If there was noise at Tuesday’s East Hampton Town Board meeting, it was coming from a familiar source, the East Hampton Town Airport.
It wasn’t on the agenda, but over half a dozen residents spoke during the public portion of the meeting. Two themes were apparent: consternation that the town would soon settle a lawsuit brought after the board attempted to close the airport in 2022 and immediately reopen it with restrictions, and threats that a settlement will ultimately hurt the board members at the ballot box.
The last word from the board about the airport litigation came in a Feb. 18 press release headed “Town seeks path forward; looks to settlement options.” Its last sentence promised that “the Town will provide additional updates as the pending litigation and settlement options evolve.” There has been no news since, and some residents have apparently grown edgy.
“The litigation has offered you an amazing opportunity to negotiate behind the scenes in secrecy,” Carolyn Logan Gluck told the board. “This has created such an incredible amount of frustration for people, not knowing what’s going on.”
Hersey Eggington, chairman of the Wainscott Citizens Advisory Committee, began by reading a letter with several suggestions that should, he argued, be included in any settlement agreement. A voluntary curfew should be extended, he said; flight routes should be equitably distributed “based on noise impact severity;” the town should increase landing fees, the executive terminal at the airport should be closed, and ground operations should be better managed to reduce idling and improve taxi operations.
“These measures represent a balanced approach that acknowledges the airport’s continued operation while addressing the legitimate needs of the larger community affected by its operations,” Mr. Egginton said.
In a statement, Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said, “In its capacity as proprietor of the East Hampton Town Airport, the Town Board has a public policy responsibility to protect residents from the adverse effects of aircraft noise and other environmental impacts.”
“At this time, the town is the defendant in four lawsuits brought by aviation interests and is the subject of multiple contempt motions by these interests,” the statement continued. “Due to these ongoing lawsuits, we are extremely limited in what we can say, in order to protect the Town from further legal action.”
“What we can say is that the Town continues to assess all available options with respect to the East Hampton Town Airport and is exploring options for a settlement agreement to resolve the ongoing litigation in a manner that provides reasonable access for aviation users while also providing relief to residents. . . . The Town also intends to continue coordinating with the F.A.A. on how best to respond to community concerns regarding noise and use, while also addressing the aviation community’s concerns.”
“You guys are talking about settling for the status quo, no relief, and are refusing to hold town meetings about it,” said Mary Puris, who lives south and west of the airport. “That’s a combination that’s starting to look to voters a lot like back-room deals.” Citing the town’s own research, she said that “15 per cent of East Hampton voters want the airport closed, while 80 percent are okay with an airport, but only with meaningful regulations. That’s 95 percent that do not want the status quo.”
“I know you’re fatigued,” she added. “We’re fatigued, but this is your job. You signed up for it. You have to protect your town. Don’t give up. . . . These days, people are in the mood to be angry, even at their own political parties. The elected can always be unelected.”
Barry Raebeck, director of the Coalition to Transform East Hampton Airport, also cited political unrest, name-checking recent political rallies. “East Hampton is facing environmental degradation on two major issues. Our town board is on the wrong side of both,” he said, referring also to the potential for the town board to renew its lease with the Maidstone Gun Club. “The board intends to settle airport litigation without obtaining enforceable restrictions, despite assuring us for decades that we will have control of our own airport. It really doesn’t seem too much to ask to have control of something that you own.”
“If these two toxic entities did not already exist, they’d never be permitted in this town. If they would be a bad idea, why do town board members insist they are now a good idea?” Mr. Raebeck concluded.
“I understand that you’re giving up on the litigation for the airport. I find it very sad to hear this news,” said John Cullen, chairman of the Helicopter Noise Task Force of Riverhead. “I hope you can talk to Blade, because Rob Wiesenthal, your neighbor, is one of the biggest offenders at that airport.” (Mr. Wiesenthal, founder and C.E.O. of BLADE Urban Air Mobility Inc., has a house in Sag Harbor.)
“I’ve reported that to Jim Brundige, your airport director, and I just seem to get nothing done,” said Mr. Cullen. Highlighting the impact of the airport on other towns, he was not the only one there who’d traveled to East Hampton to make sure the board understood the disturbance to its neighbors created by low-flying aircraft.
Teresa McCaskie, a member of the Southold Town Aircraft Noise Committee, citing the recent helicopter crash in the Hudson River, noted that some of the helicopters using the airport do not have crash-resistant fuel systems. “If you’re going to run an airport, there are certain responsibilities to be aware of, like the type of aircraft flying into it, and which ones are safer versus others.”
Barry Brooks, whose comments had nothing to do with noise, instead cited an environmental concern. “I don’t understand why we’re one of the few municipalities that still allows leaded fuel to be sold,” he said. “We sell over one percent of all leaded fuel sold in this country. We do it over our aquifer. So I’m hoping, at some point, we at least stop doing that.”
Lyle Greenfield drew an analogy with national politics, turning the discussion into a citizens-versus-oligarchs issue.
“Hang tough. Don’t be afraid to fight the fight. We’re here to help you not take shit from people with billions of dollars who can pour it on and just exhaust you. So, that’s it. I’m hoping that by 4 p.m. today, the airport is closed permanently,” he said to laughter.
“As this process evolves,” Ms. Burke-Gonzalez said in her statement, “the Town encourages input from community members and is committed to being as transparent as possible given the ongoing lawsuits and will provide regular updates as the pending litigation and settlement options evolve.”
Patrick Derenze, the town’s public information officer, confirmed that the next hearing on the matter will take place on Wednesday, in Suffolk County Supreme Court, Riverhead.
