Wednesday, May 16, 2001
By DENNIS SHAUGHNESSEY
Lowell Sun Correspondent
BEDFORD -- The Hanscom Field Advisory Committee meeting came to a screeching
halt last night when about 300 opponents of the airport's planned expansion
of flights lashed out at representatives from Massport and several airlines.
With shouts of "Take off and don't come back," the capacity crowd that
filled the Bedford Town Hall Auditorium made it impossible for the public
hearing to continue and ultimately forced committee Chairman Sara Mattes to
end the meeting. Mattes said the public hearing would reconvene at a later
date.
While the meeting was in session, representatives from Midway Airlines, Pan
Am Airlines and US Airways presented plans that would bring to 35 the number
of daily commercial flights out of the Bedford airport.
Shuttle America, the only commercial airline now operating out of Hanscom,
announced Monday that it plans to add six daily flights to New York in June,
bringing its number of daily departures to 18.
Midway is proposing three daily departures to Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
"We are still in the exploratory stages," said Midway Executive Vice
President Steve Westberg. "We have no aggressive timetable. We have not yet
filed with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)."
Gordon Long, vice president of Boston-Maine Airways, a subsidiary of PanAm,
said his company is planning four to seven daily departures from Hanscom to
Cape Cod and the islands.
"We feel that there is a market for it," Long said, adding that the
airlines
may even schedule flights to New York if there is a market demand.
Long said the flights would run from mid-morning to early evening.
Thomas Hanley, vice president of US Airways, said his company has more than
1,500 employees, "many from this community." US Airways is proposing
four
daily nonstop flights to Philadelphia and three daily departures to La
Guardia Airport in New York.
"We are trying to strike a balance between what is economically viable and
the environmental concerns of the community," Hanley said.
The proposals would mean a total of up to 70 daily flights in and out of the
airport, making it the second busiest airport in Massachusetts, according to
Lexington resident and expansion opponent Andrew Friedlich.
At every turn last night, airline representatives were interrupted by shouts
from the crowd as Mattes tried in vain to squelch the outbursts.
"Our national park is not for sale and neither is Walden Pond," came a
woman's cry from the rear of the auditorium. Minute Man National Park is
adjacent to the airport, and opponents fear increased commercial use of the
airport would harm historic sites.
Advisory committee member Peter Enrich also took issue with the proposals.
"Taking these three proposals together for consideration speaks to the
insanity that is afoot here," said Enrich, of Lexington.
"We are talking about transforming this airport from its present form to a
fully operational commercial airfield in the middle of a national park. It
places us above the threshold which Massport said they would allow," he
said. A 1995 environmental review by Massport put the daily departure limit
at 24.
When the microphones were opened for public input, Concord resident Edith
Sisson faced the slings and arrows of her neighbors as she tried to defend
the airlines.
"We all want to fly. We cannot be like the flightless ostrich and bury our
heads in the sand," said Sisson, a farmer, conservationist and retired
teacher.
"If you buy a home near an airport, you can expect the noise an airport may
bring," she said as the crowd erupted in a cacophony of boos and catcalls.
One by one, members of the surrounding communities of Bedford, Concord,
Lincoln and Lexington voiced their opposition to the expansion in
not-so-subtle tones. Emotions grew to a fever pitch with each new speaker
until the chant of "Take off and don't come back" pealed through the
auditorium.
After the meeting, Massport representative Richard Walsh called the session
counter-productive.
"It's ironic that the people here who wrap themselves in the flag of
democracy did not have the decency to let democracy be played out here
tonight. Through intimidation and shouting, they did not afford the airline
representatives the courtesy of giving a presentation in a clear and concise
manner. Is that the democracy they are talking about?" Walsh asked.
© 1999-2001 MediaNews Group, Inc.
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