Editorials
Buffalo-Lancaster Airport safety issue pits Goliath vs. residents
By Lee Chowaniec
Jul 4, 2009, 21:09

At this coming Monday evening’s Lancaster Town Board meeting, the part of Goliath will be played by the Lancaster Town Board/FAA/Buffalo-Lancaster Airport (BLA) owner and supposedly 200 pilots. The residents will be played by Lancaster residents who either live within the Buffalo-Lancaster airport flight path or supporters who visit the area.

According to this week’s Lancaster Bee edition, Tom Geles, head of the BLA will speak on what representatives have done to try to quell complaints from residents in nearby neighborhoods and present letters on how the airport benefits the town and the county as a whole. Residents will also be informed on why the change in flight pattern turning (shortened from Cemetery Road to Pavement Road) is safer for the residents; the Cemetery Road turn took pilots “dangerously close” to the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport (BNIA). “Our priority is safety,” says Geles.

According to Rep. Chris Lee, R—26th District, neighbors had forwarded letters to him seeking help as the town and FAA were pointing fingers at each other as to jurisdiction. Lee said the FAA inspected the matter and found no violations. The FAA’S correspondence to Lee closed by stating “we consider the matter closed.”

Geles is quoted in the Bee as saying he is taking over airport management, will speak on how the airport is an asset and will act as a “captain steering his ship through the difficult time.” “We are trying to grow a business.”

Do you know what was missing from the report? No resident content or input. At least the Bee described the issue as a safety issue this time and not as a nuisance, as in some past articles.

As for the town, they have taken the position they have no jurisdiction over the matter as they issued no permits or contributed any funds for the airport expansion. They merely performed an environmental review, found no significant adverse impacts associated with the project and made a negative declaration, and by resolution accepted the airport master plan on the same evening. Was there a public hearing on the matter? Not to my knowledge.

Game, set, match, right? Not quite! It ain’t over till it’s over. Far from but a few “pesky” residents (as some would like you to believe) and there their supporters will be there Monday evening to present their side of the story; maybe not 200 strong, but with equal firepower and substantive reasons as to why public safety should not be compromised for monetary gain.

Lastly, how do you compromise when the airport is unregulated and does not have a communications tower?


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