Work on Homes to Dull F-35 Noise Delayed
Author: Corey Arwood
Date: October 6, 2026
Planned sound-reduction upgrades for homes near Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport were expected to begin in July but were delayed after federal funding was not finalized until well into September. Airport officials now expect the work on 58 homes, plus 12 additional homes, to move to 2027 because the seasonal conditions are no longer suitable for construction. The work is intended to reduce indoor exposure to F-35 noise through improvements such as windows, doors, insulation, and other building systems.
Main points and details:
- Construction on dozens of nearby homes had been planned for July but did not begin because the federal funding process was still unresolved.
- Airport Director Nicolas Longo said last year’s government shutdown and later funding hurdles contributed to the delay.
- Fifty-eight units scheduled for upgrades in 2026, along with an additional 12 homes, are now expected to be addressed in 2027.
- Officials said colder weather makes the work impractical this year because construction can require opening exterior walls.
- The planned upgrades are estimated to cost about $90,000 to $110,000 per home and may include new windows, doors, insulation, and building systems intended to make indoor spaces quieter, safer, and more energy efficient.
- The airport received about $7.3 million from a Department of Defense grant and is contributing an $813,418 local match; without the grant, officials said the 58 units could have waited several years for FAA funding.
- The airport’s residential sound-reduction program began in 2022 after a study focused on increased F-35 noise. It has worked on about 80 to 90 homes so far and also includes multi-family residences and nonprofit facilities.
- A 2024 Burlington City Council resolution stated that more than 6,660 residents and almost 3,000 homes are affected by jet noise, with low-income and minority populations disproportionately impacted.
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