QuieterHome Program to begin this year
by KEATON T. DEPRIEST Cheektowaga Editor

Despite sweltering conditions inside the Maryvale High School auditorium, approximately 600 residents attended a public information meeting Friday to learn about their eligibility for noise reduction solutions based on their vicinity to the airport.

Hosted by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, the meeting was meant to inform residents of approximately 1,700 households eligible for the Buffalo Niagara International Airport QuieterHome Program.

The program will allow homes on a list created by the Federal Aviation Administration to receive acoustic windows, doors and central air conditioning, amenities that are designed to make homes near the airport quieter.

The project, which totals more than $60 million, is funded by the BNIA, FAA and the New York State Department of Transportation. In addition to the 1,700 homes to be remodeled, work will be done on the Maryvale Primary School, with reconstruction starting in August, and Our Lady Help of Christians Church.

C&S Engineering, which is headquartered in Syracuse, will be conducting the construction of the QuieterHome Program. Bill Brod, the national manager of the engineering firm, presented information to residents during the meeting.

"This is something that the federal government has been working to put together since about 20 years ago," he said. "What we intend to do is replace the acoustically weak building parts of the structures on the FAA list."

He said the company hopes to open a demonstration office in early 2008 to allow residents to look at model windows, doors and central air conditioning units.

Douglas Hartmayer, director of public affairs for the NFTA, said a minimum of 28 homes will be aided through the program this year, with approximately 250 homes worked on per year thereafter.

He said 85 percent of the 1,700 homes on the list are in Cheektowaga. The remaining 15 percent are in Amherst.

Although the meeting was intended for residents living in the eligible households only, a large number of people whose homes were not eligible were in attendance. Some of the ineligible people were upset that their homes did not meet the FAA guidelines for receiving the aid.

Snyder resident Jeff Cheston, whose home is not eligible for the program, said many people in his situation attended the meeting. He said he wanted to stay informed about the program.

"I think there should be open dialogue with the NFTA and the concerned residents, whatever community they live in, on a regular basis," Cheston said. "They need to be open and honest and communicate more."

Cheston said that with living near a major airport, he has learned to adjust to some of the noise. But he said there has been some misleading information with parts of the QuieterHome program.

One of his concerns is the use of the crosswinds runway and when that is applicable. Use of that runway increases traffic over Snyder, but it is considered a secondary runway.

During the meeting, Cheston said attendees asked the same questions because they weren't receiving direct answers.

He added that there has been a lack of communication throughout the study. Told to report complaints, Cheston said he has, with detailed information including the flight number, airline, time and date, but said he still doesn't receive any response from the airport.

"The airport should figure out how they can accommodate the people and the consumers ... if we don't talk and try to work it out, it's going to be one-sided," Cheston said.

In response, Hartmayer said the FAA performed a thorough noise contour study before issuing its final list. He said every five years, the FAA will conduct a new noise contour study to see if there have been any changes.

"We are just following the guidelines according to the FAA," Hartmayer said. "This is not something we made up."

He added that fliers were mailed to the 1,700 residents on the list to give them notice of the meeting.

Some residents also questioned why the meeting was not moved to a different location because of the extreme heat in the standing room-only auditorium. He said that although a capacity crowd attended the meeting in the warm, unairconditioned auditorium, it was a perfect venue for the information session.

"I think the auditorium was fine," Hartmayer said. "The capacity crowd just exceeded the seats."

The next homeowner information meeting has not yet been scheduled. For more information, visit www.buffaloairport. com/quieterhome.

Amherst Associate Editor Jessica Finch assisted in this report.