Chop the Choppers: What’s the Real Deal with the EDC’s Plan?

By on April 16, 2010 9:29 pm in News

Something really did come “off” after yesterday’s news that the BHA hadn’t been filled in about the Economic Development Corporation’s reported plan to curb tourist helicopter noise over Brooklyn Heights.

Sources tell BHB that the EDC is currently reaching out to elected officials and others to begin the process of formulating a plan.  In other words, there is no plan but there’s plan to make a plan.

NYS Senator Daniel Squadron (D-SD 25) tells BHB via e-mail, “As Brooklyn Heights residents know all too well, the concentration of tourist helicopter flights at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport has raised serious concerns about safety and quality of life. I am pleased that, in response to our advocacy and the advocacy of Brooklyn and Manhattan community members, EDC is willing to meet with local officials to begin discussion on a much-needed comprehensive plan. We must act quickly to reach a solution that is safe and works for our community.”

Via e-mail earlier today, EDC spokesperson Dave Lombino told our Julie Kanfer, “We’re not going to detail any more of the ongoing discussions about helicopters at this time.”

So bottom line – EDC is thinking about having a meeting, but haven’t hit “send” on the Outlook invite. Stay tuned.

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  • nabeguy

    Sounds like they’re in scramble mode. Keep the pressure on and yank them out of whatever corners they attempt to retreat into. Let’s make sure that EDC doesn’t stand for Evade Discussing Choppers.

  • Andrew Porter

    I was on the Promenade today and realized that if landings and take-offs took place to the SE of the helipad, all problems with noise would be solved. I think a lot of the landings, which zoom in at a wide angle with the rotors tilted to pour noise down onto BBP and the Promenade, are because the pilots want to make a dramatic landing, presumably for their paying customers. Also, the landings are done visually, so the pilots want to keep the landing pad in visual sight at all times.

  • Maia

    I’d like to live in my neighborhood. Not have to move away…whatever happened to distrubing the peace? This is a neighborhood, not an airport the noise is disruptive, discourteous and someone else should be paying my taxes when I can’t sleep where I live.

  • Heights mom

    Please – there have been so many posts on this subject. Enough already.

  • David on Middagh

    @Heights mom: I know! When the choppers came back this morning, and it was Apocalypse Now over Middagh St., I hardly knew where to comment!

  • nabeguy

    You heard that too, huh David? A helicopter (NYPD?) hovering for 10 minutes at low altitude right over the dog run. Anybody know what that was all about? An unruly Pomeranian perhaps?

  • Andrew Porter

    Nabeguy and David on Middagh live so close to each other, they can see Russia from their windows!

  • Cranberry Beret

    Well, I must be in Siberia over on Cranberry Street, but I saw that copter, and a similar incident a few weeks ago, and they are literally 100-200 feet above us. You can’t over-emphasize the LOW in low altitude.