A reader emailed me and expressed anger at Mayor Menino's recent comments that he's considering locating a heliport at Logan Airport instead of Marine Industrial Park in South Boston, where it was originally planned to be.On a recent talk radio program Menino mentioned that a Southie legislator was against the plan and the mayor wanted to work with him, though business leaders wanted the heliport closer to downtown.
This raises a pair of questions: Will the mayor be equally deferential to the wishes of East Boston's elected officials? And does the will of "business leaders" trump the will of the local citizenry?
8 comments:
Jim: The interests of the greater business world and the flying public have always been, and will continue to be, the driving force behind any decisions that involve the aviation industry. We can make phone calls, write letters, attend rallies or blog until we are blue in the face, but government and the FAA will never side with those most impacted by the decisions around new heliports, runways or flight paths.
I read recently about the plight of neighbors to O'Hare in Chicago. Houses were taken and neighborhoods decimated to make room for O'Hare's expansion plans. Yes, it's reported that market prices were paid for some homes, but a percentage of residents are refusing to budge and I commend them. Change the names and addresses and it's Wood Island history's revisited.
In East Boston, we never really stood a chance of stopping Runway 14/32 or the centerfield taxiway because we never really had the support of our U.S. senators. Kennedy and Kerry abandoned this community on those issues and, yet, they want us to continue to return them to office to do the people's work. It was an easy decision for me last Tuesday when I voted in the primary.
Congressman Capuano is the only member of our federal delegation who comes to mind when I think of who helps East Boston with its airport-related concerns.
I'm sure the business community will get its way, because that is the way of big business in this country.
a southie legislator was against the plan? What about are our elected officials on this? Anyone want to take a guess? This neigborhood is gone.
The residents of east Boston have lived with the ultimate heliport, for years. It's called Logan Airport. It seems that ever since 9/11, I noticed more and more helicopter trips into Logan, over Eagle Hill where I lived at the time. Also, the local TV news operations hover news copters over East Boston at the drop of a hat, often providing no enhancement to their news operations other than long distance, indistinguishable images. Given helicopters' ability for vertical movement, it would seem to me that a flight path could be established that would minimize the noise impact to East Boston residents. Also, restrictions should be made on TV's habit of hovering their copters over the community for little reason other than because they can. Forgive me if I've shown no sympathy for South Boston in their complaints against a proposed helicopter pad. I've lived through my own noise problem with aircraft.
Don't forget that Massport's own director for governmental affairs resides in South Boston. Talk about a convenient lobbyist for the old neighborhood.
SAL AND ANTHONY WILL DO WHATEVER MENINO WANTS--ANY SURPRISE THERE??
The Med Flight helicopter should be a big concern for eastie residents, it flies over the boston harbor over triple decker homes about 150 feet above these homes over east boston, finally turning towards day sq to land at the airport, this med flight copter can use alternate routes to pick up trauma patients at the airport, the copter vibrates my home each time it flies over at all times of the day and night.they should use the helipad close to the hyatt hotel for this medflight copter .
I don't know that much about Anthony, but the Sal campaign sickened me. How much city money went to electing him? Every time I turned around city officials were out for that campaign and I can't believe that they were all taking personal days. He seems like a nice guy, but 100% beholden to Menino...
As for the copters, I also find it frustrating when my house shakes.
keep helicopters out of east Boston's air space, the noise is unbearably loud, residents who pay thousands a year in real estate taxes to the city of Boston don't need to put up with the bull crap , what are the local pols going to do about the medflight helicopter which flies over the neighborhood on a daily basis ,if the answer is nothing than next time they run for office I'm telling everyone I know in my neighborhood and everyone I know not to vote for these bums
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