Residents press Danvers Select Board to act on Beverly Airport jet noise, propose fact-finding committee

Several Danvers residents raised repeated complaints about jet noise from Beverly Airport during the public comment portion of the Feb. 3 Select Board meeting, saying flights over the town are frequent and affecting property values.

Resident Mark Zuberek said jets ‘‘fly over about 67% of our community’’ and that residents have reported ‘‘averaging seven to eight planes daily,’’ and he said he has filed for an abatement because waterfront properties are being assessed at higher land values as a result. Tony Bettencourt, another town meeting member, described the jet noise near Runway 27 as ‘‘intolerable’’ and urged the Select Board to take immediate action; he suggested withholding financial support from the airport to force cooperation.

Select Board Member Michael Bean said he envisions the proposed Airport Committee as a fact-finding group rather than a voting body and recommended that membership include concerned residents, pilots and people willing to research best practices. He asked that town committee members come to a Select Board meeting to provide an update. Select Board Member Gardner Trask responded during public remarks that the public had been kept informed through posted hearings and had opportunities to speak earlier in the process.

No formal action or vote on the airport was taken at the Feb. 3 meeting; the Board discussed the committee concept and administrative options. Residents and board members signaled that further study and potential outreach to airport authorities or regional partners will be needed before the Board considers policy or financial steps.