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Politics & Government

Airport Expansion Disguised as Renovation Says Rye Brook Resident

In light of multiple planned construction projects at Westchester County Airport, Rye Brook resident Marcia Teschner says that renovations are efforts to expand the facility. County Legislator Marty Rogowsky says the airport is not expanding.

Multiple construction projects are planned for Westchester County Airport, and one community member is concerned that the renovations could lead to an expansion of the facility and have a negative impact on nearby residents.

Marcia Teschner, a Rye Brook resident who heads the village's Airport Advisory Committee, says the projects constitute expansion of the airport, which could allow for the use of larger, louder planes.

"I have done research and found that we have been experiencing piecemeal expansion over the past few years," Teschner said at a June 14 village board meeting. "There's already been a greenhouse addition to the waiting room and I'm concerned about gateway expansion for larger planes."

At the same meeting, Westchester County Legislator Marty Rogowsky (D-Harrison) maintained that the plans were not meant to expand the facility, but to restructure it in light of federal requirements.

"The airport is trying to reclaim space taken [by federal authorities] for security concerns after 9/11," he said.

Patricia Chemka, Deputy Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Public Works and Transportation, outlined the planned projects at the board meeting.

"The county has been pushed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) saying, 'There are certain things you need to do for public safety and security."

Chemka said the following projects are planned to begin over the next two years:

  1. An electrical upgrade that will accommodate increased use of electronic equipment and a new de-icing system, which will relocate de-icing fluid tanks underground on the south terminal side of the airport. To accommodate the tanks, relocation of the rental car and employee parking lots was started in late June.
  2. A proposal to create passenger walkways and jet bridges. Chemka said the purpose of these enclosed walkways is to move passengers away from de-icing equipment and baggage tugs and to provide better access to passengers in wheelchairs and others would have difficultly boarding planes from outside. Chemka said the bidding process for this project is set to begin this August.
  3. A terminal upgrade project would use the current observation deck as office space for airport employees. A new observation deck would be built, which would offset crowding in the departure lounge, which Chemka said causes public safety concerns.
  4. Construction of a second floor family bathroom and redesign of current restroom facilities.
  5. The addition of a building on the north side of the terminal for the offices and baggage screening facilities of the TSA, which Chemka said must authorize these plans. She noted that the new building would allow the airport to "reclaim baggage screening space for ticketing and passenger comfort."

Rogowsky told Patch that funds for these projects will not come from taxpayers. He estimates that the airport makes $2 to $4 million in annual profits from business rental space, landing fees and fuel sales. The funds, he said, are put into a special fund and only allowed by law to be spent on the airport. Other funding for the projects would come from state and federal governments.

Teschner voiced concern that airport profits do not benefit the communities in which the airport is located.

The 700-acre facility sits on county-owned land in Rye Brook, North Castle and Harrison.

"The airport makes a lot of money and the county does not benefit from any of it. The only thing they can do is choose the management and I think the management is partly to blame," she said.

But Rogowsky said that property taxes from businesses located at the airport are collected by the county which then distributes about $2 million annually to the municipalities.

Village of Rye Brook Administrator Christopher Bradbury also noted that the village brings in $40,000 each year in property taxes from the parking garage located on King Street.

At the June 14 board meeting, Mayor Joan Feinstein expressed concern about another proposed parking garage.

"Constituents have been concerned about that proposal and its environmental impacts," she said.

The new 1,400-car garage would also be located on King Street. The deadline for comments on the village's draft environmental statement was June 1.

In 2003, the county codified recommendations for flight frequency and passenger caps, which Rogowsky said had been voluntary since 1984. While a maximum of four flights are allowed per half hour, Rogowsky said that these mandates only apply to commercial flight companies. Corporate flights, which comprise 75 percent of the airport's total flights, are regulated by the TSA.

In the same resolution, Teschner says any expansion of the airport is ruled out. But Rogowsky maintains that the statement allows "adjustments that may need to be made at the airport to address safety and environmental concerns.

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"We acknowledged in this resolution that adjustments may need to be made," he said. "To go from two urinals to four, you can call that expansion, but it's not. The airport is not expanding, end of story."

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