Letter to the Editor of East Hampton Star, DATED November 11TH, 2013: To the Editor: The voters have spoken and the news is good. Councilwoman-elect Kathee Burke-Gonzalez and Councilman-elect Fred Overton will bring new energy to town governance. In his bid for re-election to the town board, Councilman Dominick Stanzione’s profound defeat at the polls last Tuesday was, in effect, a referendum by the voters of the town of East Hampton on aircraft noise policy. This message dovetailed with Quiet Skies Coalition principles and concerns about airport noise policy and decisions yet to be made regarding responsible fiscal management of our airport, with safety and noise abatement policy as interwoven principles in such management. The message regarding aircraft noise policy, was, like its source, loud and clear: The public wants a safe and quiet airport. The public wants the town to control our airport, ensuring the safety of airport users as it concurrently mitigates the noise impacts of those uses on East End residents, properties, and ecosystems. In spite of critics’ claims to the contrary, these are not mutually exclusive goals! The East Hampton Town Board can legally control noise by setting reasonable business hours and curfews, limiting numbers of flights in a given time period, and completely excluding some of the noisiest aircraft‚ but only if the town board stops taking Federal Aviation Administration grant money. Current contractual obligations to the F.A.A. expire on Dec. 31, 2014, after which the Town of East Hampton will be able to act. Then, at last, the town will be able to maintain a safe and quiet airport paid for by airport users. Let the incoming town board embrace the message of the voters resonating with the Quiet Skies Coalition principles on aircraft noise: Eschew F.A.A. funding. Regain our right to solve this problem in ways that benefit the greater good, not the privileged few. Run a safe airport, making certain airport users are respectful of those whose quality of life, homes, properties, and ecosystems are so profoundly influenced by those activities. Sincerely, KATHLEEN CUNNINGHAM Quiet Skies Coalition
Posted on: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 23:00:13 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015