Airport in Town Board’s Sights

East Hampton Airport, and the town board’s effort to win Federal Aviation Administration approval for a curfew or other restrictions that would limit aircraft noise, will be the focus of a series of meetings early next week.

At Town Hall on Tuesday, at a 10 a.m. town board work session, Bill O’Connor, an attorney, will brief the board on federal regulations covering local regulation of airports. 

Mr. O’Connor, whose firm, Morrison Foerster, has been hired to assist the town, will give an overview of the Airport Noise Capacity Act and the F.A.A. procedure, called a Part 161 process, that the town will pursue. He will review the components of the process, the timeline, and the associated costs.

The town board opted to initiate the Part 161 application after a court struck down its airport curfews and limits on noisy planes.

Also on Tuesday, Mary Ellen Eagan of Harris Miller Miller and Hanson, a firm that has been collecting data on East Hampton Airport traffic and noise complaints, will present its findings covering the period January through July of this year, including a comparison with data from previous years.

On Monday, the town board and its consultants will meet with different airport-related groups to discuss the Part 161 process and related issues. Meetings will be held with the airport management advisory committee, Montauk United, Quiet Skies Coalition, the East Hampton Aviation Association, and Say No to KHTO, as well as with members of the press.