Friends of East Hampton Airport Coalition Responds to Proposed Restrictions

Loren Riegelhaupt, spokesman for the Friends of East Hampton Airport Coalition, wrote a response to the East Hampton Town Board’s proposed restrictions on the airport suggested at the last meeting.

From Loren Riegelhaupt:

The Town has proposed an unprecedented and drastic set of restrictions that would block access to a federally funded airport, discriminate against helicopters and other operators and will likely fail to ever go into effect for a variety of reasons. If enacted, the Town Board’s recommendations would essentially shut down the airport during the summer. The Town has also taken this severe and significant step without the FAA’s consultation or input.

In addition, the Town’s 2015 budget relies on an increase in air traffic. Today’s proposed restrictions would cut traffic by 31 percent, thus creating a significant budget deficit and forcing property tax increases.

The Town Board’s recommendations, if enacted, will not only put hardworking pilots out of work, they will also have a dramatic and harmful impact on all of the local small businesses that rely on a strong real estate market and summer visitors. We are greatly disappointed that the Town has refused to change its course as these actions will have deep and far-reaching impacts on the local economy.