And that noise affects homebuilding near Mesa airports.
Mesa Gateway Airport is near quite a few residential properties as well as the ASU Polytechnic Campus. Falcon Field Airport is near housing and commercial developments. For developers aiming to build properties near airports, the process is a bit different from the standard routine, city officials said.
Nana Appiah, development services director for the city, explained how properties that are built near airports have a unique zoning ordinance.
“We have what we call an airfield overlay district. In an airfield overlay district, it’s really centered around both the Gateway Airport and Falcon Field. Through that we have airfield 1, airfield 2 and airfield 3 and they are based on decibel levels,” Appiah said. “So the airfield 1, which is the closest to the airport and loudest, we do not allow any residential development with that.”
Appiah said that at each level, the regulations behind what can or can’t be built changes.
“For airfield 2, we do not allow single-family residences, but we do allow multifamily residences through council-use permits,” Appiah said. “For airfield 3, we do allow single family.”
Appiah explained how the noise-reduction affects residential development and how prospective property builders and buyers are notified of the distance to the airport.
“The city of Mesa through its zoning ordinances have what we call a navigation easement. That needs to be executed before we issue payments. We have specific stipulations that include providing notification to people buying into the property,” Appiah said. “Posting a sign on the property that says the are or the property is within certain distances from the airport...We do require the plans be certified by a professional in the state of Arizona, either an engineer or an architect, that the noise inside the building will not exceed a certain decibel level. ”
John Sheffer, deputy director and building official for development services for Mesa, explained how this process works.
“With respect to the noise reduction, the architecture engineer can design the building to achieve the required decibel level. It’s up to them on how they want to achieve that. It’s kind of a designer’s option on how they design the building to meet that specific requirement,” Sheffer said. “Engineers will provide an analysis that shows the interior of the house, based on the properties of materials that you can use. Such as multi-pane windows, heavier insulation, different wall types. They show mathematically that the design they’re proposing reduces the sound level to meet the requirements of the zoning code.”
John Zielonka, City Council Coordinator for District 5, mentioned in a statement how an airport works with the city to mitigate the affect of noise on nearby communities.
“There are many policies and safeguards in place to mitigate the impact of aircraft noise on residential communities near airports. With proactive planning strategies and construction guidelines, we work closely with the private sector to ensure residents who choose to rent or own a home near an airport enjoy the same excellent quality of life as those in other parts of the city. Understanding that concerns will nevertheless arise, Mesa Gateway Airport has robust systems in place to receive and respond to resident complaints,” Zielonka said.
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