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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-21-2024 AC Meeting – Public CommentsPalm Springs Airport Commission Meeng, February 21 , 2024 Public Comment from John Wilhelmi Email: ponyboston@gmail.com Cell: 617-823-7985 Good evening. My name is John Wilhelmi, and at last month’s Noise Commiee meeng, I gave a public comment about excess noise from the Enterprise Rent-a-Car’s vehicle washing operaons. I appended that one- page comment to the input that I am providing now. I am thrilled to see that this Commission has included this issue on tonight’s agenda, because it ’s incredibly important to me and to several of my neighbors. Briefly about me – I have lived next to the airport for several years, and I have lived in urban se*ngs for more than 35 years prior. Over that enre me, I ha ve never once complained to a City official about any issue, noise or otherwise. I had zero complaints about the airport here for the first few years that I lived at my current residence. My first ever complaint to any City official was in September of 2023, when Enterprise modified its car washing operaons on North Civic Drive. Their modificaon caused a new, loud, intermient whistling noise that I can hear inside my house. It occurs hundreds of mes per day on weekdays, weekends, and holidays; and it can be heard at more than 20 homes in the Sunmor neighborhood. It is my understanding that the Sunmor Neighborhood Organizaon will submit a leer about this issue as well. Regardless of the decibel levels of this noise, it is the nature of this noise – the high-pitched whistling that can be heard repeatedly at our homes all day long – that has been intolerable. We have been forced to listen to this noise every day for about 5 months with no end in sight. I connue to maintain that no other car rental comp any makes this noise – and no car washing facility anywhere in Palm Springs – makes this noise. What is beyond frustrang to me is that we aren’t complaining about some exoc new technology for whi ch sciensts and engineers have yet to figure out how to control noise. We are talking about a car wash. In the year 2024, what car wash is allowed to begin operang noise-generang equipment next to a residenal neighborhood, and do so without enclosures or other meaningful abatement? My reason for commenng is again to offer construcv e soluons. First, I offer to have any Commission member visit our backyard to listen to this noise. I included my contact informaon on my submission. Please feel free to take me up on this offer. Second, I request that this Commission urge in the strongest possible terms some type of immediate follow-up ac on – and allow the community to weigh in on proposals. Every addional day this noise invades o ur homes is literally painful. And third, I am willing to hire an independent noise consultant at my expense to provide aconable, reasonable, and effecve advice, but only if I knew that advice would be heeded. I conclude by appealing to your independent oversight authority to hopefully make something happen soon. Thank you. PS: I am providing this comment from my car, as I have a personal engagement this evening. As soon as I can break free from that, I will rejoin this meeng – but it might not be unl close to the meeng end .