Journal & Topics Media Group

Next Home Soundproofing Phases Wait For Springfield


An airplane takes off from O’Hare Airport over Iroquois Park in Des Plaines on April 29, 2017. (Journal file photo)

Residential soundproofing has been going on for several decades near O’Hare Airport, but as the O’Hare Modernization Project winds down this year, the Chicago Department of Aviation is hoping to get as many homes near the airport soundproofed while there are funds and opportunity to do it.

At the Wednesday, Jan. 29 Residential Soundproofing Committee meeting at Norridge Village Hall, CDA Assistant Commissioner Aaron Frame gave updates on progress recruiting owners whose homes had been eligible in the past and can still sign up for this year.

Some buildings date back to the first soundproofing of residences once impacted by more than 65 decibels of noise. With OMP, which switched the runways at O’Hare to a primarily east-west configuration, a new set of noise contours was predicted.

Until the final extension for the runway is completed — predicted for January 2021 — some owners may not yet experience their future noise, he said.

And while ONCC committees try to predict the best way to rotate overnight noise, CDA is also trying to follow up with current property owners.

The historic homes south of the Peterson Avenue corridor in Norwood Park are being soundproofed with appropriate materials (wood instead of vinyl, for example) if they are contributing buildings in the Norwood Park National Register District.

Modern houses are not eligible for this very specific treatment, nor are any buildings north of the Peterson line at the moment. That could change in some future change in predicted flight paths.

In Norwood Park there are 132 homes eligible and 131 signed up which qualify to be done in 2020. Bid openings for the installation are expected in the spring.

There are also 321 non-historical houses in the parts of Norwood Park in the same area, which were already done in 2017. Of remaining possible buildings, 140 in Chicago are left to do, of which 31 would have to enroll for Phase 19.

Phase 18 will include 527 buildings: up to 250 in Phase 18A and up to 208 in 18B.

Still having a chance for Phase 19 are 112 dwelling units which could enroll.

Des Plaines has enrolled 25 in Phase 18, with 13 eligible for Phase 19.

Rosemont has enrolled four of the five remaining eligible residences.

Park Ridge has enrolled 47 in Phase 18 and has 10 more which could enroll in Phase 19.

Bensenville has enrolled 73 in Phase 18 but has 21 not enrolled yet, mostly from past programs.

Schiller Park has 91 enrolled in Phase 18 with 18 still eligible to enroll in Phase 19.

Wood Dale has enrolled 47 addresses with eight still eligible.

Unincorporated Cook County enrolled 16 with four left. Unincorporated DuPage County enrolled one with three still eligible.

The meeting included a presentation from Dustin Griesenabb and Doug Blanchard, from CMC Partners, a firm which is working with CDA to do sound testing for home inventories.

They explained how noise is tested, inside and outside the house. When there is already air traffic overhead, they measure the decibels.

When future noise is anticipated by the 2005 contour predictions, they follow a formula to reproduce the predicted noise.

While CDA is having briefing meetings for participants, it hasn’t been able to install new soundproofing.

The state agreed to fund remedies for windows but the state oversight committee has not yet been named, so CDA can’t order the new window materials.

So the city is concentrating on home inventories (139 of 415, about 26.4% of Phase 18 so far are assessed) and started briefing homeowner participants in November.

The legislature did decide to fund replacement of any windows installed in any prior soundproofing projects to date that involve vinyl-coated screens sealed inside a soundproofed window.

CDA has specs but no windows in the new specifications can be ordered until the state gets its oversight board named.

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