by GSF Staff One of the largest parcels of land on the entire South Fork is the 1,500-acre Francis Gabreski Airport in Westhampton. Constructed in 1943 as an Air Force base, the property was eventually turned over to Suffolk County in 1970 as surplus government land. The transfer provided that this facility should be used for the use and benefit of the public as a general aviation facility. At the same time, the U.S. Air National Guard leased some 89 acres of the airport for the purpose of maintaining the 102nd Air Refueling Wing that is now known as the 106th Air Rescue Wing. The 106th's well-known search and rescue skills have earned it substantial support throughout the region and the nation. In fact, the 106th was recently dispatched to aid in hurricane recovery operations along the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. For many years the airport was run as a fairly low priority Suffolk County facility that catered primarily to small aircraft and a hodge-podge of commercial and industrial tenants, which made use of the facility's aging structures at very low rents. Although the site was long viewed as a good potential site for economic redevelopment, its overall lack of adequate infrastructure served as a natural barrier to significant growth at the facility. Today the airport is on the brink of a long-term transition, which needs careful scrutiny and meaningful community input. After nearly a decade of reinvestment, the airport now has made substantial improvements in its sewage treatment, water supply, roadways and utilities. As progress was made on the infrastructure side, many aging building were demolished and the Town of Southampton sought and received approval to create a 58-acre planned development district, which would be set aside for non-aviation use. Earlier this summer, notice of a forthcoming Federal Aviation Administration Master Plan for the airport, coupled with Southampton Town's progress on its own planned development district, and a proposal to move some of the decision-making on airport leases back to Hauppauge, raised public awareness and urgency about the need for active public engagement in any forthcoming development plans. In response to this need, Group President Bob DeLuca asked that the Suffolk County Executive, Steve Levy, consider establishing an organized forum for community stakeholders that would provide a clear channel of communication between airport decision-makers and the affected public. Soon thereafter, the County Executive called a meeting of elected officials, community members and interested organizations (including the Group. After this initial meeting, the County Executive issued an Executive Order creating a Gabreski Airport Community Advisory Board. According to the Order, the Advisory Board will provide better communication between Francis S. Gabreski Airport's management and residential neighbors regarding the compatibility of the airport with its proximate communities, the airport's operations, and the development and implementation of the Airport Master Plan and the Gabreski Airport Planned Development District. The Advisory Board is comprised of a diverse group of airport stakeholders, including representatives from several surrounding communities and neighboring developments. Group President Bob DeLuca was appointed to the Advisory Board as the County Executive's representative of a "publicly acknowledged" environmental organization. In this role, Bob will work with other community members to promote improved environmental policies for the entire property and seek responsible limitations on the amount of air traffic that will ultimately be handled by the facility. What You Can Do Contact Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy Thank the County Executive for creating the Gabreski Airport Community Advisory Board and ask that he make public input and environmental protection a priority for the long-term planning and management of the facility. The Honorable Steve Levy Suffolk County Executive H. Lee Dennison Building 100 Veterans Memorial Highway P.O. Box 6100 Hauppauge, New York 11788-0099 Phone: (631) 853-4000 Email: county.executive@suffolkcountyny.gov