Commercial jet noise is topic of PV workshop Commercial jet noise is topic of PV workshop (January 11, 2006)

Portola Valley and Woodside residents wanting to shake their fists at noisy, low-flying jets passing overhead may find ways to channel their irritation at a meeting this month.

A two-hour workshop that includes a presentation by an official from the San Francisco Airport Noise Abatement Office is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, January 19, at the Historic Schoolhouse at 765 Portola Road in Portola Valley.

In a crowded airspace like the Bay Area, getting flights safely on the ground is the first priority of the Federal Aviation Administration, but residents do have avenues for complaint. An agreement reached in 2000 by the FAA, San Francisco International Airport and nearby communities requires incoming airliners to fly 8,000 feet or higher over the foothills.

Noise-abatement data show that many flights are violating that standard. Workshop attendees will learn how to identify these flights, when to press the case, and what's ahead in terms of traffic volume and new noise-abatement technologies.

Trends have been positive over the past year, but not so good recently, said Portola Valley Mayor Steve Toben, the town's liaison to a community roundtable group that meets regularly with noise-abatement officials.

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