Residents Mobilize for Last Stand Against Noisy RunwayExtension-Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport

Residents Mobilize for Last Stand Against Noisy Runway Extension
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, FL

Posted December 8 2003 

Selma Aronson fears the expansion of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International 
Airport will destroy the peaceful life she has enjoyed in her Davie mobile home 
park since she escaped the winter chill of Boston eight years ago.

She loves that Everglades Lakes is a tight-knit community where neighbors look 
out for one another, gather for dances, bingo and shuffleboard, and chat around 
the pool.
 
The 76-year-old retiree loathes the thought of the extra noise produced by a 
second major airport runway. Planes already disrupt her phone conversations and 
cover her patio with grime, but she does not want to leave for a new home.

"My heart would break for everyone in the neighborhood," Aronson said. "So many 
expected to spend the rest of their life there, and I don't know where we all 
would go."

Thousands of residents in Fort Lauderdale, Dania Beach and Davie will find 
their neighborhoods near the airport two to three times as noisy as a typical 
neighborhood. And when a plane is overhead within almost 2 miles of the end of 
the new runway, the decibel level will be the same as if a resident were 
standing next to a grinding garbage disposal.

>From Dania Beach's Melaleuca Gardens to Fort Lauderdale's Riverland area, 
>residents are mobilizing for a last stand this week, each against the 
>expansion alternative they think will harm their community the most. On 
>Tuesday, county commissioners are set to decide how long the new runway should 
>be and whether to build it north or south of the airport's terminals.

The airport has sought for a decade to extend the south runway from 5,276 feet 
to 8,920 feet so it can handle aircraft simultaneously with the main north 
runway. Alternatives under consideration are to lengthen that runway only to 
7,985 feet or to build a new 8,750-foot runway north of the main runway.

A south runway of any increased length would affect more residents than a 
second north runway, but a north runway would take an additional 10 years to 
build because planning would have to start from scratch. Almost 13,000 
residents would live in high-noise zones once a new south runway opened, while 
fewer than 8,000 people would be affected if the county chose a north runway.

Regardless of which plan is chosen, the county expects to spend between $45 
million and $85 million to buy or soundproof homes. The last time the county 
condemned land for the airport, costs skyrocketed. Juries often ordered 
officials to pay double their appraisals, and legal bills totaled millions of 
dollars.

County officials are looking at immediately raising passenger service charges 
from $3 to $4.50 per ticket to speed up the assistance rather than waiting for 
federal grant money.

"The commission is committed to taking all reasonable steps to mitigate the 
impact expansion will have on residents," County Mayor Ilene Lieberman said.

The Federal Aviation Administration is willing to buy or soundproof homes once 
the county proves aircraft noise in a neighborhood is higher than what it 
considers acceptable for a residential area -- an average of 65 decibels during 
a 24-hour period. That's three times as noisy as an average suburb.

But those residents account for only a small portion of people affected by 
expansion. For every resident in that 65-decibel area, five more live in 
neighborhoods where aircraft noise will average 60 decibels each day. That's 
twice as noisy as an average suburb -- too noisy for people's peace of mind, 
according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

County officials will attempt to help those residents as well, most likely with 
soundproofing.

On the waterfront

If the south runway is built, one of the most affected neighborhoods will be 
the 400-home Melaleuca Gardens along the Dania Cut-off Canal.

Half of the community across Stirling Road from the airport will be in the 
high-noise, 65-decibel zone. At one house near the entrance, a sign reads: "Is 
your house worth more than a Budget Airlines ticket?"

Some would rather put up with increased noise than lose their homes. Others 
fear they won't be able to afford waterfront property elsewhere even after they 
are compensated. Homes sell for about $300,000 and up, less than most 
waterfront property in Broward.

"Where else am I going to get waterfront property for these prices?" resident 
Chris Baird said.

This would be the second time retired surgical technician Verna Manrique could 
lose her home to airport expansion. She moved to Melaleuca Gardens 13 years ago 
after the airport went to court to seize her home off Ravenswood Road.

"They're land-grabbers," Manrique said.

Dania Beach has set aside $500,000 to fight the south runway, concerned it will 
lose $220 million of its tax base.

Most affected by any expansion will be Davie.

With a south runway, about 1,500 Davie residents would be in the high-noise, 
65-decibel zone and another 6,100 in the 60-decibel zone. A total of 4,700 
Davie residents would have to cope with more aircraft noise from a northern 
runway.

Those neighborhoods are between Davie Road and Florida's Turnpike and include 
low-income housing and mobile home parks populated by seniors. Noise would 
increase because planes would descend from the west over the area on their 
approach to the airport.

Bette Gibson moved to Davie six years to get away from the noise around Fort 
Lauderdale Executive Airport and is exasperated by what's happening. "I have a 
beautiful, quiet, friendly neighborhood, and I don't want to lose that," she 
said.

Figures questioned

Davie's Town Council has been surprised by the impact another runway will have 
and has decided to oppose any expansion. Council members think the county has 
low-balled the number of residents affected, missing trailer parks as well as 
apartments near Nova Southeastern University.

At odds with Davie and Dania Beach is Fort Lauderdale. Neighborhoods just north 
of Interstate 595 will be more affected by a second northern runway than by a 
southern runway.

More than 300 residents in the Edgewood area would be in the high-noise, 
65-decibel zone, with another 1,100 in the 60-decibel zone. Residents of the 
Riverland area argue they, too, will face more noise, even though county 
projections disagree.

Residents say they have long dealt with noise and pollution. They think a 
southern runway would better distribute the burden of the airport, and city 
officials vow to sue if the county decides to do otherwise.

Riverland area resident Judy Hunt said Federal Express planes landing from the 
west seem like they're coming into her bedroom. Lauderdale Isles resident Craig 
Canning can't talk on the phone if a plane is taking off to the west.

"We'll be getting hit from every possible, conceivable direction if they build 
parallel north runways rather than getting the break we thought we'd get," 
Canning said.

Cliff Iacino, president of the Edgewood Civic Association, sympathizes with 
Melaleuca Gardens because he used to live there. But he said the county has 
promised for 10 years to build the south runway.

"We feel extremely betrayed and disappointed," Iacino said. "This is being 
sprung on us when we thought it was settled long ago."
 
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