letters to the editor

Letters to the editor

To hell with the heliport

To The Editor:
Chelsea residents have been against a heliport on the West Side for decades. Many of us remember when helicopters landed on the roof of the Port Authority building, which occupies the space between Eighth and Ninth Aves. from 15th to 16th Sts. Chelsea Waterside Park Association and I are co-plaintiffs in the Friends of Hudson River Park complaint against the heliport operators and the Hudson River Park Trust. The present heliport, located within the Hudson River Part at the upland at 29th St. is an illegal use and we are urging H.R.P.T. to cancel the heliport’s month-to-month lease. It is time. The excuse that this part of the park is not used is no longer true; H.R.P.T. has built a beautiful segment of park adjoining the heliport; a nature habitat, a boathouse and pier, and the float bridge. The very popular Maritime Barge is located at the western end of the float bridge. When Chelsea Cove is completed, it too will be besieged with the noise of helicopters.

I am very disappointed that my friend Al Butzel, who as chair of the Friends spearheaded the litigation, engaged in conjecture that the board of the Trust had not removed the heliport because of a relationship between the former chair, James Ortenzio, and the heliport operators. James Ortenzio was the most effective chair the Trust ever had and much of the park that we enjoy occurred under his leadership. I think the most logical reason for the Trust’s failure to end this noxious use, the heliport, was that it was a rent payer and that rent went into the operating and maintenance budget of H.R.P.T.

So why did C.W.P.A. and I sign onto a complaint, which has language, we are now disowning? It was because when we agreed to become co-plaintiffs we were assured that there would be no changes from an earlier version. It was a mistake, but in the context of being a co-plaintiff on other complaints, such as the successful Basketball City case, we had no reason not to trust Al Butzel. I believe this was an honest mistake on both of our parts. Now let’s move on and get the park finished and, of course, let’s get the heliport the hell out of there.

Robert Trentlyon
Vice President of C.W.P.A.

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