Lexington Minuteman
Thursday, March 7, 2002

Massport unable to fund consultant for environmental review

By Barbara Forster, Correspondent

Massachusetts Port Authority representative Tom Ennis delivered bad news to the Hanscom Area Towns Committee at last Thursday’s meeting in Concord.

Ennis reported that the Massport Board of Directors did not, as expected, approve funding for a HATS consultant on the upcoming comprehensive environmental review of Hanscom Field.

In the last environmental review, Massport picked up the tab for the towns’ consultants at a rate of approximately 10 percent of the entire project cost. About a year ago, Massport representatives made a similar offer for this review.

Over the past few months, Massport officials expressed confidence that money would be available. "We have been pushing this," said Ennis.

According to Ennis, the money is included in his budget for the project, but the Massport process requires the board to sign off on these types of expenditures.

"Unfortunately, the board did not respond to any requests for money," Ennis said.

Money slated for East Boston projects and for a blast fence in Chelsea are also in limbo.

HATS Chairman Gary Clayton, a Concord selectman, stressed that this delay was ham-stringing the process for towns. "We could be well into April or May before we get a decision," he said.

Lisa Baci, a Lexington resident who is also on the town’s Conservation Commission, is the committee’s choice for the project. Other consultants who specialize in noise, aviation, and air and water quality issues will be hired as needed.

However, without cash — whether it comes from Massport or other sources — no contracts can been signed.

Moreover, at this point, if Massport does not come through on the deal, the towns would have difficulty in funding the consultant’s fee on their own.

"Our budget process is pretty well locked in," said Clayton. "We already have to look to voters for overrides in some cases."

Richard Canale, co-chairman of the HATS environmental subcommittee, noted money is only part of the problem. "Our work (that of the subcommittee) will be delayed without the consultant’s analysis," he said.

The environmental subcommittee plans to do the nuts and bolts of the hands-on work after Baci identifies what needs to be done. Co-chairman Julian Bussgang reminded HATS that the committee is a volunteer group.

The HATS committee is waiting until March 8 for a definitive answer. However, if nothing happens by then, the committee plans to contact the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act office to ask that deadlines for the environmental review be delayed the same amount of time it takes the communities to get the money.

Air show is a go

Despite letters of protest from the chiefs of police in the four Hanscom communities, the U.S. Air Force is going ahead with plans for the air show this summer.

"Hanscom is having an air show," said Jim Corcoran, chief of community Relations for the Air Force.

But, Corcoran added, police objections, outlined in a letter to the Air Force last week, are not being ignored.

"We are having a meeting about the issue with town managers and the police in early March," added Corcoran.

Community police object to the military’s decision to ban public parking at the base during the show. Only vehicles with Department of Defense-authorized stickers will be allowed to park at Hanscom.

The police chiefs and town managers of Bedford, Concord, Lexington and Lincoln were scheduled to meet with Air Force officials yesterday to discuss the air show parking plan.

Richard Walsh of Massport added that while cars will be allowed on the grassy area at the end of Runway 5, parking at the Civil Air Terminal and on the "air side" of the airport, which can take about 1,000 vehicles, is off limits this year. According to Walsh, the grassy area can handle approximately 1,000 cars.

During previous shows, parking was allowed on both properties. The Air Force cited security in its decision to require most air show spectators to park in satellite lots throughout the four towns around the base. Shuttle buses will ferry spectators to Hanscom.

The Thunderbirds, the Air Force’s aerial performers, and the Golden Knights, a precision parachute team, are on the bill for the June 1-2 air show.

The Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee recently canceled its air show planned for August, citing the continuing war on terrorism.

The two-day Great New England Air Show draws more than 500,000 people, an amount similar to the Hanscom air show, which was last held four years ago.

Westover officials have said they were concerned that, because of the war, certain aircraft would be unable to appear in the air show.

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