Re: Noise from airport is in the ear of the beholder, column by editor of editorials Diane Steinle, Sept. 28.
Sometimes it is great here on Tern Lane in Feather Sound and sometimes it is horrible. You need to be here when the U.S. Coast Guard or U.S. Army helicopters are practicing touch and go or when the delivery flights take off at 9:25 to 9:50 p.m. It shakes the windows, doors and mirrors. You have to turn up the volume on the TV or stop talking until the jets leave.
Two weeks ago Monday night, I don't know what was going on but we had helicopters and jets going for a couple hours. Right this minute as I type this, Sunday at 5:30 p.m., it is very quiet.
I thank you for spending the time investigating the noise and I don't find fault with what you came up with. Many times it is very quiet here and makes us realize what it would be like with no airport except the one across the bridge. To me, your facts point to the argument that most of us are also making: This airport doesn't get used enough, so they are trying to pump up the volume and of course we object to that.
-- Thomas G. Tripp, Feather Sound
House-shaking sound is hard to ignore
Re: Noise from airport is in the ear of the beholder, column by editor of editorials Diane Steinle, Sept. 28.
I appreciate the time she took out of her busy schedule to visit the different neighborhoods and listen to the aircraft noise that we have to deal with. I grew up in Milton, in the helicopter training path for NAS Whiting Field. And I can basically tune out most loud noises. However, when our house rattles due to the aircraft taking off, that is a little hard to tune out.
I would like to point out a few things that Ms. Steinle was either not aware of or chose not to report on in her column.
I live on Tern Lane in Feather Sound, and my husband and I are some of the residents who complain about the airport noise and our windows rattling when large aircraft take off from the airport. The times that Ms. Steinle was on our street, however, are not the times that the large aircraft take off.
Second, she pointed out that when she was listening to aircraft take off that the windows in her car did not rattle. Well, your car is made to go 100 mph or more, therefore it is built to deal with outside disturbances, etc. Houses, however, are not, and therefore when confronted with an extremely loud noise, the house rattles.
And, for those people who say they want to see the airport expansion plan passed by the county commissioners, I challenge you for one year to fly everywhere you want to go out of the St. Petersburg-Clearwater airport. My husband and I would love to fly out of there, and we never have. Can I fly to my hometown of Pensacola from there? No. Can we fly to his hometown near Saginaw, Mich., from there? No. So, for all of you who want this airport to expand, you try to fly out of there every time you want to fly somewhere and let me know how convenient it truly is. And I doubt that adding international flights will help me get to Pensacola from that airport.
-- Heather Dixon, Feather Sound
As bad as the noise is, it can get worse
Re: Noise from airport is in the ear of the beholder, column by Editor of Editorials Diane Steinle, Sept. 28.
At least you did admit,"... one week of listening doesn't equate to living under the flight path." The point is that whatever noise level exists now will only get worse if the airport goes ahead with its expansion plans.
There doesn't even seem to be cooperation in establishing or enforcing noise abatement programs, including hours of flights and flight path restrictions. These are issues that should be addressed and settled well before any talk of having increased air traffic, with or without an expansion.
As a resident of Pinellas County, I am very concerned about the dubious nature of the financial bonanza that is supposed to result from spending my tax dollars on this expansion - especially with a superior, world-class airport called Tampa International only 20 minutes away.
And as a resident of Safety Harbor, I am upset and concerned about the quality of life and the detrimental effect on property values in our neighborhoods. As I sit here writing this reply, I am pausing to listen to the sound of an airplane cruising past my home on its way to the St. Pete-Clearwater runway. I guess the pilot was unable to locate the proper Tampa Bay approach; maybe we need to put a signal on your picnic table at the Safety Harbor Marina to point the way.
-- Carolyn I. Rosengard, Safety Harbor
City bungled on Mediterranean Village
Re: In downtown vision, appearances matter, editorial, Sept. 21.
Your recent editorial about the serious mistakes made by Clearwater with respect to Mediterranean Village in the Park was excellent, but it left some questions unanswered.
Why didn't our well-paid Planning Department "experts" alert our city manager and City Commission about the eyesore appearance that the apartments would create along Cleveland Street?
How could our city code permit such unsightly exterior/privacy walls to be built without setbacks and attractive greenery?
Why did we give a $387,000 development fee gift to a Sarasota architect/developer without protecting ourselves with nonperformance penalties if he failed to meet construction promises and deadlines?
Finally, what can we do to make a little lemonade from this lemon project?
I'd like to offer some suggestions which might help to prevent future goof-ups like Mediterranean Village. Perhaps we need city planners who would insure that future developments on our major streets have adequate setbacks and attractive greenery, and perhaps we should strengthen our city code to require that such things be done.
During my experience on the Clearwater Planning and Zoning Board and the Development Code Adjustment Board in the 1980s and '90s, I recall many instances where, guided by the city planning staff, we followed our past city code to the letter and insisted that both the front and back sides of properties be beautified with setbacks and plantings.
Also, when dealing with developers, we should more carefully ensure that our waivers of development fees and other financial incentives are not lost when a developer fails to produce.
Finally, I hope that some of our original and artistic citizens can suggest ways to soften the fortress-like appearance of Mediterranean Village along Cleveland Street, e.g., bright-colored paint, decorative shutters, planter boxes, etc. Let us learn from this mistake and strive to make our great city more beautiful.
-- Bill Schwob, Clearwater
Keep cats safe from coyotes - inside
Re: As coyotes prowl nightly, cats go missing, story, Sept. 25.
Folks, easy solution for keeping your cats safe and alive: Keep them indoors! How sad to see the front page of the Clearwater Times featuring the face of that beautiful cat, now missing, along with many others. As much as this saddens me as a lifelong cat lover and owner, I have to question why anyone would keep what should be a precious member of your family out in the wild to fend for itself.
Your article mentions the owners say that their cats don't "... roam the neighborhood" and stay close to their homes. This, however, would not stop predators such as coyotes or dogs from entering your yard, or prevent your pet from being mowed down by a car in the street - an equally horrible death.
If you feel that a cat has a natural instinct to be kept outdoors, I can show you four very pampered, fit and safe indoor cats who would beg to differ. If you are too lazy to own and maintain a litter box and this is your rationale for risking your cat's life by relegating it to the outdoors, then perhaps you should consider owning a goldfish, or better yet, a sea monkey.
Responsible pet owners understand that Pinellas County has a leash law and they respectfully adhere to this law for the well-being and safety of their pets.
-- Jules Stewart-Schmiederer, Dunedin
Coyotes are a reminder: Care for pets
Re: As coyotes prowl nightly, cats go missing, story, Sept. 25.
I can't believe that some of the residents want to actually kill the coyotes in their neighborhood with poison! But they won't because the poison could kill "innocent" animals.
What's wrong with this picture? A cat is innocent? Please. I think the coyote is nature's way of dealing with irresponsible pet owners.
-- Steve Yeatman, Clearwater
[Last modified September 30, 2003, 01:49:30]
