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Interim director talks to Santa Barbara City Council DAVE MASON/NEWS-PRESS“I know people in the area say they are impacted by noise, even me,” Santa Barbara Interim Airport Director Brian D’Amour, right, told the Santa Barbara City Council Tuesday.
The Santa Barbara City Council heard staff reports Tuesday about planned capital improvements for the Santa Barbara Airport.
But much of the discussion by staff and council members centered on the increasing number of complaints about noise coming from the airport.
Interim Airport Director Brian D’Amour confirmed that the number of noise complaints have increased over the past few years, adding that those complaints account for 10% to 15% of total complaints.
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESSThe Santa Barbara Airport has seen an increase in the number of complaints about airport-related noise.While the airport has not found any nearby land uses that are incompatible with the level of SBA-generated noise, Mr. D’Amour said he nevertheless understands residents’ concerns.
“I know people in the area say they are impacted by noise, even me,” he said, noting that he often hears planes late at night in the middle of his house, even with the windows closed.
Mr. D’Amour noted that noise complaints almost alway increase during the summer when the airport conducts more operations, and nearby residents are outside their homes or leave their windows open. “There’s a definite seasonality to it,” he said.
KENNETH SONG/NEWS-PRESSA Southwest Airlines jet rolls into the Santa Barbara Airport. The airport staff is working on a capital improvement program.He said SBA studies, which have been validated, show the level of local airport-generated noise does not exceed the minimum threshold established by the Federal Aviation Authority to qualify the airport for federal funding to mitigate those noise impacts.
Mr. D’Amour said the airport continues to log complaints as they are filed.
And there are complaints.
Residents speaking during Tuesday’s public comment session ramped up their own noise levels, complaining about low-flying aircraft and noisy planes leaving the airport at night that are so loud that they actually wake them up at night.
DAVE MASON/NEWS-PRESSSanta Barbara City Councilmember Eric Friedman suggested Tuesday that the Santa Barbara Airport press the FAA to lower their minimum noise standards so that the area can qualify for funding to reduce noise levels.Councilmember Eric Friedman suggested that the SBA, bolstered by community input, press the FAA to lower their minimum noise standards so that the area can qualify for funding to reduce noise levels.
Councilmember Kristen Sneddon said something needs to be done about the flight paths, because a lot of people have noticed a lot of larger, lower-flying planes in the foothills.
“People are noticing loud flights in places they’re just not used to,” she said.
Mr. D’Amour said flight paths are used by pilots at their own discretion.
Councilmember Friedman questioned whether the airport can do anything to move the choice of flight paths away from residential neighborhoods and out over the ocean, but Mr. D’Amour said those decisions are up to the FAA.
“You can try to thread the needle, but usually you move away from one residential neighborhood only to affect another,” he said.
As for the “robust” airport capital improvement program, staff said it will focus on terminal expansion and parking structure, taxiway H extension, general western aero hangars, fixed base operator redevelopment, airfield marking, signage and updated lighting, southfield redevelopment and taxiway G M and J rehabilitation.
These were outlined in the 2017 environment impact report, staff said, and most are very early in the process, so there’s plenty of opportunity for public outreach sessions.
Staff said the Master Plan update is the biggest thing kicking off right now, a process that will continue through 2023, and affect the airport for the next 10 to 20 years.
email: nhartstein@newspress.com
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