Log a Complaint

A irport Neighbors Association
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

To Log a Noise Complaint . . . Simply click the link below when you are ready to send a noise complaint to the airport. A pre-addressed email form will appear.

http://info@mitchellairport.com

YOU DON'T HAVE TO RESPOND THE MOMENT THE INCIDENT HAPPENS. SOME PEOPLE KEEP A LOG OF THEIR COMPLAINTS AND EMAIL OR CALL THEM IN EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS
If you're not sure how to email your complaint, follow the example below

Example of an Email Noise Complaint
Most people use their word processor to compose their complaints then, when they're ready to send, they copy and paste it into the message window of the email link above.
Please log the following noise complaint(s):
(date), (time) -- Loud jet take-off that disrupted my sleep
(date), (time) -- Low flying plane
(date), (time) -- Frequency and loudness of planes taking off to the (direction - North, South, East, West)

A follow-up letter regarding your investigation into my complaint(s) is requested. Thank you.

Your Name
Your Address
Your City and Zip Code

Send the message.

[If you don't use our link the address is info@mitchellairport.com Be sure to put ''Noise Complaint(s)'' in the Subject line of your email]

To Phone In a Noise Complaint
Dial 747-4677 Listen to the message, then after the tone be brief and as accurate as you can:
   "This is (your name).
   My address is (your address).
   I am registering an airport noise complaint that occurred (date and time), when (describe the disturbance as best you can -- low flying plane, loud take-off, ground activity, etc.).
   I (want/don't want) a follow-up call from the airport." (Be sure to give your daytime phone number if you want a call back.)
Hang up. Remember that if you don't give your name and address and are just calling anonymously, your complaint might not be registered.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO CALL THE MOMENT THE INCIDENT HAPPENS. SOME PEOPLE KEEP A LOG OF THEIR COMPLAINTS AND CALL THEM IN EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS.
The Importance of Your Noise Complaint
   Like most people in Milwaukee, your home is probably your biggest single investment. You maintain it. You insure it. You keep it safe and comfortable to live in. You protect the investment you've made because it is valuable to you.
   When something happens that might jeopardize your investment or your quality of life, there is little doubt that you would do your best to control it.
   When airplane noise invades your property it is affecting your quality of life. It could also lead to making your property less valuable. Common sense dictates action on your part. Logging a noise complaint makes a record of your concerns.
Why Complain?
   Airports spend enormous energy downplaying complaints (through statistical manipulation or categorization) and actively discouraging neighbors from filing complaints. The reason for this is simple: complaints are an indicator of public dissatisfaction with the airport, and LOTS of complaints indicate that there may be a political cost to operating the airport.
   Every person that is exposed to airport noise should never ever succumb to the perverted logic of the airport noise complaint system. Even though the only response you may get is a form letter stating that "noise abatement procedures are in place" don't be satisfied. Airports are owned by public entities (cities and counties mostly). Make a fuss with the political entity that owns and operates the airport. (see our "Contacts" page.)
   Many people impacted with airport noise don't realize the great importance of noise complaint statistics in the struggle to reduce aircraft noise. As noted in Aviation Watch recently, there is an alarming trend of FAA funding of "studies" on how to "manage" public perception of airport noise. This is double talk, of course.
   For some unknown reason back in 1993 Milwaukee County government, by Resolution, decided not to protect the quality of life for hundreds of property owners in the 65 to 68.5 Ldn* airport noise area. The County Board of Supervisors had the authority, the ability, and the access to dedicated federal funds to provide the needed protection from airport noise. Many airport communities throughout the nation were receiving these funds to protect their homeowners. Why not Milwaukee? Were the funds used for some other purpose like a new parking garage or more gates at the airport?
   Standard Land Use Compatibility Tables used by the FAA and land use planners show that, for residential areas, the noise range of 65-70 Ldn is considered non-compatible with airport operations. 65 Ldn and above is used to indicate a limit at which most people become "highly annoyed" with airplane noise. Highly annoyed people usually take some sort action -- like calling in a noise complaint or writing a letter to an elected official. Highly annoyed persons may go as far as taking their case to court to get relief.
   Was Milwaukee County banking on public apathy? It wouldn't be the first time -- or the last. Did they realize that very few people here would take the initiative to complain about anything? Were they taking advantage of the good nature of a relatively small group of County residents? (Also not a first.) The reason just doesn't seem to matter now. What does matter is that people have had their quality of life compromised for more than 10 years. What is poignant about this is that it wasn't necessary. If Milwaukee County had acted in the best interests of its citizens in 1993 by applying for full funding from the FAA for noise mitigation we wouldn't be bringing this up today. The County's mission statement for the airport says it will be sensitive to the needs of its neighbors. What hypocrisy!
   People who decided to buy their homes near the airport knew it was there. They had to realize that there would be some amount of airplane noise. What they didn't realize was that Milwaukee County, the airport owner, would continue to expand airport capacity -- thus airport noise and air pollution -- while giving little concern to the quality of life of adjacent home owners.
   Do people have a reason to complain about airplane noise? Not only do they have a reason, they have the right -- and the OBLIGATION as good citizens.

* Ldn (also referenced as DNL -- day and night loudness) is an average of all the noise that occurs in an average day -- and then averaged again over a year. It does not consider the real life conditions in which people actually live --where you may be woken up several times a night by loud aircraft. Those events are simply "averaged" over the rest of your day. Incidentally, sound is measured on a logarithmic scale so the difference between 65 and 70 decibels is roughly a doubling of the noise.

