$52 Million Soundproofing Project for High School Near JFK

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FLIGHT PLAN: $52 MIL FOR QUIET CLASS
SCHOOL SITS NEAR JFK
By ZACHARY GOELMAN and YOAV GONEN

May 17, 2008 -- Education officials yesterday released a bid to soundproof a Queens high school that sits under the flight path to JFK Airport - for a whopping $52 million.

The project is scheduled to provide new windows, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and exterior work to the Rockaway Park building that houses Beach Channel HS and Channel View School of Research, education officials said.

State and federal transportation administrators - whose agencies are footing the bill under a 25-year-old noise-reduction program - said the schools had asked to be part of the program sometime before 2000, the year the allocations were first approved.

But many students currently attending the schools seemed perplexed by such a costly overhaul.

"Airplanes aren't a problem," said 14-year-old Jocelin Conpos about engine roar at Channel View.

"I've never heard an airplane in my life," added 10th-grader Michael Naraiswar, 16, who also attends Channel View. [Full Article]

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First, Beach Channel is a good distance from JFK, under the path of 22 departures but by the time they get there they're a few thousand feet up. 20 years ago it was probably a bit noisy. Today with most of JFK's flights being very quiet A320s and RJs, I would challenge anyone to hear one at 3000 feet from inside a giant brick building. A 747 might be slightly audible, but it wouldn't shake the building to the point of distraction.

Second, $52 MILLION? It's a big school, but what are they doing, using Space Shuttle-grade windows and insulation? Especially infuriating when CUNY is facing a $26 million chop in the next city budget.

I attended Beach Channel High School (many years ago now... ). In fact I had to cut class to see the 1st concorde land at JFK. :D

Believe it or not, there actually was a noise problem with planes landing on one of the 4s in the afternoon. Well, that is, if you were in one of the huge 3rd floor Art Studio/Classrooms with a nice big wall of slanted windows overlooking the bay.

But, those planes were louder than they are today...

Quite of bit of money went into that school. There was a nice indoor swimming pool, about 4 big gymnasiums, plentiful "shop" class rooms, an outdoor garden in the middle of the complex, tennis courts, football field with bleachers, a track, softball field, large science labs, inflatable motorized boats to go out on the bay, large auditorium etc etc...

Alot of kids came from out-of-zone to go there.. Howard Beach, Ozone Park and even Brooklyn and Manhattan. Many kids were on a Regents track.

But just the other night I saw on the TV news that some "students" (savages) had assaulted another student and her mother. They were all laughing in the police van that was taking them away.

Then again, I do remember in my day, everyone getting ejected from a train at Broad Channel one morning after the emergency brake had been pulled three times between Howard Beach and Broad Channel. And another time, the crew thought the C train was on fire because so much "smoke" came out of the last couple of cars when we got out at Beach 98th street. Good times.. :D

Tom

Soundproofing a school? This is a total waste of funding. I bet it can get more than 65 decibels inside my home, but where are my reparations?