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CC SR 20160405 H - Helicopter Noise PetitionsRANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT AGENDA DESCRIPTION: MEETING DATE: 04/05/2016 AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar Consideration and possible action to submit a letter in support of the Los Angeles Area Helicopter Noise Coalition's proposed petitions to reduce helicopter noise. RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION: (1) Submit a letter in support of the Los Angeles Area Helicopter Noise Coalition's proposed petitions to reduce helicopter noise throughout Los Angeles County. FISCAL IMPACT: None Amount Budgeted: N/A Additional Appropriation: N/A Account Number(s): N/A ORIGINATED BY: So Kim, Senior Planner REVIEWED BY: Terry Rodrigue, Community Development Director APPROVED BY: Doug Willmore, City Manager,/;"" ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: A. Letter from Los Angeles Area Helicopter Noise Coalition (page A-1) B. Draft letter supporting the Los Angeles Area Helicopter Noise Coalition's petitions to the FAA (page B-1) BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION: Recently, the City received the attached letter from the Los Angeles Area Helicopter Noise Coalition (LAAHNC) requesting that the City Council support their petition to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish Special Federal Aviation Regulations (SFARs) to mitigate helicopter noise impacts and related safety issues (Attachment A). Specifically, the petitions propose to require: 1) Helicopters to fly at a minimum of 2,000' above ground level, with exceptions; 2) Media helicopters to hover/orbit in one location for 5 minutes or less in any one- hour period, and tour helicopters 3 minutes or less, with exceptions; 3) Media helicopters to plan for pooling coverage during planned and unplanned incidents; and, 4) Helicopters flying along the coastline to be at least'/2 mile offshore to reduce onshore noise impacts. 1 LAAHNC asserts that voluntary measures by helicopter pilots to avoid noise sensitive areas have been ineffective. LAAHNC has spent more than three years conducting over 60 meetings with helicopter operators on this matter, and have not been able to agree on any significant voluntary flight measures. Thus, the proposed mitigation measures would benefit the City's residents by minimizing helicopter noise impacts, especially along the shoreline, thereby improving the quality of life for the community. Currently, the FAA is accepting public comments as part of its consideration of whether or not to consider the proposed petitions by LAAHNC. Unless there is a strong show of support from impacted communities, the FAA may be reluctant to adopt any new helicopter regulations. So far, the cities of Los Angeles, Lomita, West Hollywood and Hermosa Beach have shown their support for the LAAHNC petitions. Since helicopter noise in the Rancho Palos Verdes has been a great concern to our residents for many years, Staff recommends that the City Council support LAAHNC's petitions to the FAA. Should the City Council agree, Staff will submit the attached letter signed by the Mayor (Attachment B) to the FAA. ALTERNATIVES: In addition to the Staff recommendation, the following alternate actions are available for the City Council's consideration: Do not authorize the Mayor to sign the letter in support of LAAHNC's petitions. 2 Los Angeles Area Helicopter Noise Coalition Citizens seeking relief from helicopter noise — R problem for more than 40 years LAHelicopterNoise.org February 15, 2016 President Bob Anderson Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association Vice President Richard Root Honorable Mayor and City Council of Rancho Palos Verdes Citizens for Quiet Helicopters (Torrance) Treasurer Dave Garfinkle Subject: Request for Support for Petitions to Reduce Helicopter Noise Tarzana Property Owners Association George Abrahams Beachwood Canyon We are writing to urge you to support petitions filed by the Los Angeles Area Helicopter Neighborhood Association Noise Coalition (LAAHNC) asking the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to adopt John Bailey specific regulations to mitigate helicopter noise in Los Angeles County. Southeast Torrance Homeowners Association On December 20, 2011, the City Council of Rancho Palos Verdes voted to authorize the Gerry Hans Friends of Griffith Park Mayor to sign a letter of support for the Los Angeles Residential Helicopter Noise Relief Act David Rankell of 2011 (H.R. 2677), which directed the FAA to establish regulations to reduce helicopter Van Nuys Airport noise pollution in residential areas of Los Angeles County. Citizens Advisory Council Roy Meals H.R. 2677 never came to a vote. Meanwhile, the FAA recommended that helicopter operators Co -Developer of HeliTracker and residents collaborate, with assistance from the FAA, in an effort to agree on voluntary Holmby Westwood flight practices in lieu of mandatory regulations. The LAAHNC was formed in 2012 to Property ty OOwners Assoc. wn represent residents in this effort. Mike