Westchester Towns Strategize next steps

Numerous Westchester towns and municipalities passed resolutions to urge Westchester County as petitioner, to take legal action to stop the FAA Airspace Redesign. The County did not file by the deadline.
Inaction by the County leaves these towns without legal standing to take action themselves.

Westchester County residents are concerned about how airport operational changes, volume increases and airspace redesign will impact their towns. Westchester County Airport (HPN) is planning for operational changes which have received funding. A public meeting is set for Nov 29 at the County Center. Jet Blue is also introducing new flights from HPN December 1.

According to FAA officials, extended detours from published routes relating to foul weather and flight delay may leave new communities vulnerable to new overflight.

Stewart Airport will be aggressively expanding operations. Management was transferred to the Port Authority this month. Industry Insiders predict Stewart Airport will take JFK overflow and built eventually into a new transportation hub. All communities in a 90 mile radius must be made aware of these changes and request impact study, and analysis.

Towns are suggested to appoint permanent aviation committees to gather overflight data, attend airport and FAA meetings, and represent their resources. Communities who stand to be impacted by increased overflight should be at the bargaining table when volume increases or related airspace changes are impending.

The Town of Pound Ridge and 10 Connecticut towns filed by the FAA’s deadline as a members of the Alliance for Sensible Airspace Planning (ASAP). Rockland County NY, Elizabeth NJ, the State of Connecticut, Delaware County filed by the FAA’s deadline in addition to other entities.

Check with http://www.ourairspace.org for updates, action items, news and research. The site has been updated with a real time legislation tracker and will include an interface to a data bank which tracks overflight in your area (live Dec 1)