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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 03051996 - C8 I G TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FROM: J. MICHAEL WALFORD, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR DATE: March 5, 1996 SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF ANNUAL NOISE COMPLAINT SUMMARY REPORT FOR BUCHANAN FIELD AIRPORT, CONCORD AREA. SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)&•BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION I. Recommended Action: ACCEPT annual noise complaint summary report from the Public Works Director for Buchanan Field Airport. II. Financial Impact: None. III. Reasons for Recommendations and Background: The purpose of this report is to provide a summary for the Board of Supervisors on noise complaints related to operations at Buchanan Field Airport during calendar year 1995. This report provides a brief over view of the noise complaint handling process. The summary of complaint activities is also compared to trends in 1993 and 1994. AIRPORT NOISE AND COMPLAINT MONITORING PROCESS Buchanan Field Airport uses a custom built TRACOR airport noise monitoring system for responding to noise complaints,for evaluating compliance with recommended noise abatement procedures, and for determining the overall aircraft and community noise levels. The data collection comes from eight(8)fixed monitoring stations surrounding the Airport at various locations. These sites are linked via telephone line to a central computer located at the Manager of Airports' Office. These stations monitor both aviation and non-aviation noise 24 hours a day and provide detailed reports of noise events, as well as recording FAA Control Tower and aircraft radio transmissions. The noise monitoring system can provide noise level data for individual aircraft overflights in addition to hourly and daily noise levels. This customized system is used to provide Continued on Attachment:X SIGNATURE: r ' _RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR _RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE APPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): ACTION OF BOARD ON 03 05/1996 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT III ) AYES: NOES: ABSENT: ABSTAIN: HEW:TW:kd 1 hereby certify that this is a true and corred copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the c:B0513 Board of Supervisors t�e date shown. ATTESTED: 1.996 PHIL BATCHELOR,Clerk of the Board Orig Div:Airports(Contact-H.Wight 646-5722) of Supervisors and County Administrator cc: County Administrator Public Works Director By— eputy Aviation Advisory Committee Federal Aviation Administration .- C.� Annual Noise Complaint Summary Report for Buchanan Airport March 5, 1996 Page Two factual and verifiable information. Continuous monitoring allows for correlation of measured noise level violations with or without associated complaints. The noise levels reported by the System indicates that in calendar year 1995, the noise levels generated by aircraft operations were within the acceptable standards for a reasonable person residing near an airport, as determined by both Federal and the more stringent State maximum noise level standards. The Airport, however, continues to respond to noise complaints on some of its operations. Complaint calls are received at the Manager of Airports' Office and recorded by airport staff. Complaints are then entered into the noise complaint data base. This method combined with the systems' vast features permit airport staff to successfully identify most aircraft that are involved in specific noise events. Offending pilots are notified of the complaint and are offered noise management information. 1995 NOISE COMPLAINT SUMMARY For the calendar year 1995, one person filed a total of 492 complaints. Less this caller, a total of 313 complaints were filed, as compared to 309 in 1994 and 500 in 1993. Of these 313, 71 were filed by 5 airport neighbors, and 26 were not associated with Buchanan Field. Complaint totals for 1995 have dropped significantly from 1993 levels, but remain fairly consistent with 1994 levels. Most complainants placed 1-2 calls in 1995. There were relatively few first time complainants. A method of gauging airport impact is `operations per complaint'. Each time an aircraft either lands or departs, it is counted as one operation. A 'touch and go' remains in the traffic pattern and is counted as two operations because the aircraft lands once and departs once. To provide accurate data on complaints as they relate to traffic volume, this years' totals are also shown as operations per complaints(total operations divided by total complaints less the aberration.) Operations per complaint have risen slightly from 1993 levels, but are down from 1994 levels. Based on this data, trend analysis does not indicate that there is a direct correlation between the number of operations per complaint. As operators increase (decrease), complaints do not increase (decrease) at the same rate. 1200 M Complaints 1000 'ss mops/Comp 800- 600- 400- 200- 0 00600 400 200 Mal 0 1993 1994 1996 Complaint Location Forty-one percent of the noise complaints recorded in 1995 at Buchanan Field Airport originated from callers living in the Pacheco area, as compared to thirty-six in 1994. Pleasant Hill residents generated twenty-five percent, as compared to twenty-four in 1994, and Concord residents generated eighteen percent, up from seventeen percent in 1994. A total of eight percent of complaints in 1995 originated from citizens of Martinez, down from fourteen percent in 1994. Eight percent of the total complaints filed at Buchanan Field were from outlying areas, and were regarding operations that were not associated with Buchanan Field. These aircraft include military, traffic watch, and other aircraft transitioning the area. ®Byron ©Other ®Pleasant Hill 0 Pacheco ®Martinez 13 Concord i Annual Noise Complaint Summary Report for Buchanan Airport March 5, 1996 Pag.3 Three The following map gives the approximate locations of complaints from the areas surrounding Buchanan Field Airport. APPROXIMATE COMPLAINT LOCATION NUMBERS, INDICATE REMOTE MONITORING11 W- SITES MARTINEZ Him ... CONCOSCCRD PACHECO.: NIX .......... �.N j M. EASA T S1 L- H I L .............................. ................ .................. ..... ..... M601NT coce .......... LEGEND 492 to 492 (1) 10 to 492 (5) + 3to 10 (17) A o 3 (20 2 t ) Ito 2(146) gm tt ,G .�sg H I �r8 Annual Noise Complaint Summary Report for Buchanan Airport March 5, 1996 Page Four Complaint Type 120- 100- 80- 40 20100s040 20 0 Jet Propeller Helicopter All Traffic Unknown Helicopters generated the highest number of complaints for a total of 114. Helicopter complaints are most commonly from neighbors in the nearby mobile home parks. The `all traffic'type of complaint was filed by airport neighbors irritated by overflights in general, usually regarding touch and go operators. The total in this category was 87. Propeller driven aircraft generated 80 complaints. 31 complaints were from jet aircraft, with either early morning or late evening arrivals or departures, usually from neighbors south of the airport. Propeller driven aircraft complaints were usually touch and go activity of single engine 2-4 place aircraft. IV. Consequences of Negative Action: None.