Letter to the Editor: Hartwell Farms Residents Oppose Hanscom North Airfield Development; Will Harm Local Residents

-Submitted by Richard Baughman

As one of the closest residential communities to the Hanscom North Airfield Development proposal, the Hartwell Farms Condominium Association residents are strongly opposed to this project.  The plan is contrary to the efforts of the local, state, and federal governments to preserve our environment.

The proposed North Airfield project will have numerous negative impacts on the environment and on residents:

• The plan will result in an increase in jet traffic.  Noise, air, carbon emission, and light pollution will negatively affect the residents of Bedford, Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington.
• Areas around Hanscom Field are already superfund sites.  The addition of a fueling site will only add to the hazards, in addition to the transportation of fuel through our community.
• The area is home to coyotes, frogs, deer, turkeys, rabbits, and countless other animals and birds that will lose their habitat.
• Trees and other plants will be replaced with hard surfaces impacting water runoff and creating a heat island.
• Carbon emissions: This proposal is contrary to current carbon emissions goals of our community, state, and federal governments. Adding 27 large jet hangars with over 50 corporate jets will permit travel with 5-8 times the carbon emissions per passenger as commercial jets.
• Environmental impacts: These include: jet traffic; aircraft noise; fueling operations and storage tanks; massive contaminated stormwater runoff from *30 acres* of NEW pavement & buildings; heat island effects from the paving over of forest & brush areas; and loss of natural habitat for local fauna.
• Health and safety: This will have well-documented health effects on our children living so close to this massive expansion, with increased particulate emissions from aircraft, car and truck traffic right next to our homes and along Hartwell Road and The Edge sports complex.
• Social responsibility: This project is a pure handout to wealthy executives at companies with the money to support private jet travel, with no direct benefit to the general public, and great harm to the surrounding communities.

We oppose this plan that will harm so many local residents while benefiting a handful of corporate and
private jet owners.

Richard Baughman (with Thomas Flannery) is Treasurer of the Hartwell Farms Home Owners Association
Board. His petition includes 105 signatures from residents.