Concord Journal
October 6, 2005

Crosspoint decision doesn't sit well with HATS

By Barbara Forster/ Correspondent

More than a few mouths fell open late last month when the state
environmental agency said "No" to a request from an area grassroots
organization for an environmental review of a proposed project at Hanscom
Field.

"I find it unbelievable -an outrage," said Lincoln's Sara Mattes, chair
of the Hanscom Area Towns Committee on Thursday, Sept. 29. "From a public
process point of view, this is clearly unacceptable."

Safeguarding the Historic Hanscom Area's Irreplaceable Resources asked
the state to look at Crosspoint's proposal to transform the former MIT
facility, also known as Hangar 24, into a new business as a fixed base
operator. The new facility would include a 60,000-square foot hangar with
18,000 square feet of office space, and 13,000 square feet of
aviation-related space.

Woburn-based Crosspoint is an affiliate company of Eastern Development,
LLC.

The strong reaction occurred as Richard Canale of Lexington who
co-chairs the Environmental Subcommittee for HATS, reviewed the explanation
from Stephen Pritchard, secretary of the Office of Environmental Protection.
MEPA, reported Canale, said that documents from two public agencies, the
Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission and the Federal Aviation
Administration, used to help shape the agency's decision, "were not
available to the public."

"If this is accurate, regardless of the content, this affects every
city and town in Massachusetts," said Mattes. "This is precedent-setting and
is very disturbing."

On Friday, Sept. 30, Joe Ferson, of the public affairs office for MEPA,
reported that no written documents from these agencies exist. The
information was relayed via conversation.

However, area residents are not sitting still. In addition to notifying
legislative representatives and the governor, HATS selectmen scheduled an
executive session for Wednesday, Oct. 5, to discuss possible legal action.

--MEPA's reasoning

First, the state concluded that the proposed Crosspoint facility is a
hangar and not, as SHHAIR argued, a terminal. (SHHAIR maintains that
building new facilities for new passenger services is equivalent to a new
terminal. New terminals need environmental reviews.)

In addition, the agency does not have a definition for "terminal" and,
they have never "previously considered a 'hangar' as a structure, the
principal purpose of which is to store and maintain aircraft, to constitute
a 'terminal.'"

The secretary added that neither the Massachusetts Aeronautics
Commission nor the Federal Aviation Administration have statutory
definitions for "terminal." Furthermore, these agencies stipulated that they
consider Crosspoint's proposed facility to be a hangar.

--Other issues with Crosspoint

Selectman Anne Shapiro of Concord said the project raises a number of
safety issues. According to current plans, she said, "planes line up next to
the end of the runway and there is a fuel facility right nearby on the side
closest to the runway."

Furthermore, the fuel tank is on Concord property.

"We need legal advice and technical advice because this looks like a
public safety issue," added Selectman Jeanne Krieger of Lexington.

--BRAC in final stage

The Hanscom communities are in a holding pattern these days waiting for
Congress to approve or reject report from the Base Realignment and Closure
commission. Congress received the report from the president on Sept. 15 and
has 45 days to reject it. If Congress does nothing, the list becomes law on
Nov. 1.

According Alan Macdonald of the Massachusetts Technology Initiative,
the "highly likely assumption" is that Congress will not reject the report.

However, HATS Chairman Mattes recommended that the communities begin to
think about the next BRAC.

"In 1995 we played catch-up," she said. "This time we were more ahead
of the curve but for next time we want to make sure all the leadership at
the staff level is not scrambling at the last minute."

Macdonald agreed and suggested that the communities stay in touch with
the Air Force and participate in various activities such as a leadership
program the military runs. Last month, the four towns hosted a social
get-together with the Air Force.

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