Residents Still Upset Over Airport Noise; Petition for Soundproofing Circulating

The Airport Hazard Committee met last Thursday night and still the number one complaint is coming from Point Shirley residents, who have seen and heard a steady increase in the number of takeoffs from Logan Airport and over the Point.

Neighbors have launched a requested for a soundproofing program in Winthrop.

“That money comes from the FAA,” said Dick Bangs, chairman of the committee. “And the FAA is talking in generalities.”

Member Gina Cassetta said residents are now dealing with 75 DNR (decibels) up from 65 DNR.

“It’s incredibly loud to the point its uninhabitable,” Cassetta said. “I was looking at 1,150 incidents of reported flights that were in the 80 decibel range. That sounds to me to be the whole day of departures. That’s for one day.”

So far Cassetta has collected 160 signatures going door-to-door. Her goal is to get 2,000 signatures from people who want soundproofing and residents whose home might have been soundproofed in the 1970s and 1980s.

“There’s no question about soundproofing as I look at the last six months,” said co-chair Jerry Falbo.

“We need to push them to make some investments over here,” Bangs said.

Bangs reported that the FAA is in the midst reviewing all the flight patterns across the country.

Other points discussed were the Terminal E expansion, where interior and exterior designs were shown. With all the state and federal approvals given, mitigation money has been promised to both the Winthrop Foundation and the PILOT payments made to the town until 2025.