Planned East Hampton Airport Reforms to be Studied

Town of East Hampton officials are making a second pass at a disputed attempt to impose new flight restrictions at East Hampton Airport to mitigate neighbors’ noise complaints.

In laying the groundwork for a redo of its prior effort, the town board passed resolutions to prepare an environmental impact statement studying how such restrictions could impact the environs surrounding the Wainscott airport, and scheduled a public hearing on the topic.

“Permanent closure of East Hampton Airport as an alternative will also be studied,” East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said while reading the resolution during the December 15 meeting.

The restrictions the town has been considering would limit the types of aircraft, setting curfew on arrivals and departures, and restricting lead-based fuel, among other measures.

The town’s prior bid to make such changes have drawn seven lawsuits filed by more than 30 plaintiffs combined. One of those lawsuits was dropped last month after a Suffolk County court judge issued an injunction, which the town is appealing, that bars East Hampton town from temporarily closing the airport to enact its new rules without first performing an environmental review.

The town scheduled the public hearing on its environmental review for January 17, with written comments being accepted through January 22.