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Residents urge Franklin Park council to revisit I‑79 noise mitigation, propose tree buffers
Summary
Two longtime Franklin Park residents urged the borough council to address chronic noise from I‑79, asking the council to seek PennDOT review, commission a noise study, or consult an arborist about multi‑tier planting as a lower‑cost mitigation option.
Lynn Fletcher, a Franklin Park resident of 13 years, told the borough council on Nov. 19 that vegetation along I‑79 has declined while traffic and noise have increased and asked the council to reopen consideration of a formal noise study and to petition PennDOT for potential funding for a noise barrier.
"I am sincerely asking the council please reconsider your decision and have the noise study performed, to petition PennDOT to have the study performed and rectify [this] significant noise problem," Fletcher said, describing the year‑round nature of highway noise and contrasting it with prior localized park noise studies the borough completed.
Christina Crest, who said she has lived in Hunters Point for 24 years, told council she has tracked corridor population growth and related traffic increases and described potential health effects from persistent noise cited by professional organizations. Rather than a costly wall, Crest asked the borough to "meet and talk with a credentialed arborist on the planting and planning of a natural barrier consisting of a multi‑tier, multi‑row of mixed plants," including taller evergreens mixed with shrubs.
Crest said she would share videos documenting the noise and asked the borough to stop permitting the removal of existing vegetation when approving new developments near heavily traveled roads.
The comments were made during the council's public comment period; council members did not take immediate action during the meeting but will consider the requests as part of future discussions. The residents named PennDOT and the borough's earlier studies when urging a renewed review and potential mitigation options.
