R-24 Correspondence – Corliss Lee
From: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2023 12:31 AM
To: Council District 1 <[email protected]>; Council District 2 <[email protected]>; [email protected]; Council District 4 <[email protected]>; Council District 3 <[email protected]>; Council District 6 <[email protected]>; Council District 7 <[email protected]>; Council District 8 <[email protected]>; Council District 9 <[email protected]>; [email protected]; Linda Tatum <[email protected]>; CityClerk <[email protected]>; City Manager <[email protected]> Cc: [email protected]
Subject: LB Council 09-12-2023 item 24 - Small aircraft are buzz-bombing our neighborhoods
-EXTERNAL-
Councilmembers,
I attended Councilwoman Kerr's district 5 meeting at Wardlow Park last week and was surprised to see the number of residents that showed up carrying signs protesting the impacts of general aviation small planes in their neighborhoods. The complaints mainly revolved around noise impacts and leaded gas emissions.
I'm sure they appreciate that Councilwoman Kerr agendized this item. What they requested was prompt action.
Listening to the discussion, I had a few questions.
• We have a noise ordinance that has been in effect for years. Are we enforcing it? • Are the noise receptors used to measure the noise not working? • Isn't there a process in place to deal with those that violate the ordinance? I know the larger airlines are assessed penalties for violating the ordinance. Can the general aviation businesses that are causing the problem also be assessed penalties?
• Do we need additional rules for the small planes? Can the air traffic controller restrict the number of small planes or the intervals between flights doing take off and landing?
• Is it possible to route some of the small aircraft traffic over areas that are not residential, at least for some portion of the day?
• What can be done to encourage/incentivize the flight schools to use unleaded gas?
The staff report makes some assumptions that are questionable. • "As a result of the pandemic, work and life patterns changed. Many residents began working from home who had not done so before and spent more time in their homes." We can't blame the lack of noise ordinance enforcement on the pandemic.
• "Adding to these pattern changes, ongoing runway construction at LGB has significantly impacted the take-off and landing patterns of both commercial and general aviation." I know the runway construction disturbed the residences on the eastside of the airport. Was work on the runways negatively impacting the westside of the airport as well?
• Can money from penalties be allocated to install double-paned windows for homes under the flight path? Where does the money go now? I hope the general aviation businesses at our airport have the intention of being good neighbors and resolving these problems. Excessive noise is a torment. Uncontrolled emissions can cause cancer. The stakes are high for the residences under the flight path.
I hope a communication plan is developed for this topic that includes meetings with the residents as well as regular email statusing what meetings are taking place and what is being done. The attendees at the 5th district meeting indicated that they needed more connection and responsiveness.
Corliss Lee
Eastside Voice
(714) 401 7063
REF:
Agenda item 24. 23-1048
https://longbeach.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=12267818&GUID=01108832-AEF4- 48FE-9F96-2EEDA5F4710F
Recommendation to request City Manager to work with the Long Beach Airport and relevant City of Long Beach departments to report back to the City Council with a comprehensive report detailing the operations of general aviation at LGB, its ties with
the City, the Federal Aviation Administration, and privately-owned flight schools, within the next 45 days