The resolution asks for a response from the FAA by Feb. 7 and for prior notice in regard to future noise mitigation. The latest round of buyouts came as a surprise, councilors said. The airport is in South Burlington but owned and operated by the city of Burlington.
“This gives us a seat at the table,” said Councilor Meaghan Emery, author of the resolution. “This is a really important undertaking that the council will be remembered for and will benefit South Burlington.”
But not all councilors agreed. The resolution came under an energetic crossfire that went on for four hours between councilors and dozens of residents who attended the special meeting. Both groups were split nearly down the middle.
The resolution passed in a 3-2 vote, with opposition from Councilors Tom Chittenden and Pat Nowak and approval by Emery, Helen Riehle and Tim Barritt.
Kirby Road resident Jason Tucker was one of those speaking against the resolution. His home has not yet been included in this round of acquisitions, but he said he has been in contact with airport officials who are interested in appraising it for a future purchase.
“If we don’t sell to the airport, who will buy it?” Tucker said. “I see every plane take off, I hear every plane. There is no level of noise mitigation that will help that. I wish you would reconsider this resolution. You’re hurting the people who are eligible for buyouts and telling us we have no future.”
Carmen Sargent, who lives on Elizabeth Street, said the ongoing buyouts have been a “decimation” to the South Burlington way of life.
“I’ve lived here for 45 years and I’ve seen the airport encroach more and more,” she said. “It needs to stop somewhere.”
According to Emery, the previous home acquisition program began in 2009 and its end was announced last year. The last round of buyouts resulted in the demolition of 100 homes. Currently more than 900 homes lie within the 65-decibel noise level area, the threshold for the last round of buyouts based on the 2006 noise exposure maps, she said.
The current round of buyouts is based on a noise exposure map the FAA released in 2015. The airport received a $14.5 million grant last fall to purchase 39 homes within the updated map’s 73.3-decibel noise level area.
However, some councilors believe the 2015 map to be outdated already because it doesn’t take into account the noise expected from military F-35 planes expected to be stationed at the airport beginning in 2019, or the decrease in military operations at the airport since the Vermont National Guard deployed overseas in December.
The approved 17-point resolution also requests new sound maps.
Included in the acquisition program are seven homes on Lilley Lane known as the Kirby Cottages that are slated for demolition after purchase. Three of those homes fall under affordability covenants with the city of South Burlington, meaning that for the homes to be sold they must remain as affordable housing.
According to Riehle, the city has requested that the FAA let those houses remain standing and for the deed to be transferred to the Champlain Housing Trust.
The possibility of moving the houses to another location where they could remain affordable and livable has been discussed. However, the most the housing trust could spend in total on this project is $200,000. The estimated cost for moving, reassembling and acquiring land for the houses would exceed that budget, Riehle said.
For the Lilley Lane residents to sell the three homes, the city would have to grant a waiver of the affordability covenant.
“I’m sorry, but you’ve entered into an illegal contract,” Emery said to the families of the three houses in question.
A special meeting has been set for Jan. 30 at 6:30 p.m. for the council to take public comments and vote on whether to waive the affordability covenant in regard to those three homes.
