"Good communication must take wing on airport issues"

Monday, November 26, 2007

Our View
Good communication must take wing on airport issues
Today's Topic: A crowd roars in the air
The Tennessean


As the Nashville Airport Authority deals with the ramifications of the paths
planes take when they leave the ground, the highest priority has to be
safety. But officials should know that if noise from planes dramatically
affects neighborhoods, they will certainly hear from those neighbors.

An airplane noise issue in Nashville is shaping up as a classic case of the
need to communicate with nearby residents to explain why procedures are
chosen and make sure anyone affected by the decisions gets to have their
say.

Flight paths from takeoff at Nashville International Airport have become a
topic of intense discussion recently, and many aspects of future takeoffs
still seem uncertain. This summer, changes at the airport caused flight
paths to be adjusted, sending planes over east Nashville, a move that, shall
we say, woke up the neighbors. East Nashville residents flooded the airport
with complaints. Explanations were offered that had to do with keeping
planes away from downtown structures. When subsequent changes followed, east
Nashville did seem to get a reprieve.

Nestled within the debate has been the matter of a proposed Nashville
skyscraper, the Signature Tower, a residential and hotel building planned at
70 stories high - 1,057 feet - and deemed a presumed hazard by the Federal
Aviation Administration. Developer Tony Giarratana has vowed to move ahead
with his plans, which have been approved by the Metro Council and Planning
Commission. Giarratana has said the Nashville Airport Authority has vowed to
support his plans and look for ways to make sure flight patterns don't
conflict with the building. The authority sent a letter to Metro codes in
September saying it planned to make whatever changes are necessary to be
sure FAA regulations are met prior to the building's completion.

Nevertheless, the FAA filed a notice in October that the tower needs to be
reduced in height to reduce the hazard. The Signature Tower would be about
four and a half miles from the end of Runway 31 at Nashville International
Airport and four miles from Cornelia Fort Airpark. The FAA determined in
February that the tower would be a hazard, a finding reinforced by a study
in August. The FAA can't force the builder's hand, but it has been noted
that insurance companies and other agencies might have something to say
about the matter. Airport officials point to standards regarding existing
buildings, as well as recent runway construction, to account for the recent
flight changes. A runway closed for improvements is expected to reopen in
December.

Nashville should be excited over the prospects of the Signature Tower, and
the need for planes to avoid it or the existing skyline should be obvious to
anyone. But if neighborhoods begin to get more airplane noise, airport
officials need good explanations ready. It is equally obvious that the
airport has a dramatically positive economic impact on the region, but
economic gains might not impress the people adversely affected by noise.

With careful planning, concerns can be eased. But it's clear that growth in
the city and growth in air traffic present an inherent problem that is not
unique to Nashville. These issues are emerging across the country.

Federal officials need to recognize those issues and push forward with all
technological advances that can smooth any friction between travel centers
and nearby residents. Federal references to research seeking quieter
airplanes look like a good place to start.


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