Airport to Raise Speed of Soundproofing

Residences bombarded by aircraft noise from Los Angeles International Airport will be eligible for city-funded soundproofing twice as fast as under a previous program, officials said Monday.

A new airport-operated bureau, created to streamline the soundproofing process and consolidate the noise mitigation program, plans to cut almost in half the 15-year soundproofing schedule under which the city had been operating, the officials said. Plans call for more than 100 residences that lie in the LAX flight path and are most severely affected by noise to be soundproofed by the end of the year.

So far, $15 million has been earmarked from the airport’s general operating fund for the first phase of the project to soundproof 122 homes. Officials estimated that as many as 9,000 homes may be eligible.

The Airport Residential Soundproofing Bureau was unveiled by the Los Angeles Department of Airports, Mayor Richard Riordan and Councilwoman Ruth Galanter, who represents Westchester and Playa del Rey, which have been targeted by the program that could ultimately cost as much at $95 million. A Residential Sound Insulation Program had been !dministered by the Los Angeles Public Works Department’s Bureau of Engineering but no homes had been soundproofed.

“This will reduce sound inside the home considerably,” said Airpor4 Executive Director John Driscoll, who estimates that it will cost $25,000 to insulate each house. “It will make the homes a lot more livable.”

Although the Bureau of Engineering identified the residences that will qualify for soundproofing, the program was transferred to the airport because officials there receive the majority of noise complaints. Until now, airport officials said, residents held them responsible for the problems even though they had no control over how fast the insulation could be installed.

“This is a great solution-oriented program to mitigate the noise of the airport,” Riordan said.

As part of the work, which could begin as soon July, double- and triple-pane glass windows will be installed along with ultra-thick doors filled with compressed wood. In addition, the airport also will pay for ceilings, roofs and walls to be insulated in the hope that noise levels will average less than 45 decibels in several readings taken each year (40 decibels is about the level of light traffic).

In exchange, residents will be asked to sign an easement that allows airplanes to fly near their homes. Residents also will be required to waive their right to sue the airport should noise levels rise. It does, however, allow a recourse for additional compensation if the noise exceeds 45 decibels.

Technology has reduced aircraft noise over the last few years because newer, quieter engines have been installed on older airplanes, officials said. Galanter said that although she doesn’t believe that residents should have to give up rights in order to receive the aid, she is pleased that the program can begin.

“It’s better that we have some agreement than no agreement,” said Galanter. “We have been waiting a long time for homes to be soundproofed.”

Property owners have been contacted by bureau officials and many homes have been analyzed to determine the most effective soundproofing methods.

Residents have been invited to soundproofing seminars, one of which is scheduled for Wednesday night. Some say they are pleased that the airport is finally stepping in to alleviate the aircraft noise.

“This is going to be super-duper helpful,” said Charlotte Holmes, a 10-year Playa del Rey resident. “The noise is really ridiculous.”

Holmes and her husband, Gene Hicks, live in an oceanfront home near the north runway. She said rumbling jets can be heard around the clock and the noise gets worse when planes turn too early or stray off course.

Her husband said the noise affects everything from telephone conversations to television reception. They have installed speakers near their couch, put headphones in the bedroom and taken telephone calls in the hall closet, and refrain from opening their windows, even on hot summer days.

“When we first moved here I used to curse the airport because the noise made me so mad,” said Hicks. “The planes always flew by when a critical line was being said [on the television] and I’d have no idea what happened. But I’ve learned to live with it now and I’m not so critical. It’s the price you pay to live here.”