FedEx flights promise unexpected noise
Walter Sperko wrote (letter, Sept. 3) that people near the airport were whining because of the noise FedEx would generate. He needs to consider several things.
When most of the people bought their homes before the FedEx announcement, the planned expansion was for a 5,000-foot general aviation runway. We checked with the airport authority before we purchased our home in 1989 and were shown the proposed plan for this new runway. We have lived near other airports and felt this wasn't going to be an issue, as general aviation runways generally operate during the daylight hours only, which wouldn't present a future concern.
As part of the FedEx expansion, hundreds of acres of land have been leveled and thousands of trees have been removed. Doing this has allowed sound to travel greater distances. This will be a bigger issue when FedEx is operating during the late-night hours, when sound really carries. You can now regularly hear planes in the Summerfield and Brassfield areas, when you wouldn't have heard them in the past.
Lastly, my home's value decreased during the 11 years I lived in the Cardinal. I paid $325,000, put $35,000 into it and sold it for my original purchase price.
Jack Gale
Hampstead
Comments (4)
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If you bought in Pickwick(I think that's the name) 11 years ago, you bought it while it was still being developed. Those houses were high end for off golf course lots at the time and dropped in value quickly as the builder moved to building lesser quality homes in the same subdivision in order to sellout. Those lesser quality homes, significantly affected the prices in that subdivision, it's not Fed Ex alone.
I
Posted on October 3, 2007 10:01 AM
Wonder who Jack wants to pay him for his "loss?"
It appears that Jack chose to purchase a house near an airport. The plans of an airport, like any other plans, change. So, that was a risky venture.
Wonder what Jack would say if he had owned a house in the right-of-way of the outer loop now being built? Would he have purchased that and then written an LTTE complaining?
Jack made an unwise move and it cost him. Learn from it and move one!
Shalom
Posted on October 3, 2007 11:40 AM
"We have lived near other airports and felt this wasn't going to be an issue, as general aviation runways generally operate during the daylight hours only..."
Perhaps true at a small uncontrolled field with Cessna 172s and Piper Cubs lazing around on the weekend, but not at a controlled field like GSO. GA aircraft are used for corporate flights and smaller package delivery companies that operate 24/7.
Granted a fully loaded B-727 is going to make more noise on takeoff than a Cessna Caravan, but rule of thumb is don't buy a home near an airport if you don't want to hear airplanes.
I hope Mr. Gale is enjoying Hampstead, a nice town close to Topsail Island and Wilmington that has NO major airports.
Posted on October 3, 2007 10:25 PM
One irony to note, Mr. Gale moved from Greensboro to Hampstead. If a major hurricane should hit the area he would probably lose more value in his home than he did in Greensboro. Better move somewhere safe like Hickory Mr. Gale!!
Posted on October 3, 2007 10:31 PM