Concord Journal
July 5, 2001

Hanscom growth not in our interest

To the Editor:

Save Our Heritage did a public records request for Massport's planning
documents on regional transportation. There are none - that's right, none -
that discussed making Hanscom commercial. There was not one document that
studied what would happen to our towns, to traffic on Route 2A, to rush hour
on Rte. 128, to the existing aviation plan of building up Green and
Manchester airports. There was not one document that even mentioned Hanscom.
Making Hanscom a regional and national airport is being done without one
shred of planning.

So if it is not in answer to public transportation needs, why is it being
done? Massport's decision is driven by airlines business initiatives, made
to serve the airlines stockholders, not the public.

It is also driven by the politics of getting permission for a third runway
at Logan by a sham of " spreading the burden. " Yet the East Boston
activists of CARE support us in condeming Massports cynical manipulation of
Hanscom. They condemn the commercialization of Hanscom. Why? Because flights
at Hanscom are all in addition to flights at Logan, not instead of: Logan
shuttles to New York and Cape Cod are not reduced when flights are added
here. We are not helping East Boston by allowing our historic towns to be
ruined by unlimited aviation. Lastly, of all people, East Boston activists
know how Massport is willing to destroy a community while mismanaging
transportation planning. They don't wish that fate on us.

Commercializing Hanscom has been termed " insane " by former Gov. Michael
Dukakis for the impact it will have on rush hour traffic on Rte 128 and 2A
(no laughing matter for Concord), and for competing with the regional plan
of high-speed rail, Green and Manchester airports. For those of you who have
been thinking of getting involved, please come by the Save Our Heritage
offices upstairs on Main Street, a few doors down from the toy store. There
is room for all sorts of volunteer effort, large and small.

Karin McQuillan, Garfield Road

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