Neighbors complain about new airport beacon; council, airport board consider shields and adjustments

Council members brought forward complaints that a newly installed beacon at the town airport is too bright for a nearby resident and discussed short- and longer-term mitigation.

“We have a new beacon light at the airport… we’re having complaints from the neighbors because it’s too bright,” said Matt (council member), who alerted the council to the issue and said the airport board had already been involved. Council and airport representatives said they adjusted the unit and that calculations showed the line of the beam remains visible in the resident’s bedroom window even after raising the unit’s angle.

Airport-affiliated speakers described interim measures: trial adjustments, a temporary shield already placed over another house’s line of sight and plans to fabricate a metal shield for the 60–80-foot pole. One speaker said the board had considered a crude temporary fix—“put a five gallon bucket over the whole light”—while they locate a metal fabricator to produce a permanent shield. Council members asked staff to continue daily communication with the resident and to pursue fabrication options.

Why it matters: Beacon and airfield lighting are regulated for safety and navigation, but local siting and fixture orientation can create nuisance impacts on nearby residents. Council members emphasized the need to balance airport operations with neighbor concerns and to secure a durable physical mitigation.

Next steps and follow-up: Staff will continue to coordinate with the airport board and the complaining resident, pursue a metal fabricator for a shield, and report back when a permanent solution is available. No regulatory enforcement action or formal variance was recorded in the transcript.