Florida residents have been left "blindsided" by a no-fly zone update around Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence.
Though there had been a no-fly zone in place for when Trump was in the residency, the restrictions to air travel are now in place permanently, at least until next October. Officials say the no-fly zone, which now operates 24/7 whether the president is there or not, has caused an increase in noise and soot at residents' homes.
Palm Beach International Airport has been told they must divert flights away from Mar-a-Lago permanently, with the neighborhood in uproar over the effect it's having on their day to day lives. Lori Rozsa of The Washington Post wrote that residents had been "blindsided" by the change, which is to remain in place even when the resort is closed.
Palm Beach County Commissioner Gregg Weiss said, "We want to do everything to make sure we protect our president, and we understand that when he’s there, this is what needs to happen. But when he’s not there, why? What’s the concern at that point?"
The flight pattern change is something Trump has sought for his Mar-a-Lago residence for decades. He filed three lawsuits against the county and airport over airplane noise before he was president.
His first lawsuit was brought against the county and airport in 1995, and dismissed in 1996. A second lawsuit was dismissed in 2010, and Trump sued for a third time in 2015. Trump argued that the house had been damaged by the airplanes, saying, "I am saving one of the great houses of this country and one of its greatest landmarks, and it's being badly damaged by the airplanes."
Now Trump has his way, at least until October next year, but residents believe it's a flight pattern change that could be permanent. One person said, "This is an opportunity for him to seize what he’s really wanted to do for a very long time. This could be stretched for three years. It could be forever."
Other residents believe the historic claim to Mar-a-Lago should apply to other residences in the area now affected by the change in flight patterns.
Margie Yansura said, "Donald Trump says that his house is on the National Register of Historic Places. Well, my house is on the National Register of Historic Places. We’ve lived here for 45 years, and we’ve fought hard to save this historic neighborhood. I’m retired. I would like to sleep in, but I can’t past 6 a.m., and it goes on until 11 at night."
Real estate agent Don Todorich also said homeowners had "paid more money not to be in the flight path" of traffic coming and going from Palm Beach International Airport.