SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) – Residents living near Lindbergh Field are fighting for their quality of life.
Tensions ran high Wednesday night during the Airport Noise Advisory Committee meeting as Point Loma residents voiced their concerns and frustrations over the proposed FAA flight path changes.
Residents’ concerns ranged from excessive noise to potential health impacts to decreased property values.
"They're not really listening to us,” said a resident.
The FAA had previously stated that the proposed flight path changes over the Point Loma area have not been enacted, but residents are not buying their claims.
“It’s just louder and the quality of life has just diminished tremendously,” said another Point Loma resident.
Residents contend that more and more planes are taking off directly over their homes since last September.
The Airport Authority contends that on average, measured noise levels in the area are not significantly higher.
Another major problem homeowners are facing is the value of their properties.
“Our values are all going to go in the toilet, and the city is going to lose a lot of revenue in tax money when that happens,” said a Point Loma resident.
At Wednesday night’s meeting, Congressman Scott Peters said he earlier with the FAA and specifically referred a 20-year-old pact known as the “Red Dot” agreement.
The agreement is supposed to specifically direct flights as they depart to mitigate the amount of noise residents are exposed to.
“The FAA has told me that there has been some misunderstanding, that that agreement had fallen by the wayside, but they are going to observe it,” said Congressman Peters.
Further, Peters said the FAA failed to explain to its Line Air Traffic controllers that no matter what the altitude of a flight, that agreement [“Red Dot”] must be observed. According to Peters, that has now been rectified.
According to the FAA, the proposed flight path changes are still under consideration. The flight path changes would save millions in jet fuel and cut down carbon emissions the FAA said.
Story and video: http://www.cbs8.com
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