MINNEAPOLIS - Jason Stone thought he was getting away from airport noise when he moved into Nokomis East two years ago.
"We literally moved from the other side of the lake, getting out of the well established traffic pattern into an area where you still know the airport is there but you know what to expect," Stone said.
What he didn't expect was the traffic pattern to change. Stone said he and other neighbors noticed an increase in airplane noise in their neighborhood about four months but they didn't know why. Turns out the Federal Aviation Administration changed the traffic pattern and are now routing planes right over Stone's new house.
Elizabeth Isham Cory, a spokesperson for the FAA, said they are routing more departures over the neighborhood as a safety precaution after two planes almost collided last year.
Since the change airplane traffic in South Minneapolis has increased from 14,660 flights last year to 19,488 this year-that's almost a 33 percent increase, according to Metropolitan Airports Commission spokesperson Pat Hogan. Hogan said they are aware of the noise complaints but there is nothing MAC can do about it because the FAA controls the runways and air traffic.
However, Stone and fellow neighbors said they aren't giving up until they can get some peace and quiet. Council Member Sandy Colvin Roy will be joining the neighborhood in their fight. Colvin Roy said she wants answers about the increase in noise.
Stone said he expects about 100 neighbors to show up at MAC's public meeting Tuesday. He said even though MAC says they can't do anything he believes being heard is the first step toward a solution.
The Metropolitan Airports Commission Public Input meeting will be held Tuesday, October 25 at 7pm at the MAC general offices at 6040 28th Avenue South, Minneapolis.
No comments:
Post a Comment