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TESTIMONY

Deborah Lapidula, Howard Beach/Lindenwood Resident on Excessive Helicopter Noise and Potential Structural Damage Concerns Near JFK Airport

3:40:54

·

160 sec

Lapidula testifies about the severe noise disruptions and safety concerns caused by non-essential helicopter traffic in her Queens neighborhood near JFK airport.

  • She describes the noise as a 'true nightmare' with helicopters flying extremely low over residential areas starting at 7am daily.
  • The low-flying helicopters occur in all weather conditions, even during earthquakes, and impact quality of life and potentially building safety, including homes under construction.
  • Her city council member has dismissed her concerns, saying the helicopter operations are just a 'business' that residents must accept.
Deborah Lapidula
3:40:54
Hello.
3:40:54
Good day.
3:40:56
Hi.
3:40:56
Good afternoon.
3:40:58
My name is Deborah Lapidula, and I thank you for all that you do, especially Gail Brewer.
3:41:06
I'm calling from Queens.
3:41:07
I think there was only one other person from Queens Astoria, but I'm calling from Howard Beach, Lindenwood.
3:41:13
Which we are the backyard of JFK.
3:41:17
It is a true nightmare here of blade, the nonessential helicopters We have high rise condos coops in this area.
3:41:25
We have a high population of birds also.
3:41:28
And they start at 701 AM flying extremely low.
3:41:33
It doesn't matter what the weather is like.
3:41:36
Even the day that the earthquake took place, They were flying before, during the earthquake, and after.
3:41:42
And this is a true quality of life for many here, health wise, but no one is also addressing structural damages on buildings and homes.
3:41:53
We have homes here in the area that are under local law.
3:41:57
Construction.
3:41:58
And with these helicopters flying at the same time, this here could possibly cause a disaster in this neighborhood.
3:42:09
I don't understand why for all these years, I have been trying to have ears listen to me since 2016, calling on differing congress and all my city councilwoman from my district.
3:42:23
Has no interest in this whatsoever.
3:42:26
She will not participate.
3:42:27
She told me this is a business, and we just have to accept it.
3:42:31
Maybe we're earplugs.
3:42:32
And that's unacceptable.
3:42:35
It also is affecting veterans who suffer from PTSD.
3:42:40
They feel like they're back at war.
3:42:42
This is unfair of the torture that we're go that we're bearing for selfish people who want to zip across the skies for 7 minutes of their flight for $200.
3:42:53
And we have to bear each and every day.
3:42:58
You go to House of Warship.
3:43:00
And a funeral, a wedding, just a regular Sunday survey.
Josh Rousseau
3:43:04
Thank you.
Deborah Lapidula
3:43:06
So I'm hoping that this can see soon and change their caps.
Amanda Farías
3:43:11
Thank you so much for testing today.
3:43:12
I'm waiting patiently, virtually.
Deborah Lapidula
3:43:15
And one last thing to my end is maybe a sound can be done.
3:43:19
There's numerous 311 complaints made for 11414.
3:43:23
You can look them up, and we need someone to survey this area and see sound and and have a sound monitor.
3:43:30
It is unbearable.
3:43:31
Unbearable.
3:43:32
Thank you.
3:43:33
Have a good day.
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