Airport in final stretch 'sound-proofing' nearby homes
By Joe Pangburn, Inside Tucson Business
Published on Friday, July 03, 2009
A 17-year program to sound-proof homes around Tucson International Airport is entering the home stretch. So far 881 homes have received the treatment with another 235 more slated to be finished by mid-2010 when the program wraps up.
The program, a partnership of the Tucson Airport Authority, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), involves going into homes to install higher-grade insulation, replace windows if necessary and installing air conditioning in homes with evaporative coolers.
The cost averages about $25,000 per home. Of that the FAA picks up 90 percent and ADOT and the airport authority split the remaining 10 percent.
“This has been an enormous investment in, and boost for the community, allowing residential and commercial development to grow compatibly with the airport,” said Bonnie Allin, president and CEO of the airport authority.
Joseph Bustamante, program administrator for the airport authority, said construction takes about 10 working days per home. But before that, he said there is 18 to 20 months worth of work that must be done, starting with a homeowner submitting a request. Then there is the approval process from the agencies involved, paperwork obtaining aviation easement consents, the design process, building permits, advertising for construction, bidding and awarding contracts.
About 50 homes at a time are included in the construction phase.
Aside from the home soundproofing program, the airport authority is in the midst of a new noise compatibility study for the FAA that is expected to show a reduced footprint area where property is affected by noise from the operations at Tucson International Airport. The last study was completed in 1991.
“The reduction in the noise contours is a reflection that the measures implemented by (the airport) and improvements in the industry since the last update, have been effective,” Bustamante said.
Among the measures already taken to reduce noise from the airport are:
• Relocating the main runway so aircraft touch down and take-off about half mile farther to the southeast.
• Creating zoning regulations around the airport to permit uses that aren’t affected by noise.
• Limiting the use of afterburners, which provide additional thrust, to jet engines.
• Using more modern aircraft with quieter engines.
This project is seen as a win-win for the airport authority and the surrounding area according to Paula Perino, director of airport information and government affairs. She says there have been a number of benefits resulting from all these measures:
• Quieter homes along with improvements that will enhance property values.
• The sound insulation program contributes to the ‘green economy’ utilizing materials and practices that are mindful of the environment.
• There are fewer noise complaints.
“TAA has always been proactive and this extends to surrounding neighborhoods,” Winn said. “TAA recognized that growth was a given and wanted to ensure that future development would protect surrounding homes and businesses, and that existing homeowners were presented with the best options available, in this case the federally funded Sound Insulation Program. As a result, residents who have directly benefitted from the Program often become advocates for TIA on community issues.”
Contact reporter Joe Pangburn at jpangburn@azbiz.com or (520) 295-4259
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