HAS Residential Noise Mitigation Program
The primary goal of the HAS program was to mitigate the impacts of aircraft-generated noise from Runway 9/27 on incompatible land uses located in the North Hollow Subdivision near the George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). The project was FAA funded.
A secondary goal was to prevent the development of future incompatible land uses within the North Hollow neighborhood (eligible area).
VRA was responsible for the community outreach program associated with the HAS Residential Noise Mitigation Program. VRA designed and implemented a comprehensive Neighborhood Outreach Program to FAA standards that informed and solicited input from the communities affected by runway noise at IAH. VRA was responsible for the planning, scheduling, coordinating, conducting, documenting and exhibit preparation for all public involvement activities. Specific elements of the program under VRA’s supervision were:
Program materials; Informational brochures; Comprehensive interactive project website; Homeowner’s Handbook; Program video; Program forms; Pre-construction questionnaire; Pre-construction brochure; Post-construction Homeowner Satisfaction Survey; Program newsletter; Public information; Additional community outreach; Contractor outreach; Database management.
Three and half years into the project, the FAA elected to update their qualifications for a homeowner to be eligible for the program. This reduced those that could qualify by over half and many of those homes would only partially qualify. This created a highly disgruntled group of stakeholders that complained to City Council, the FAA SW Region and headquarters, and finally to U.S. Congressman Poe. The FAA eventually backed off the new requirements for this project only, which required all homes (156) to be noise tested again. Additional outreach efforts were put into place to inform homeowners, which included individual phone calls and post cards to each homeowner.
A secondary goal was to prevent the development of future incompatible land uses within the North Hollow neighborhood (eligible area).
VRA was responsible for the community outreach program associated with the HAS Residential Noise Mitigation Program. VRA designed and implemented a comprehensive Neighborhood Outreach Program to FAA standards that informed and solicited input from the communities affected by runway noise at IAH. VRA was responsible for the planning, scheduling, coordinating, conducting, documenting and exhibit preparation for all public involvement activities. Specific elements of the program under VRA’s supervision were:
Program materials; Informational brochures; Comprehensive interactive project website; Homeowner’s Handbook; Program video; Program forms; Pre-construction questionnaire; Pre-construction brochure; Post-construction Homeowner Satisfaction Survey; Program newsletter; Public information; Additional community outreach; Contractor outreach; Database management.
Three and half years into the project, the FAA elected to update their qualifications for a homeowner to be eligible for the program. This reduced those that could qualify by over half and many of those homes would only partially qualify. This created a highly disgruntled group of stakeholders that complained to City Council, the FAA SW Region and headquarters, and finally to U.S. Congressman Poe. The FAA eventually backed off the new requirements for this project only, which required all homes (156) to be noise tested again. Additional outreach efforts were put into place to inform homeowners, which included individual phone calls and post cards to each homeowner.
Project Structure
Prime: C&S Engineers; RS&H Engineers
VRA served as subconsultant.
Scope of Work
- Public outreach
- Stakeholder outreach
- Graphic design
- Database management
- Federal agency coordination