"Livermore airport will get five noise monitors"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

Livermore airport will get five noise monitors
Pleasanton will be asked to help pay for solar-powered devices
By Mike White
The Tri-Valley (CA) Herald


LIVERMORE - Airport neighbors worried about loud noises from jets and other
planes were relieved this week when the City Council approved installing
monitors at five locations.
 
Pilots were disappointed, however, when the council put off action on
building new hangars. Nearly 300 people, mostly Tri-Valley residents, are on
the waiting list for a hangar at Livermore Municipal Airport. 

The council voted unanimously on Monday to seek bids for five solar-powered
monitors at an estimated cost of up to $170,000. One of the monitors would
be located at the airport, two east of the airport within Livermore and two
others in Pleasanton, west of the airport. The city will seek financial help
from Pleasanton for the two monitors in that city. 

Livermore also anticipates hiring a part-time employee to administer the
noise monitoring equipment at an estimated cost of $45,000. 

Airport neighbors expressed support for the noise monitors and opposed
actions that could bring additional planes to Livermore, including the
construction of new large hangars. 

Pilots said after the hearing they were disappointed with the council's
action. Jay Cotton, a Livermore resident and an organizer for Coalition for
Livermore Airport, said monitors are a waste of time. 

"They will show what we already know - that there is not a noise problem at
the Livermore airport," Cotton said. 

Nevertheless, there is optimism by some pilots that once the city makes
progress on the noise-monitoring issue, they will return to the idea of
building new hangars at the airport. There has been no new hangar
construction since 1986, despite 208 people on the waiting list for small
hangars and 64 hoping for larger hangars.
 
A report prepared for Monday's meeting said building 62 smaller hangars
would cost $1.8 million and 19 larger ones would run $2.9 million. 

The hearing on Monday was the second related to airport noise since
February, when the council voted to disband work on the airport master plan
update and focus instead on reducing noise. 

The master plan had projected an increase in flights of 44 percent over the
next 20 years. 

In other action, the council also agreed to rescind development approvals
for CrossWinds Church, which was hoping to build a new facility on land near
the El Charro exit off of Interstate 580. The church asked for the council
to rescind the approvals because a neighboring quarry had filed suit,
alleging that issues related to truck traffic had not been adequately
reviewed.


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