How many times have you heard: "You knew there's an airport near by, so stop whining" Oh, really? (Read our short essay below)

"Stop whining"
   Many of us have heard, "You knew the airport was there when you bought your home, so stop whining. If you don't like it just move." They fail to realize that for many people moving is not an option.
   A radio talk show host keeps saying, "Don't move next to an airport and then complain about the noise." This same guy is appalled when a corner tavern turns into a high traffic gentlemans' night club, saying the neighbors didn't expect that sort of thing and shouldn't allow it. "Nothing good ever happens at 2 AM outside a night club."
   Most of us did know the airport was nearby, and we did expect a certain amount of noise because of it. We were willing to forego some of that inconvenience in order to live in an area that had decent homes, decent neighbors, was a place we could raise our kids without too many worries, and showed a promise of stability so that our investment would not be squandered. But over the years our analogous "corner tavern" has been slowly transformed into a "night club."
   Many homes around the airport have now been considered to be non-compatible with airport operations. How did that happen? What did those inconsiderate folks do to their property that makes it so "non-compatible" with the airport? Was it their fault that a growing airport now finds it necessary to encroach on their property and their lives in order to provide service to the flying public?
   No, of course not! All they did was take part in the great American dream of home ownership. For many, it's their largest single assets. Now the full use and enjoyment of their property has been diminished because they apparently failed to predict the future.
   Should we all pack up and move away, let the neighborhood go to hell, and let the next guy -- if there is a next guy -- deal with it? Or should we stay and work toward stability and sustainability?
   The airport -- Mitchell Field as it was know then (the analogous "corner tavern" posing few problems) -- was designed in and for a different era. Heavy jet air traffic was not on anybody's radar screen. The City of Milwaukee saw no need to implement a land use program that would limit residential building around the airport. Besides, who in city government would propose limiting the highest possible use of land (residential) and consequently turn away tax revenues amounting to millions and millions of dollars year after year just to protect the interests of Milwaukee County's airport and its users? After all, it was a regional airport serving the needs of the community -- that's all. No worries here!
   If City officials had reason to believe land use around the airport need not be controlled, then how can anyone expect home builders and owners -- both recent and for years past -- to know any different? Common sense, you say? Whose common sense are we talking about?
   Most of the homes that are near the airport area were built well before air travel became popular -- well before the jet age came to Milwaukee. Were the builders of those homes negligent for not anticipating what impact the future airport would produce? How could they have possibly known that their efforts would prove to be "non-compatible"? Shouldn't there have been some sort of warning? Even a land use plan or a zoning restriction on home building would have been helpful. Apparently local governments never had a crystal ball. But home builders and home owners, well, you should have predicted the future.
   Today Mitchell Field -- with runways that are non-compliant with FAA safety standards because the airport has no room available to make them safe -- awkwardly finds itself in the jet age with too much airport in too little a space, being surrounded by what the FAA deems "non-compatible land uses." It's now known as General Mitchell International Airport and it's the 50th busiest of some 430 commercial airports in the U.S. with somewhere around 600 operations per day (an "operation" is a take off or a landing). That amounts to about 25 operations an hour – one every two and a half minutes all day and all night. Using our "night club" analogy, could you imagine a steady stream of patrons coming and going down your street at that rate? Who wouldn't complain (whine)?
   If a finger must be pointed, point it at County government – the entity that is responsible for planning and eagerly growing the airport –- trading short term profit for long term livability -- but not responsible for land use planning. That, of course, would be the city – which just sat back and let it happen. Why? Remember the highest use of the land and tax revenue?
   It would be appropriate to say that if anyone could have predicted the future impact it would have been local governments – both City and County. Although they don't have a crystal ball, they do have extensive staffs of planners, consultants, and engineers. Both governmental units failed to exercise common sense -- to this day there is no land use plan or a plan to address the environmental consequences of airport growth. And County government, continues its plans to further expand the airport despite all the consequences, i.e., livability vs. dubious profit for someone. So enamored was County government with the users of the airport that they voted to give them about $3,000,000 in reduced rental fees when trouble struck. What about the folks who were waiting for noise relief year after year?
   What's a homeowner to do? What are the options? Well, we could do nothing and allow the blight to continue to creep in; or, those of us that are able could move away and just forget about it; or we can try to keep our neighborhoods stable and protect our investment at the same time. The Airport Neighbors Association has a plan for that. Is anybody listening to us?
   So, next time someone tells you to stop complaining, ask them what they'd do if one of their neighbors had a dog that barked all night, or left a diesel truck idling on the street all day -- all with the blessings and encouragement of government.
   Better yet, ask them what they'd do if their corner bar was slowly transformed into a noisy cabaret that was open 24 hours a day. If they cared about their neighborhood, somewhere along the line wouldn't they have stepped up and said something, like most responsible citizens would do?
   Or is that "whining"?
   A mutually agreeable solution is possible if all parties worked toward that end. But an unwilling and unrelenting County government seems to think that a bigger airport will solve a whole lot of unrelated problems. They call the airport an "economic engine" for our area. Yet, little by little, year after year, population and businesses are removing themselves from the city that hosts the airport. Where's the economic gain here? It's hard to realize one, isn't it! But the noise and air pollution is easily recognizable -- and so will the deterioration of property if Milwaukee County government continues to ignore its' environmental responsibilities.