By Kati Winchell, Save Our Heritage
Thursday, Jan 7th, 6:30 pmHanscom Civilian Air Terminal, 2nd floor
Please make every effort to attend this meeting - it's a crucial one! Your presence and a packed room is needed to help stop the biggest expansion at Hanscom in decades.
BACKGROUND:
Massport wants to use this "Community Meeting" to inform the public of their plans to demolish historic Hangar 24, and assure us that the historic building will be properly documented prior to destruction. Massport is hoping that this meeting is the end point of a historic review process of Hangar 24 that was begun in April 08.
HOWEVER, there's MUCH more at stake than just the historic hangar. A year ago December (08), FAA expanded the historic review of Hangar 24 to include an Environmental Assessment (EA) focused on the impacts of "redeveloping" the hangar site--as well as development of East Ramp. There are enormous and serious flaws with this EA, and its mistaken conclusion that 460,000 sq ft development at Hangar 24 and the East Ramp will have no, or minimal, impact on the surrounding area.
Here's what's at stake and why your presence at this meeting is vital - Massport is planning to:
- demolish Hangar 24 (18,500 sq ft) and replace it with a corporate jet service facility (30-60,000 sq ft) -- with an above ground fuel tank
- build up to 8 new corporate jet hangars on East Ramp, totaling 400,000 sq ft of new corporate jet infrastructure (equivalent to about 8 football fields)
The above represents a massive doubling of corporate jet infrastructure space - the biggest expansion at Hanscom in decades.
Our State legislators have said that they will be on hand to raise questions, and demand answers, regarding Massport's plans and the FAA's Environmental Assessment. There will also be representation from our Congressional leaders.
REQUESTED ACTIONS - WHAT YOU CAN DO:
1. Attend the meeting on Thursday - and please email us if you are.
2. Call 2-5 people about the meeting -- or bring them on Thursday. Please email us your head count, if possible.
3. We will need 3-6 hardy souls with long johns to hold a sign outside the Civilian Terminal about 20 mins before the meeting (around 6:10pm), so that it can be seen by those filing in, and by the media. Please let us know if you feel you are up to this task.
You can email your replies to kati@saveourheritage.com.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR EFFORTS. WORKING TOGETHER WE MAY BE ABLE TO WARD OFF HANSCOM EXPANSION ONCE AGAIN !!
