Town Leaders Vote to Oppose FedEx Plan

When planes fly in and out of RDU, they pass over hundreds of houses in Morrisville and Cary. The Federal Aviation Administration says people in Cary are not really exposed to airport noise.

Cary and Morrisville leaders disagree. They have voted to formally oppose a proposal that would bring a FedEx hub to the airport. They say additional flights would mean additional noise.

Tim McBrayer has lived near the airport for six years. He can hear the planes coming and going as he eats dinner with his family. So can Lisa Kaylor, who moved into the neighborhood last September. Lisa says when she's outside talking, the sound of the planes drowns out her conversation.

Both McBrayer and Kaylor say hearing the planes during dinner time is one thing, while hearing planes in the wee hours of the morning is another issue.

If the proposed FedEx hub comes to RDU, the early morning hours is when they will be coming and going. Neighbors took their concerns to airport officials. Ronald Greggory of the RDU Airport Authority says regardless of what happens, the authority plans to enforce its noise rule.

In spite of the hundreds of jobs FedEx could bring, people who live in nearby neighborhoods plan to convince the airport that the negatives outweigh the positives. Residents believe that only businesses that don't interfere with their quality of life should be allowed to grow in the Triangle.