Town Of East Hampton: Public Comment Sought On Airport Options, Study

Press release from the Town of East Hampton:

March 8, 2022

Continued Public Participation is Needed as East Hampton Town Board Completes Mandated Legal Steps to Address Airport Safety, Noise, and Environmental Impacts             Town Board heard the public loud and clear during extended public process calling for change at East Hampton Airport            Airport to be deactivated on May 17 and new private-use airport to open on May 19.       Alternatives to implement and study during Summer 2022 season are being developed; Prior Permission Required (PPR) Framework will allow airport use                 based on certain parameters, and their impact will be examined

Following extensive public comment during an airport “re-envisioning” process in 2021, during which many called for changes to lessen the negative impacts of aircraft on the community, and a large majority agreed the status quo is unacceptable, the East Hampton Town Board voted to deactivate the current airport and to reopen a new airport that can be operated under local regulations.

The board has now embarked on the New York State-mandated legal process in order to enact restrictions at the new airport, under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA).

View an overview of the process: https://ehamptonny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11895/Airport-SEQRA-Scoping-Process-Presenation

Steps in the SEQRA process: Currently: Public “Scoping” session, to identify the range of options and alternative actions related to airport operation that could be studied to determine their impacts, and if they achieve the desired results

Public input is needed at this stage of the process. We invite members of the public to suggest what actions they believe should be assessed. Comments may be submitted through March 18 to EHAirportScope@EHamptonny.gov, or sent by mail to the Town Clerk, 159 Pantigo Road, East Hampton NY 11937.

While many opinions and suggestions were submitted by members of the public during the previous “airport re-envisioning” public sessions, leading the Town Board to embark on this detailed process to effect change at the airport, this additional opportunity for public input, and the development of an outline framing the range of action alternatives and their possible impacts is a required part of the legal SEQRA process, and will help to define alternatives and areas of study.

Read the draft scoping outline that has been prepared: https://ehamptonny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11736/Appendix-C---EHA-Op-Changes-Draft-Scoping-Outline

For Town Board and public consideration, a proposed “Prior Permission Required” (PPR) framework for the 2022 season was presented by East Hampton’s aviation attorneys at the March 2 Town Board work session, listing how permission to use the airport could be based on factors such as time of day, aircraft operator, and noise.

Read the proposed PPR framework for 2022 season, for discussion: https://ehamptonny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11894/Airport-Proposed-PPR-Framework-for-2022-Season-Mar-1

Exactly what measures will be put in place and studied during the 2022 summer season are still to be determined, with comment requested from the public by March 18.

Read the full press release on the legally required process regarding the airport, and current actions by the Town Board: /DocumentCenter/View/11935/Press-Release----New-Airport-Public-Engagement-Mar-8-2022

Access the complete Notice of Scoping Session: https://ehamptonny.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11763/Notice-of-Scoping-Meeting-Feb-22-2022Access all airport-related documents: https://ehamptonny.gov/786/Airport-News-and-Decision-Making

This press release was produced by the Town of East Hampton. The views expressed here are the author’s own.