft document can be submitted to Brianna Whiteman at bwhiteman@jonespayne.com by 5 p.m. on Feb. 17.