Jesus Perez says East River residents bear seaplane risk
The Manhattan Community Board 6 district manager says seaplanes mostly fly between Manhattan and the Hamptons; residents get noise, risk, and pollution; CB6 has passed resolutions for 30 years and supports Intro 1115.
Next is Dan McSweeney.
If you're on the Zoom.
Not present.
You may begin.
Next is Jesus Perez.
You may begin.
Good afternoon, Chair Maloney and members of the committee.
My name is Jesus Perez and I am the District Manager of Manhattan Community Board 6.
Our district runs along the East River from 14th to 59th Street.
As you've already heard, our district knows firsthand the annoyances and dangers of the many seaplanes that travel up and down the East River.
The panel of waterside residents you heard earlier more eloquently articulated the conditions and violations on the East River better than I could, so I will not repeat them.
But I will say that the people of our district bear nearly all of the risk of these flights, and they get almost none of the benefit.
Seaplanes take off and land near thousands of homes closer than regulations allow.
These seaplanes are mostly flying between Manhattan and the Hamptons, and that is a convenience for the few rather than the many, and it is paid for in noise, risk, and pollution by everyone else.
As Councilmember Maloney mentioned during her questioning, Manhattan Community Board 6 has passed resolutions going back 30 years that the Skyport site should serve the community rather than the few.
Instead, EDC came back to us last year with a $12 million rehabilitation project that included a larger seaplane dock, all for a facility that brings in a fraction of that and upsets its neighbors.
It's not on the agenda today, but we thank Chair Maloney for introducing Intro 1115.
that would facilitate the monitoring of noise levels around seaplane bases.
Residents deserve hard numbers on the noise they live with every day.
And we urge all other council members to sign on as co-sponsors.
But measuring the problem is only the first step.
We need to remember that the East River belongs to New Yorkers, not to the seaplanes for the few of them who can afford them.
Thank you.
Thank you very much for your testimony.