Friday, September 19, 2014

Editorial: Limit impact of Saratoga County Airport (5B2), Saratoga Springs, New York

The expansion of the Saratoga County Airport has been kind of like a lava flow.

It moves quietly and slowly and seems like it’s no threat. Then suddenly one day, you look up and it’s in your backyard ready to swallow your house.

Saratoga County officials need to get a handle on how much farther the airport spreads before it swallows up any more private property rights.

The airport in Milton definitely is a positive attribute for the community. It brings in revenue for the county. And it complements the region’s tourism, entertainment and equine industries by providing a convenient location for visiting musicians, horse-buyers and Saratoga celebrities to land their private planes.

But the airport has also been a growing burden on the people who live around it, particularly those who have been forced to give up privacy and aesthetics so that tall trees wouldn’t interfere with takeoffs and landings at the airfield.

One could argue that the residents knew they were living next to an airport when they bought their houses, and that removing or trimming large trees is one of the inconveniences they tacitly agreed to when they moved there.

On the other hand, just because they live near the airport doesn’t mean they agreed to be subjected to unlimited inconveniences due to the increased demand for larger planes and more frequent use.

The county rightly backed off plans to expand the airport. But it now wants to limit tree heights on up to 30 private properties, essentially expanding the area directly impacted by the airport.

The trees need to be trimmed because of safety. A private jet nipped some treetops during a landing at the airport six years ago, renewing concerns about aviation disasters. We’re sure residents would rather have shorter trees than have a jet crash in flames into their neighborhoods, potentially killing passengers and people on the ground.

But why should neighbors always be the ones making the compromises? The Albany County Airport is 30 miles to the south, and the Warren County airport is 31 miles to the north. Both can handle the types of planes that want to land in Saratoga.

Would it really hurt the county that much to direct the larger planes and jets to those airports, rather than have them skim the treetops in Milton? Would Brad Paisley really cancel this stop on his tour if his plane had to land a few ticks down the Northway instead? Would people buying million-dollar horses forego the opportunity over a 20-minute limo ride?

The safety of pilots, their passengers and residents living near the airport should indeed be paramount. But there are other ways to ensure that without letting the airport encroach any more into residents’ lives.


Article and Comments:   http://www.dailygazette.com

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