Councilman, City of Lomita In January 2014, Congress directed the FAA, through the Secretary of Transportation, to take Donna Sievers Bluff Heights (Long Beach) specific steps to address helicopter noise in Los Angeles Coimty and make significant Neighborhood Association progress in the following year or begin the regulatory process (see page 3 for attached copy of Gerald A. Silver H.R. 3547). Homeowners of Encino Rudy Whitcomb LAAHNC has spent more than three years in over 60 meetings with helicopter operators on Rolling Hills Estates this subject and have not been able to agree on any significant voluntary flight measures. No Wayne Williams Van Nuys Airport significant progress has been made. So, on October 20, 2015, LAAHNC submitted four Citizens Advisory Council petitions to the FAA recommending specific mandatory flight regulations that would reduce helicopter noise in Los Angeles County. Petition No. 01 (No. FAA -2015-5041) Helicopter Minimum Altitudes — Require non- emergency helicopters to fly at least 2,000 feet above ground level, with exceptions. Petition No. 02 (No. FAA -2015-5042) Helicopter Hover/Orbit Restrictions — Require media helicopters to hover/orbit in one location for five minutes or less in any one-hour period, and tour helicopters to hover/orbit for three minutes or less, with exceptions. Petition No. 03 (No. FAA -2015-5043) Mandatory Media Helicopter Pooling — Require media helicopters to plan for pooling coverage during planned and unplanned incidents. Petition No. 04 (No. FAA -2015-5044) Shore Line Route — Require helicopters flying along the coastline to fly at least one-half mile offshore to reduce noise onshore. LAAHNC, Post Office Box 571448, Tarzana, CA 91357-1448 page 1 of 4 A-1 LAAHNC Request for Support for Petitions to Reduce Helicopter Noise We believe these measures would benefit the residents of Rancho Palos Verdes by mitigating helicopter noise, improving the environment, and restoring quality of life. In particular, there is a high concentration of flights along the shoreline of the entire Palos Verdes peninsula, and this fact has been documented by flight track data developed by the FAA. In recent years, many cities in Los Angeles County have adopted resolutions supporting the need for general regulations, without specific proposals, to address helicopter noise (see page 4 for attached list of supporters). Moreover, the list includes virtually all of the eleven cities on the County's coastline. We are now asking these cities and others to adopt resolutions urging the FAA to evaluate our petitions and the proposed specific regulations. So far, the Cities of Lomita and West Hollywood have done so. Also, a motion of support was recently introduced by the Los Angeles City Council and it will be coming back to them for approval. The FAA is currently considering whether or not to evaluate our petitions. They could dismiss them, based on other priorities or lack of funding, without even considering their merits. They are currently taking public comments on the petitions on the Federal website at http://www.Regulations.gov/. The FAA will be reluctant to adopt any regulations unless there is a strong showing of support from the impacted public. We hope the City of Rancho Palos Verdes will support our petitions and submit your comments to the FAA. Thank you. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please contact Richard Root at (310) 617-5439 or RichardRklahelicopternoise.org. Sincerely, Bob Anderson, Sherman Oaks, CA President, LAAHNC LAAHNC Richard Root, Torrance, CA Vice President, LAAHNC pale :, 4 LAAHNC Request for Support for Petitions to Reduce Helicopter Noise CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2014 (Excerpts) H. R. 3547 AN ACT Making consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2014, and for other purposes. Section 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014. Excerpts: DIVISON L Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014 TITLE I Department of transportation Office Of The Secretary Sec. 119D. The Secretary shall (1) evaluate and adjust existing helicopter routes above Los Angeles, and make adjustments to such routes if the adjustments would lessen impacts on residential areas and noise -sensitive landmarks; (2) analyze whether helicopters could safely fly at higher altitudes in certain areas above Los Angeles County; (3) develop and promote best practices for helicopter hovering and electronic news gathering; (4) conduct outreach to helicopter pilots to inform them of voluntary policies and to increase awareness of noise sensitive areas and events; (5) work with local stakeholders to develop a more comprehensive noise complaint system; and (6) continue to participate in collaborative engagement between community representatives and helicopter operators: Provided, That not later than one year after enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall begin a regulatory process related to the impact of helicopter use on the quality of life and safety of the people of Los Angeles County unless the Secretary can demonstrate