Mar. 4—Between the increased number of touch-and-go landings being performed, as well as the noise those maneuvers create, and the possibility that lengthening runways at Beverly Regional Airport could bring in larger aircraft, several Danvers residents have had enough.
Over a dozen people who live in the neighborhoods at the end of Runway 9-27 spoke before the Danvers Select Board Tuesday, claiming their standard of living has been negatively impacted, and some are fearful for their lives.
The following are just some of the concerns those citizens raised during Tuesday's meeting:
"We have plane after plane after plane coming over our neighborhood. How many here have ever seen Pearl Harbor? That's what it feels like. These planes continually fly over our head, minute after minute. It's a disgrace. We can't even hold a family barbecue or whatever because the drone of these piston-driven planes fly overhead like at any second they were gonna drop bombs on us. Then they make their turn; and as they make their turn over our neighborhood, the engines just get louder and louder. It totally disturbs our peace, our quality of life." — Joseph Rinaldi, Anthony Lane
"Three-hundred fifty-five days ago, I got a call from a neighbor that an airplane crashed in my backyard. Three-hundred fifty-five days ago, the value of my property significantly decreased. Three-hundred fifty-five days ago, I panicked as I drove home wondering what was happening to my house, to my dog, to my daughter. All I heard was 'A plane crashed in your backyard.' ... I probably made a big mistake 21 years ago buying where I bought." — Beth Osgood, Burley Street
"I am now in fear of living every day whether a plane is going to crash right through my house. If there's no barrier, there's nothing between us and the airport. It's scary. It was a terrifying call when we got that phone call saying a plane crashed into your backyard. Thank God the pilot was OK, thank God it didn't go into my house. Next time, we won't be so lucky." — Brittany Angers, Burley Street
"Last summer, I found it almost impossible to have any peace, to work in my gardens, in my yard. I had to go inside as soon as my headache started. ... In the last year, it's interrupted the quality of my life, so much so that I feel it's decreasing the property value of my home. And I'm not happy about that." — Joanne Dunn, Garfield Avenue
"We hear constant, constant whining of these small airplanes. We have to stop talking in our own yards. We can't enjoy our yards. We can't even sit out there. You can't read a book. I have a pool and grandchildren; they can't hear me if I yell at them. ... We are paying a lot of taxes for land that we cannot use, which should qualify for a pretty good size abatement. It's become unbearable." — Pat Fitzgerald, Lafayette Avenue
The Danvers Select Board members have asked for additional information and data regarding flights in and out of the airport, including a noise study in the neighborhoods, and will follow up with the matter in the future.
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