Lowcountry group opposes F-35B at MCAS Beaufort

You've probably seen that sign out front of Marine Corp Air Station Beaufort: "The noise you hear is the sound of freedom."  One group of neighbors says they can't handle any more noise and that's what would come with the Joint Strike Fighter F-35 B that could potentially come to Beaufort's station.  So they're trying to makes some noise now to save it from coming later.

There's one thing Best 4 Beaufort and all those who vocally support the F35-B Joint Strike Fighter coming to Beaufort have in common.

"You get involved because it has an impact on you,” Rob Pollard, with Best 4 Beaufort said.

But the 100-neighbor strong group believes they'd get the short end of the deal.  The main reason is noise.  They already hear it now and fear it could cost them if it gets any louder.

"Basically it benefits a few people on the short term but in the long term an awful lot of people are going to pay for it for very many years,” Pollard said.  “And they'll pay for it in terms of noise levels, safety issues and property values."

Garry Parks is the chairman of the Military Enhancement Committee and while he wouldn't comment specifically on an impact of property value, he said the neighbors shouldn't hear much more than they do now.

“What I can tell you is that people in that zone had to sign in advance that they knew they were in that zone prior to the purchase of that property,” Parks said.  "With the noise, most of the noise will be when the liftoff occurs--at the liftoff and set-down and that will occur at MCAS Beaufort."

Holly tried to get a comment from the air station in Beaufort but they declined.  They said they're keeping quiet on this issue until December when a decision is expected of what goes to which bases.  One of the main reasons so many are rallying behind the Joint Strike Fighter and training center coming to Beaufort is the creation of more civilian jobs.