WATERBURY-OXFORD AIRPORT AIRPORT MASTER PLAN UPDATE & FAR PART 150 NOISE STUDY Public Information Meeting (PIM) No. 1 April 27, 6:30 p.m. Southbury Hilton Southbury, CT Meeting Report Attendees: NAME AFFILIATION David Head ConnDOT - Bureau of Policy & Planning Michael O'Donnell ConnDOT - Airport Manager Carmine Trotta ConnDOT - Bureau of Policy & Planning John Silva Federal Aviation Administration Paul McDonnell Clough Harbour & Associates LLP Mark Bolduc KM Chng Environmental Inc. Ron Price QED Airport & Aviation Consultants Debbie Price Program Support Services Over 75 members of the public attended, including several study Advisory Committee (AC) members, local citizens, and the media. Meeting Summary: This first PIM was held to inform the public on the progress of the Airport Master Plan Update (AMPU) and FAR Part 150 Noise Study. It was noted that study documents are available at the Town Libraries and Town Clerk’s Offices of Middlebury, Oxford, and Southbury, and on the study website at www.oxcstudies.com. The study team and displayed information was available during an open house interactive session prior to and following the formal presentation and question and answer period. Mr. David Head of ConnDOT’s Bureau of Policy & Planning welcomed those in attendance and discussed the meeting format. Mr. Paul McDonnell of ConnDOT’s consultant team (led by Clough Harbour & Associates) presented key highlights from each study. Items noted included: * The presentation summarized the existing Airport facilities and the land use and zoning surrounding the Airport. * The based aircraft and operations forecasts were presented for the 20-year planning period. Based aircraft are forecast to increase from 236 in 2003 to 287 by 2023, and operations are forecast to increase from 66,000 to 86,000. * Development alternatives were created to satisfy the facility requirements (determined by forecasts), and include options for taxiways, lighting, obstruction removal, landside facilities, support facilities, and on- Airport service roads. These items may be considered for development during the 20-year planning period. * Noise measurement techniques and Background information on noise analysis were discussed. The Day-Night Average Noise Level (DNL) noise metric was defined as the total accumulation of aircraft noise spread uniformly throughout the day (with 10 decibels added to night operations). DNL is the FAA approved metric used at all public airports to evaluate noise and land use compatibility. * Comparisons to common/everyday sounds were made to illustrate the affects and magnitude of aircraft noise. The federal guidelines for noise and land use compatibility were presented. * The noise study is conducted for a 5-year period, and uses activity forecasts for 2008. The existing and future noise levels for the Airport were presented. Sixty-four homes were within the 2003 DNL 65 dB noise contour, and 58 homes are forecast to be within the 2008 DNL 65 dB noise contour. * Newsletters and comment forms were distributed to all meeting attendees. Comments could be submitted at the meeting, or by mailing the comment form (or other written comments) to ConnDOT until May 13, 2005. Comments can also be submitted through the website (www.oxcstudies.com). Question and Answer Period: A question and answer period followed the presentation. The public was invited to ask the study team questions related to the AMPU and Noise Study. A summary of this discussion is provided below: * The AMPU does not include an extension or alteration to the current runway, and the type and category of aircraft is not anticipated to change. * The Airport will continue to accommodate large corporate jets. The AMPU will not recommend accommodating commercial airline service during the planning period. * The Noise Study analysis will be conducted primarily by using the FAA computer model known as the Integrated Noise Model. However, some limited noise monitoring will be conducted in the surrounding neighborhoods for comparison purposes. * John Silva of the FAA discussed the purpose of the Runway Protection Zone design criteria. * The assumptions used in the development of the Airport activity forecasts were summarized. It was noted that towards the end of the planning effort the 2003 base year will be updated to 2005. A review will compare actual activity data with the original forecast numbers, as well as update the baseline noise analysis. * The Airport Manager provided an update on the status of a power plant that has been under consideration at a site adjacent to the Airport. The power plant site is near the Airport, but is not part of the study efforts. * The Airport Manager provided a brief update on the proposed foreign trade zone (FTZ) for Oxford, and stated that it is a Town initiative, and is not part of the AMPU recommendations. He stated that the FTZ would not likely increase air cargo transported to OXC. He suggested that questions should be directed to First Selectman Palmer’s office for further information on the Oxford FTZ. * Many members of the audience expressed concern regarding Airport-generated noise levels and the associated flight paths. The next step in the Noise Study will be an evaluation of options (including changes to the operating procedures, flight paths, and land use planning techniques) in an attempt to mitigate noise exposure in the neighborhoods surrounding the Airport. * Noise levels in the Triangle Hill neighborhood (located in Middlebury) were discussed. It was acknowledged that these homes experience the highest Airport noise levels, and many of are within the RPZ. As such, the studies will evaluate various issues and options for Triangle Hill. * The draft study reports are scheduled to be prepared by the end of the year. The public outreach, review, and approval process will continue into 2006. Open House Interactive Sessions: The interactive sessions were held to give the public a “close-up” view of study findings and provide an opportunity for participants to discuss their specific concerns. Several large posters were displayed illustrating important concepts discussed during the presentation. Additionally, large-scale maps and figures were displayed to help the public navigate through information relevant to the AMPU and Noise Study, including existing and future noise contours and flight tracks. This session gave the public the opportunity to ask questions one-on-one with several key project personnel. The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.