significant progress in undertaking the actions required under the previous proviso. LAAHNC page 4 f 4 LAAHNC Request for Support for Petitions to Reduce Helicopter Noise SUPPORT FOR LA COUNTY HELICOPTER NOISE RELIEF Prepared by Los Angeles Area Helicopter Noise Coalition LAAHNC (updated June 22, 2015) S 208 — SENATE SPONSORS DIANNE FEINSTEIN — Lead Sponsor BARBARA BOXER HR 456 — CONGRESSMEMBER COSPONSORS ADAM SCHIFF (CA 28) — Lead Sponsor BRAD SHERMAN (CA 30) HENRY WAXMAN (CA 33) JANICE HAHN (CA 44) joined 02/06/13 TONY CARDENAS (CA 29) joined 03/15/13 KAREN BASS (CA 37) joined 04/18/13 ALAN LOWENTHAL (CA 47) joined 10/15/13 RESOLUTIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE LOS ANGELES RESIDENTIAL HELICOPTER NOISE RELIEF ACT OF 2013 (S 208 and HR 456) 06/22/15 HILLSIDE FEDERATION LETTER OF SUPPORT (support for LAAHNC efforts) 12/16/14 BURBANK CITY COUNCIL (support need for FAA regulation) 10/23/14 SOUTH BAY CITIES COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS* (support need for FAA regulation) 04/22/14 PALOS VERDES ESTATES (Mayor's Letter) 10/08/13 LONG BEACH CITY COUNCIL 08/26/13 SANTA MONICA CITY COUNCIL 08/26/13 CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY 06/24/13 SANTA MONICA AIRPORT COMMISSION 05/08/13 LAX COMMUNITY NOISE ROUNDTABLE 05/07/13 MANHATTAN BEACH CITY COUNCIL 04/18/13 CALIFORNIA SENATE 04/08/13 MALIBU CITY COUNCIL 04/08/13 HIDDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL 03/13/13 CITY OF ROLLING HILLS ESTATES (HR 456) 03/06/13 LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL 03/05/13 VAN NUYS AIRPORT CITIZENS ADVISORY COUNCIL 03/04/13 WEST HOLLYWOOD CITY COUNCIL 02/19/13 LOMITA CITY COUNCIL 02/15/13 LOS ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS (administrative action) * A Joint Powers Authority of 16 cities and LA County (Cities not listed above include Carson, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Rolling Hills, and Torrance) RESOLUTIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE LOS ANGELES RESIDENTIAL HELICOPTER NOISE RELIEF ACT OF 2011 (HR 2677) 11/20/12 BEVERLY HILLS CITY COUNCIL 10/02/12 REDONDO BEACH CITY COUNCIL 08/14/12 LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCIL 08/06/12 CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE 03/27/12 HERMOSA BEACH CITY COUNCIL 03/26/12 CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY 02/14/12 PALOS VERDES ESTATES CITY COUNCIL 01/24/12 ROLLING HILLS ESTATES CITY COUNCIL 01/11/12 LAX COMMUNITY NOISE ROUNDTABLE 01/03/12 LOMITA CITY COUNCIL 12/20/11 RANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL 11/08/11 LOS ANGELES COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 07/29/11 WEST HOLLYWOOD CITY COUNCIL Note: Cities shown above in bold type are located on Los Angeles County's shoreline LAAHNC page 4 pf 4 CITY OF LA& RANCHO April 5, 2016 US Department of Transportation — Document Operations 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE West Building Ground Floor Room W 12-140 Washington, DC 20590 PALOS VERDES SUBJECT: COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF DOCKET NOS. FAA -2015-5041, FAA -2015-5042, FAA -2015-5043, AND FAA -2015-5044 To Whom It May Concern: The City of Rancho Palos Verdes is home to over 40,000 residents, many of whom are affected by the noise caused by helicopter operations. More specifically, helicopters operating too close to the coastline and at low altitudes over residential neighborhoods cause noise impacts that threaten the quality of life for our residents. The excessive and intrusive noise pollution from helicopters hovering over residential areas is a result of media and news coverage rather than from law enforcement. Currently, the FAA currently has no relevant noise standards for helicopters. Recently, the City has been made aware of the following Los Angeles Helicopter Noise Coalition's (LAAHNC) petitions to the FAA to establish Special Federal Aviation Regulations (SFARs) to mitigate the helicopter and related safety issues: FAA -2015-5041 Petition requiring helicopters to fly at minimum of 2,000' above ground level, with exceptions. FAA -2015-5042 Petition requiring media helicopters to hover/orbit in one location for 5 minutes or less in any one-hour period, and tour helicopters 3 minutes or less, with exceptions made in specific or emergency situations. FAA -2015-5043 Petition requiring the creation of a media pool share system to manage media helicopter operations in Los Angeles County in cases of planned and unplanned incidents. FAA -2015-5044 Petition requiring helicopters that fly along the Los Angeles County shoreline to fly at least one-half mile offshore. Helicopter noise in the City has been a concern to residents for many years. Voluntary measures by helicopter pilots to avoid noise sensitive areas have been ineffective. Therefore, the City Council on behalf of the residents of Rancho Palos Verdes support and request your consideration of the LAAHNC's aforementioned petitions to regulate helicopter noise in Los Angeles County. Sincerely, Ken Dyda, Mayor of City of Rancho Palos Verdes As