The June 25 letter, “Mukilteo group isn’t helping city,” regarding Save Our Community’s efforts to prevent scheduled air service at Paine Field, demands a response.
We work hard to offer evidence about the harms of scheduled air service from credible third party sources. “Schools exposed to high levels of aircraft noise are not healthy educational environments.” (The Lancet, Vol. 365, June 4, 2005.) “Community exposure to aircraft noise may be associated with hypertension.” (Occupational Environmental Medicine, 2001, pp769-773.) “… the higher the relative price of a property, the higher the diminution in value. … the highest loss is 22.5% to 29% for high class housing …” (The Appraisal Journal, July 2001.)
There’s much more. The letter writer insinuates that we are liars, yet offers no facts to refute or rebut ours.
Then he introduces an illogical argument. Somehow scheduled air service will have no impact on our school children because his child hasn’t been bothered over the past eight years. This proves that our current environment is great and supports a high quality of life, but it fails to contemplate the future. Let’s be clear: There’s a huge difference between a general aviation airport and a commercial airport with scheduled air service. Scheduled air service means no restrictions on type of aircraft, size, noise, frequency or time of day. It almost guarantees unlimited growth. Orange County (John Wayne) airport started at two scheduled flights per day. Now it has over 120 per day. Scheduled air service is just not compatible with the residential community that developed here over the past 30 years (under an agreement with the county.)
Specious arguments unsupported by facts only detract from the issue at hand: to preserve our quality of life. We welcome real proof to the contrary. But irrational ranting isn’t good enough.
Gregory Hauth
Save Our Communities
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