Residents' concerns dominated a public workshop Ohio State held Thursday evening about the Don Scott Field airport extension project.
The OSU airport's proposed master plan includes the expansion of the north runway from 3,000 to 6,000 feet, the development of the south and north hanger and a new flight education center.
The workshop was held at an elementary school across the street from Don Scott airport where William Baeslack, dean of the college of engineering at OSU, explained the preliminary environmental assessment on the proposed project.
OSU hired environmental consultants more than a year ago to analyze, among other things, current noise levels produced by the airport and the predicted future noise levels if expansions are made.
This was an informal meeting OSU voluntarily set up to have an open discourse on the matter, Baeslack said.
The airport is surrounded by the suburbs of northern Columbus on West Case Road, and more than 100 area residents were present for a question-and-answer session regarding the extensions.
As reported in The Lantern on Sept. 20, area residents are upset with current noise levels and believe that possible future expansion of the airport will only increase noise levels.
The current environmental studies show the average noise levels are within the range of current regulations set by the Federal Aviation Administration, and that the future expansion project will also stay within this range.
"We have for 20 years battled with Ohio State over Don Scott. The planes continue to come in knocking the leaves off of trees (and) shattering any aspect of conversation," said Mary Jo Cusack, mayor of Riverlea, a village of about 500 residents surrounded by Worthington.
Cusack requested that Baeslack release information on specific noise levels on single incidents.
"(The average) doesn't mean (anything), because the single jets that are coming over Riverlea and other areas in the vicinity are so loud," Cusack said.
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