Opponents of basing the Air Force’s next-generation fighter jet in Burlington have a new trick up their sleeves: They want the state to compensate homeowners whose property could be devalued if the F-35 comes to town.

“I mean, you can’t have it both ways,” Rep. George Cross (D-Winooski) said at a Statehouse press conference Thursday morning, arguing that the plane’s proponents should be ready to dish out the cash to anyone harmed by the basing.

“The point is if you are a legislator — if you are a Vermonter who supports the F-35 — then you must also support the notion that if you’re wrong and, in fact, it is harmful and it has grave adverse impacts on people who live in the impacted zone, then in fact they deserve to be compensated in some fashion,” Cross (pictured above) said.

In a bill he plans to introduce in the House next week, Cross proposes to create an “F-35 Adverse Impacts Compensation Board” that would be charged with “awarding compensation to property owners, landowners and other persons harmed or damaged by the noise and other adverse impacts” of the planes.

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Paul Heintz was part of the Seven Days news team from 2012 to 2020. He served as political editor and wrote the "Fair Game" political column before becoming a staff writer.

2 replies on “Legislator Wants State to Compensate Homeowners Affected by F-35 Basing”

  1. Vermont’s two newest Heros; George Cross and David Zuckerman. Now – how to refill the tax coffers in South Burlington and Winooski when all the homes in the new ‘unsuitable for residential use’ zones get bought and demolished (like the ones next to the Airport the F-16’s made unsuitable for residential use once they had to take off with afterburners)? Next, will the F-35 ever be required to take off using afterburners (we might have to vacate South Burlington and Winooski altogether. What type of bombs will the F-35’s be packing?

  2. Rep. Cross you are absolutely correct! You can’t have it both ways! You can’t expect to live in a free country where you can freely express your ideas (less the P.C. police) and not endure the little inconvenience of the sound that protects that freedom. Somehow money seems to make that inconvenience go away? When you hear those jets – you should be thankful and grateful because that noise keeps the wolves from your door. So quit trying to have in both ways!

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