FAA Agrees To Buy Or Soundproof Homes Near MS Airport

Talk about quieting objections. As part of a $59 million program over the next eight years, the FAA has agreed to either soundproof -- or purchase -- over 1,110 homes and apartments near the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport.

On the estimated 1,010 properties that will be soundproofed, doors and windows will be replaced and new insulation will be placed in the attics, according to airport officials and contractor W.D. Schock Co. Homeowners also have the option of removing window air conditioners, and installing quieter central air conditioning -- with a maximum allotment of $30,000 per home.

The South Mississippi Sun Herald reports another 1,300 homeowners will be offered easements to pay for right-of-flyover privileges -- forestalling potential lawsuits down the road. Homeowners will receive a $3,000 check, with the easement recording on the property's title.

The FAA will buy another 122 homes outright, many of which were flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina last year.

"The people in Gulfport and Harrison County have been particularly receptive to the benefits of the airport on the commercial and military side," airport attorney Cy Fanceca said after a Monday meeting outlining the program. "Especially on the military side."

The program also includes soundproofing several businesses, as well as two schools and three churches.

FMI: www.faa.gov