Corona del Mar Today: Residents complain about airplane noise

About a dozen Corona del Mar residents attended Monday's monthly meeting of the Newport Beach Aviation Committee and expressed concern over increased noise.

Corona del Mar Residents Assn. President Karen Tringali said she has received 13 pages of e-mails from concerned residents.

"Many of us have observed planes that appear to be on a more diagonal path," she told the committee. "Last Thursday, one appeared to fly over the clock tower at Marguerite and Coast Highway."

Commercial planes leaving John Wayne Airport in March began using the so-called STREL flight path, which takes planes over the Back Bay to a turnaround point over the ocean. City officials and airport consultants have tracked flight data from the airport and conducted observations, and they say that the flights appear to be taking the correct path. Optical illusions, they said, might make planes seem to be closer to Corona del Mar than they actually are.

At the committee meeting, the group discussed whether the flights were turning too soon, which might be creating more noise.

Committee member Tom Anderson said he'd like to see collaboration of data showing flights adhering to the new flight path.

"Nobody seems to be happy with STREL," he said.

Barbara E. Lichman, executive counsel for the Airport Working Group, said residents should remember that ongoing negotiations to keep flight curfews is a major concern.

But she agreed that STREL did push planes closer to Corona del Mar.

"The current solution has been far worse for everyone," she said. "I do sympathize with what people are saying."

She reiterated a suggestion she made in April that concerned residents investigate whether they could request an environmental impact review for STREL as it relates to noise.

The 60-day statute of limitations might have expired, she said, but the matter could be investigated. Robert Hawkins suggested that the Airport Working Group study the possibilities.

City Council member Leslie Daigle said the committee would continue to address the issues raised during the meeting. They could be discussed again at the 8 a.m. June 27 meeting in the Friends Room of the Central Library.

Several residents who attended the meeting said they hoped more people concerned with airplane noise would get involved.

"People are just becoming aware," said one Newport Coast man who did not want to be named. "It's important for concerned citizens to make themselves heard."

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