By Jim Clark

A resolution regarding the impact of Logan Airport flight paths was discussed and adopted by the Somerville Board of Alderman at their General Meeting last Thursday.

Citing the multitude of complaints from residents made to members of the Board of Aldermen and the government of the City of Somerville about the noise from flights taking off from Logan Airport since the beginning of this spring and continuing through this summer, the Board unanimously resolved to take measures to try to alleviate the problem.

The operation of Logan’s Runway 33L directs each and every plane departing from Logan Airport to fly directly over the City of Somerville, sometimes beginning before 6:00 am and running constantly until 11:30 p.m., often for many days in a row.

Somerville residents have often been subjected to the noise of hundreds of planes for days without a letup. Because the jets fly so close to the ground, the noise they generate is so great that people often cannot speak in a normally during conversations or even enjoy being outdoors.

Alderman At Large Mary Jo Rossetti emphatically urged the Board to take action. “People have had it,” according to Rossetti. “Some of the constituents are sending me copies of their communications. One gentleman said that their two-year-old child was shaking and saying, ‘Daddy, is that plane going to land on our roof?’”

Rossetti went on to report a litany of complaints from concerned citizens regarding the issue. “I know some people are telling me we’re beating a dead horse because this has happened before and they do nothing,” she said. “We cannot let this go on. This is not right.”

Rossetti acknowledged that a lot of calls have been taken by Massport and the FAA, but also that a backlog exists in their efforts to respond to citizen outrage. She further urged everyone to continue their efforts to send the right message to authorities, emphasizing the extreme nature of the situation.

Board President and Alderman At Large William A. White Jr. noted that attempts have been made in the past to take legal action against those in control of the flights, albeit unsuccessfully up to this time, and agreed that new initiatives are in order that will hopefully affect real change in the situation.

The Board’s resolution proclaims that it is unreasonable to subject people to this continuous noise from early in the morning until late in the evening, which substantially derogates from the quality of life that people expect to enjoy in their homes, community and backyards.

With the passage of the resolution, the Board will convey the impacts of these flights on Somerville residents to Massport and the FAA, requesting that they take measures to reduce the impact of noise from the use of Runway 33L. Members of the Somerville state delegation and the office of Congressman Michael Capuano will also be lobbied on the matter.

Additionally, it has been ordered by the Board that the City Clerk request from Massport a detailed report of complaints received relative to air traffic from April 2014 to the present day, and that the Director of Constituent Services (311) also maintain a log of complaints from residents.

Concerned citizens are encouraged to lodge their complaints by calling Massport is 617- 561-3333 or by going to their website at: http://www.massport.com/environment/environmental-reporting/noise-abatement/noise-complaints/.