Come One Come All

A meeting was held at the Mastic Fire House on April 29, 2009, attending were the Regional Director of the FAA, Carmine Gallo, as well as representatives from Congressman Bishop, and the Town of Brookhaven, including Supervisor Mark Lesko.  Additionally, representatives from both Assembly members Eddington and Alessi attended

Manor Park, Mastic Park, East Yaphank and Smith Point  Civic leaders and local residents expressed serious concerns regarding the future of the airport, jet use and the remedies needed to expand communication with residents that will enable  peaceful and harmonious coexistence.

The Town recently established by Resolution a large Community Advisory Committee consisting of Civic Groups, FAA representaives, Area Merchants &  Chamber of Commerce members, Airport  leasees, vendors, union representation, Dowling College as well asAirport management.  This cumbersome group will be chaired by the councilman from the sixth district.

Members of the area have concerns that the advisory groups are simply that, advisory.  additionally, they do not include members of the elected body they are intended to advise, but are composed of stakeholders that all recognize as entitled to a voice in the future of the airport and its surrounding communities.  The CAC as presently composed  is far too large to be an efective problem solving groups as it includesmembers with little stake in the maintaining the airport as a recreational airport or in the impact on the adjacent communities.  Concerns raised by area civic organizations and residents must be paramount to any master plan design.

Towards that end,  members of the civic community will also meet independently as civic associations to determine the best focus for the future of the Airport and to develop a Memo of Understanding (MOU)with the Town and FAA that will be enforceable going forward. 

 For decades area residents have been assured that the Brookhaven Calabro Airport would not expand and jets would be prohibited.  These verbal and written letter assurances are no longer adequate to protect the nearby residents or community, and it is now time that the community is legally assured of these protections through written agreements and that an updated Master Plan actually reflects a future Airport consistent with their best interests and safety.

The MOU will focus on written protections against continued airport expansion both in removal of treed buffer zones, permitted aircraft and jet traffic, revegetation plans for destroyed buffer zones, required communtiy notice by mailind and posting for any airport projects,  approval for any expanded use by Dowling College Aviation students, clearly defined target dates for development of a new limited use Master Plan as well as public hearings to ensure the development of  a master plan that is truly consistent with past use and buffer zone protections. These elements have been part of the community fabric for almost six decades, and although the community would like to see the airport remain, they do not wish tos ee any further expansion either to jet aircraft, commercial or business transport or any other expansion of services previously permitted with communtiy awareness and consent.

Both the Town and the FAA  maintain that an updated Master Plan and any facilities can be designed in such as manner as the discoruage the continued use by any JET AIRCRAFT. Civics agree that those plans must also now  include the removal of all fuel tanks presently located at the site. 

The aircraft approach paths for take-off and landings are directly over areas in Mastic, Mastic Beach, Bellport. Manor Park,  Manorville, and Yaphank; and travel directly up the Forge and Carmans Rivers over high density population centers, the Werthiem Wildlife Preserve and Southaven Park.  Continued use or further expansion for jet or passenger and freight service at the airport will adversely impact adjacent areas. 

The impact on wildlife and migratory bird species of such jet traffic has yet to be even addressed or assesed and therefore should cease immediately. 

Apparently, if the Town does accept FAA funding, it can mandate obstacle removal (trees), extension or improvement of  runways, lighting, fencing and aircraft control aspects apart from the Town;s approval and in its sole descretion. 

We hope through these difficult times to finally get a full and complete explanation as to why the Town of Brookhaven decided not to top 19 acres of trees, as originally proposed,  but to instead fully destroy and clear-cut more than 34 acres that had formed the buffer zones between resident homes and the Airport. The answers even at this point remain somewhat unclear.

Follow-up News: Over the weekend another local civic member watched as a DC-3 landed at the Airport.  The DC-3 is not a jet, but is capable of carrying about 30 passengers and significant frieght and is still in wide use all over the world.  We will be investigating the ownership and purpose of the landing and will inform our members as soon as we recieve an answer to our inquiry.

The Airport buffer zones were created in the early 1970's, when the Town attempted to use its' Eminent Domain Powers to expand the Airport facilities.  Residents from the surrounding areas joined together and an agreement between the Town and the community halted the takings of homes and property and established the buffer zones permanently.  They had remained intact for more than 35 years