Ridgefield Press
SKY NOISE: Despite objections,  money for FAA fight OKed

Feb 12, 2008

After some heated argument, voters at a town meeting last week approved spending $70,000 for Ridgefield to join the Alliance for Sensible Airspace Planning.

Ridgefield is “one of the last” of a dozen local towns to join the alliance in an effort to change the Federal Aviation Authority’s proposed airspace redesign, First Selectman Rudy Marconi said.

The plan is to fight the proposal to rerouting New York airport traffic over Connecticut, by simultaneously pursuing legal, lobbying and “grass roots” opposition, he said. The aviation authority has approved a redesign that some people have compared to “putting an I-95 directly above us,” he said.

At a public hearing right before the vote last Wednesday, Feb. 6, Mr. Marconi urged Ridgefielders to approve the money to join the Alliance for Sensible Airspace Planning. “Overall we’re very, very concerned that proper homework has not been done. This will impact our quality of life forever,” he said.

But Board of Finance members David Ulmer and Bob Cascella both spoke against joining the fight against the airspace redesign.

“Frankly, we in Connecticut have been getting a free ride for quite some time,” Mr. Ulmer said. “The FAA started this process about five years ago. It’s been well-studied. The New York area airports are among the worst in the country in terms of delays. The FAA is under severe political pressure to do something about it.”

Mr. Ulmer said it was true that the Board of Finance had voted to approve the money to join the alliance, but “that’s really a procedural question,” he said.

Of the $70,000 the town would spend, “$14,000 is on lobbying efforts, and I’m not sure what lobbying will do if there’s no legislative body involved,” he said.

“The noise impact might be a five decibel jump, but it’s not a huge level to begin with,” he added.

Mr. Cascella said he opposed joining the FAA fight, too. He said he did not think having a special town meeting to decide the issue “is right.”

“The Board of Selectmen should bring it through the budget process,” he said.

But audience member John Katz seemed to speak for the majority of voters there when he voiced his support for joining the alliance.

“Each of us needs to look at this as an insurance premium,” he said.

Approximately 40 people turned out for the voice vote, and the ayes far outweighed the nays.



© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers