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Wainscott advisory committee presses for airport noise monitors after consultants report fewer complaints
Summary
After a consultant report found complaints fell even as operations rose 5%, the committee warned of "complaint fatigue," criticized enforcement at the airport and voted to ask the Town Board to install objective noise monitors in affected neighborhoods and at the field.
The Wainscott Citizens Advisory Committee urged the Town Board to fund objective noise monitoring at the East Hampton airport and in nearby neighborhoods following a consultant report that showed fewer complaints despite a reported 5% rise in operations.
"Complaint fatigue" is masking possible noise impacts, committee member Marc Frons warned, citing the HMMH presentation to the Town. Frons said complaint counts alone are an unreliable proxy for actual noise exposure and recommended a monitoring network with instruments at the airport and beneath heavily trafficked flight paths.
Barry Raebeck seconded Frons’ concern and criticized airport manager Jim Brundige for what Raebeck described as weak enforcement of operator abuses, citing idling on the tarmac, aircraft flying "tree top level a mile or more from the airport when it is foggy," and helicopters operating on direct glide paths rather than recommended descent patterns. Raebeck also asked why leaded aviation gasoline remains for sale at the field even though unleaded alternatives exist.
Committee members debated emerging electric helicopter technology but noted uncertainty about its noise benefits: Bruce Wayne Solomon said electric propulsion is advancing, while Jordy Mark warned that chargers could spur more operations, and several speakers observed rotor noise—not the motor—may remain the dominant source of helicopter sound.
Chair Hersey Egginton said the committee will send a letter to the Town Board requesting installation of noise-monitoring equipment in the airport and affected neighborhoods so policy can be based on objective data rather than complaint counts.
The committee’s request for monitoring is intended to support future Town decisions and follow-up actions; no specific budget or funding source was identified at the meeting.
