CommentsPERSPECTIVE--Valley Glen and NoHo, along with parts of Van Nuys, could be in for a rude awakening. Valley Village, would also be in the mix.
The only thing worse is a noisy rude awakening.
And that’s what the North Valley could experience if the residents of those communities do not get
involved in the Burbank Airport Noise Task Force process. Portions of these communities already absorb some of the noise.
The crux of the issue is a shift in departure flight paths to one nautical mile farther south. As a result, residents of Studio City and Sherman Oaks have been enduring more aircraft noise than ever before. That is unfortunate, but the alternative solutions offered by groups representing neighborhoods south of the 101 would push almost all of the traffic north of the freeway. They argue that they were not warned of the shift, and it is only appropriate for the north to bear the full burden of the noise because residents there knew there would be air traffic when they bought their homes.
They have reason to be upset, but we all live within Burbank Airport’s market. Many passengers come from all over the Valley. It is only fair that the noise be shared as much as possible over the broadest area: from Mullholland Drive up to the buffer zone for arrivals (arrivals come in from the west and follow Sherman Way).
Under the proposals demanded by Studio City and Sherman Oaks, flights would turn to the west soon after takeoff from Burbank (before crossing the 101), then parallel the freeway before fanning out over the North and Central Valley neighborhoods. That’s around 200 flights a day.
Missing at these meetings are air traffic controllers and pilots. They surely could shed some light on what’s happening. It would be better than relying on subjective claims about the FAA’s role.
There have been articles in the Los Angeles Times and Daily News covering the controversy, along with local TV news, but almost all of the content has been from the perspective of the southern neighborhoods, including the Hollywood Hills. There’s a good chance that many residents north of the 101 are unaware of what might be coming their way.
If you are asking why Council Member Paul Krekorian has not communicated this possible development to Valley Glen, Valley Village and NoHo, it is because he endorsed The Studio City/Sherman Oaks proposals even before the first public meeting was held back in August! Yes, before he heard from his constituents who would be on the receiving end of a shift to the north, he appeared in a video on the UpRoarLA web site and where he pledged his unequivocal support for their proposals.
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) stated back in March: “Communities in the San Fernando Valley deserve to be heard and have their concerns completely addressed.”
That is clearly not happening because most residents have been effectively excluded from the hearings.
At the conclusion of the November 6th Task Force meeting, I challenged Mr.Krekorian to state whether he planned to share the proposals with the northern part of his district. He replied, “They have you!”
The last time I checked, the Council Member is responsible for keeping all of his constituents informed, not just his southern base. I would be happy to handle it for him if he gave me half of his compensation.
I do not blame him for being upset with me – my articles have been critical of his handling of this matter – but politicians have an obligation to actively promote participation with their constituents. That can best be achieved by sharing critical information with all of them, especially when it involves quality of life issues. Apparently, Mr. Krekorian neither wants to face backlash from those who would be adversely affected, nor offend his base.
Valley Village Homeowners Association has reached out to its members, but Valley Village is the smallest community in CD2. NCVV also conducted outreach to its stakeholders, who largely overlap with VVHA’s population.
Our position has always been:
No one part of the East Valley should bear the full brunt of the noise; it should be shared by all areas south of the arrival path, without jeopardizing safety.
We support a cap on flights and penalties for airlines that flagrantly violate curfew hours.
The FAA should insist that the airlines transition to quieter engines over a reasonable time period.
This message was shared with Krekorian and Garcetti, along with Congressmen Sherman and Cardenas.
I encourage all constituents north of the 101 to attend this next task force meeting, which is scheduled for December 4 at the Burbank Airport Marriott, starting at 6:30PM and usually lasting until 9:30. Fill out a speaker card if you want to make a public comment.
If you want to have a say, you must participate!
(Paul Hatfield is a CPA and serves as President of the Valley Village Homeowners Association. He blogs at Village to Village and contributes to CityWatch. The views presented are those of Mr. Hatfield and his alone and do not represent the opinions of Valley Village Homeowners Association or CityWatch. He can be reached at: [email protected].)
-cw
