Airport bid to buy homes raises fears
Friday, July 22, 2005
BY MARY KLAUS
Of The Patriot-News
With Harrisburg International Airport planes flying overhead, Highspire residents are used to noise.
But residents of this close-knit borough of 2,720 have made their own noise about offers from the airport to buy homes close to HIA.
About 500 homeowners near the airport could be eligible to sell their houses to HIA as a result of a study showing that they live within a federally established "noise annoyance" level.
Under a federal program, HIA could buy homes from residents who wish to sell, with most of the money coming from the federal government. But the local government must agree to participate.
Some residents fear that airport officials plan to seize their houses by eminent domain, or that they could be forced to sell their homes.
About 30 residents came to Highspire's council meeting earlier this week to discuss their concerns.
The airport has no plans to acquire any homes against their owners' will, said Fred Testa, HIA's director of aviation. But residents say they are concerned.
"I'm not bothered by the noise," said Jennifer Martindale of 567 Eshelman St. "I don't even notice it. But I am bothered by all the different stories we're hearing about what may happen to our homes."
John McHale, Highspire borough manager and police chief, expressed concern that if everyone eligible takes the buyout, it would be "the death of Highspire."
Testa said he has grown weary of speculation that the airport is trying to seize homes. He said that 21 Highspire homeowners gave him a petition saying they want to sell their homes to HIA.
"I'm tired of being the big, bad wolf here," Testa said. "I'm sorry we ever started the thing. We did the study after some Highspire residents complained about the noise. We wanted to find a program to give people a choice."
Testa said the ball is in Highspire Borough Council's court "because council has to vote on whether it will or won't support this federal program."
Testa said that over the past two years, the Landrum & Brown engineering firm of Cincinnati conducted a study on HIA's noise in Highspire, Middletown and Lower Swatara Twp. Only the 500 homes in Highspire, where noise is highest, would be eligible for voluntary buyouts.
"We don't want to own property all around Highspire," he said. "We don't want to produce vacant lots all over the place or own strip malls. We just wanted to give people a choice about staying in Highspire or moving."
Testa said that under a voluntary buyout program, the airport would pay the appraised value, plus moving expenses. In some cases, HIA would pay more.
"If a person in a $65,000 Highspire home with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a 6,000-foot lot wants to move to Lower Swatara Twp. and finds a similar house for $85,000, we will pay the $20,000 difference if, and I emphasize if, it's a reasonable difference," he said. "They can't expect to move to a condo in Florida or a house in Camp Hill and have us pay the difference."
In a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration, McHale wrote, "The findings of the study and implementation procedures can also be used to remove most of the long-standing residential community for the purpose of bringing commercial and air cargo operations closer to the airport."
Testa said that won't happen. "We are not going to do dastardly deeds. We can't rezone; only council can. We can't sell 10 houses in a residential zone and say it's commercial."
Martindale, who has lived in South Africa, England, Belgium and several states, wants to stay in Highspire.
"I love my house," she said. "I love my neighbors. I've never felt a sense of community more than Highspire, which is why we bought here and want to stay here."
"People are getting stressed out over this," Councilwoman April Miller said.
"We're not a rich town, so if a lot of people leave and we have less tax money for services, it will hurt. And if four people on one block sell and their homes are torn down, the value of the other houses goes down. Council doesn't have all the answers."
"It's created controversy," said Mayor Wayne Shank, who has lived in Highspire for 72 years, of the study. "But it has people talking to each other."
MARY KLAUS: 255-8113 or
mklaus@patriot-news.com