Debate On Whether ‘Progress’ Has Been Made Over Jet Noise in OB, Point Loma and La Jolla

There’s currently a debate going on in the “pages” of the La Jolla Light over whether “progress” has been made regarding commercial jet noise, particularly over Point Loma and OB.

Anthony Stiegler, the co-founder and secretary of Quiet Skies La Jolla, wrote a piece on September 7 about the progress  that has been made with the noise from aircraft.

Stiegler reported on the progress his group has made with the FAA and the County Airport Authority:

There is good news to report. First, significant noise mitigation may be implemented in Ocean Beach by instituting vertical takeoff thrust parameters. Second, a new waypoint further offshore for nighttime northbound departures, rather than along the coast off La Jolla, has been submitted for FAA approval. Third, there is a path forward to better daytime noise mitigation by dispersing and flying planes farther offshore to protect the coastal communities to the north and south.

We reached a settlement in our litigation with SDCRAA in which our interests are understood and recognized, alignment with SDCRAA and the FAA is feasible, and the FAA may be amenable to solutions that protect the health of people and communities near airports. Your voices, financial support and air-noise complaints have been vital to these achievements. (For the balance of Stiegler’s piece at the LJ Light, go here.)

In response, four people — all residents of Point Loma — wrote a counterpost published Oct. 18 at the Light. R. Casey Schnoor, Nancy Palmtag, Mike Tarlton and Bob Herrin argued that any “progress” made has not been good for the residents of the Point Loma peninsula. They wrote:

Beginning in 2015, we have been fighting airport noise issues through the various San Diego County Regional Airport Authority-sponsored community committees. Based on this background, we are concerned by several of the representations made in the referenced opinion piece.

The Flight Procedure Analysis and FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] Part 150 citizen advisory committees convened under the control of SDCRAA to further develop mitigation efforts for noise and pollution derived from the recommendations of the Airport Noise Advisory Committee (ANAC). From those studies, Mr. [Anthony] Stiegler references several elements.

First, please note that Quiet Skies San Diego was founded in 2017 by Mr. Stiegler, a retired litigator, and fellow Bird Rock and La Jolla residents. No [Point Loma] peninsula residents are involved members of Quiet Skies. As such, Mr. Stiegler does not always speak for the peninsula’s interests. Therefore, in our view, several of Mr. Stiegler’s points of “good news” referenced in his commentary must be clarified… (For the balance of this argument, please go here.)