A new development planned near Dulles International Airport raises concerns the planes might be too loud for residents.
The 150 townhomes planned for The Retreat at Westfield on a stretch of land in Chantilly, Virginia, will help revitalize the drab area of mostly officer parks, McLean-based company Elm Street Development said.
However, this could come at the cost of a peaceful home environment.
Sources with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority hope the project gets scaled back, with worries that the noise would keep residents up at night, including babies. Airport leaders said the development would be in the flight path of one of Dulles' busiest runways with planes coming around 1,200 feet directly above the homes, which is the length of two Washington Monuments.
It may seem far, but the noise will still be loud and very noticeable. The sources said the “laser-beam-like flight path” should be communicated to home buyers.
“There’s planes coming in; every 30 seconds to a minute, you see the planes coming in,” resident Verl Leavitt said.
The developer said it will disclose the possibility of noise to future residents with a robust disclosure package.
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A final vote on the development comes next week.
