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A Few Clouds and Breezy Plane noise rattling North Woodmere
Residents want Port Authority to redirect flight paths
The evenings are the worst, according to residents like Alex Libkind, who say that airplane noise is reducing the quality of life in North Woodmere.
Libkind, who lives on Nutley Place, estimates that for the past month or so, planes have been flying overhead until 1 or 2 a.m., and starting up again at around 6 a.m. “It’s moved completely to our neighborhood,” he said of the overhead racket. “If the noise weren’t continuous, it would be OK, but it’s steady.”
And it has affected his daily life, Libkind added. “I can’t keep windows open to sleep at night anymore,” he said. “I can’t get to sleep or stay asleep. There’s no fresh air, so I’ll be using my air conditioner. I just hope my soundproofing is good, or adequate.”
Another North Woodmere resident, Rochelle Taub, who lives a few blocks from Libkind, on Plainview Lane, says she has the same noise problem. It wasn’t until she was catching a train at the Gibson Long Island Rail Road station on April 8 that she saw a sign posted — just one sign, she said — alerting residents about a redirection of aircraft flight paths over North Woodmere.
“We thought the noise was temporary,” Taub said. “Other than the sign at the Gibson train station, there have been no postings. We didn’t see any notice here. You have to at least inform people. You have to give people a chance to know what’s going on, as it’s so sudden and so prominent. It’s upsetting.”
Judith Gutman, who is also tired of the noise, started an online petition she named “Stop commercial jets from flying over North Woodmere.” She and her husband moved to the community for peaceful living, Gutman said.
“The planes are extremely loud and sometimes cause my whole house to vibrate,” she said. “I’ve had headaches due to the noise and vibration, and the planes have woken my babies up at night. I’ve heard planes as late as 2 a.m. I DVR all my TV shows because I know I’ll have to rewind every time a loud one flies by. It’s all just added to my frustration with living in this neighborhood.”
