A Mattituck woman who has been crying out for change over helicopter noise on the North Fork is rallying the troops and heading to East Hampton Thursday night for a public hearing where she said local voices need to be heard.
Teresa McCaskie, who sits on Southold’s helicopter advisory committee along with town board liaison Bob Ghosio, stood up at last week’s state of the town address and invited all residents to attend the meeting, which takes place at 4:30 p.m. at LTV Studios, 75 Industrial Road, in East Hampton.
The hearing is meant to discuss new restrictions proposed by the East Hampton Town board that could reduce aircraft noise over East End homes.
Originally, the proposed new East Hampton local law stated that it would ban all helicopters on weekends, implement a mandatory night curfew from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., as well as an extended curfew for noisy aircraft, from 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. and limit operations of noisy aircraft to one trip, or one arrival and one departure, during the summer season.
East Hampton Town Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez said she proposed the restrictions after years of analysis and studies, as well as public outreach and an outcry by residents who say helicopter noise has shattered their peaceful East End life.
But now, according to East Hampton’s Quiet Skies Coalition, the final version of the four local laws has departed from the initial analysis and contains changes that they believe are unwise.
A copy of the local law and supporting technical information is available for review by clicking here.
Comments can be submitted to HTOComments@EHamptonNY.gov.
“For the first time, the East Hampton Town board is listening,” McCaskie said Monday. “We need to be there so our voices can be heard.”
McCaskie said 30 are needed to fill a bus, which would leave the North Fork at approximately 3 p.m. She said she’d like to see residents and elected officials from both Southold and Riverhead attend.
