Town Board Talks Helicopter Noise Abatement

Helicopter noise now ranks as the second biggest concern of Southold Town residents, just under speeding on town roads.

So said Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell at Tuesday's town board work session, during which Kathleen Cunningham of the Quiet Skies Coalition addressed the board about ways to mitigate the escalating issue.

Cunningham, of East Hamton, said one reason East Hampton Town is not able to regulate its rights as proprietor and impose limitations on the times helicopters can fly and the number of flights allowed, is that East Hampton accepted Federal Aviation grant funding years ago.

That funding, Cunningham said has a 20 year window, during which time the town had to surrender its rights as proprietors of the airport. 

"They don't have the right to limit the number or concentration of flights, or hours, or any successful noise abatement tools," Cunningham said. 

However, another noise abatement group sued the FAA eight years ago, Cunningham said, based on the fact that the town improvements funded with the FAA funding was based on a master plan that had not yet been formally adopted. The group won, Cunningham said, something that she said has made the FAA hesitant to give further grant funding to the town.

The statute of limitations for the time when East Hampton has had to give up its rights of proprietorship is set to expire on December 31, 2014. After that time, the town board, she said, will be able to dictate that helicopters are no longer allowed to fly in at 2 a.m. and impose other restrictions.

The FAA, Cunningham said, has said they would not sue the town -- but, she added, helicopter groups are another story.

"The helicopter groups will sue vigorously," she predicted.

However, the issue has weighed heavily on residents, Cunningham said. "Residents of the East End are paying a very high tax in their ability to enjoy the peaceful enjoyment of their homes and properties," she sad.

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said Jeff Smith of the FAA has said helicopters must fly over the Long Island Sound; Russell said, in fact, the helicopters must fly over water -- and that the aircraft could take the southerly route, over the Atlantic. That idea, however, does not sit well with wealthy residents of Georgica Pond and other areas of East Hampton, he said.

Russell said he is opposed to a plan to change helicopter routes that would offer nothing for Southold and would still involve helicopters flying over Mattituck Inlet.

Cunningham said one thing her group is advocating for is for the Southold Town board to pass a memorializing resolution that would ask East Hampton "to get its act together" and refuse any additional FAA funding until the current term runs out, so that effective noise abatement can be explored.

"East Hampton is intent on letting Southold act as a welcome mat for East Hampton's problem," Russell said. "The problem with a welcome mat is that it gets walked on."

Councilwoman Louisa Evans said all municipalities need to come together to address the issue.

Cunningham said she will be going to the other East End towns to propose the memorializing resolution.

Residents of East Hampton, Cunningham said, feel "betrayed and frustrated" over the actions of their elected officials; the goal, as it is an election year, is to elect a new town board that is in support of a "quiet skies"  pledge and noise abatement.

Another option, Cunningham said, is litigation. Southold Town, she said, could team up with other East End towns in a lawsuit.

"We should explore all options," Russell said.

The town board agreed to consider the memorializing resolution.

Do you think helicopter noise is a major problem in Southold Town? Share your thoughts with Patch. What would you like to see done to mitigate the issue?