In a letter to the editor, Phil Timpane writes: “In light of the possibility of future expansions, about which the applicants have been less than forthcoming, it is imperative that the board carefully scrutinize the current application in order to safeguard the residential character of the neighborhood.”
The plans for the Walter J. Koladza Airport in Great Barrington now being considered at Town Hall are for three 149-foot by 50-foot hangars with 18 bays inside, 18 parking spaces and an access road. But according to one of the owners, the airport also wants to add a charter service and an LSA (light sport aircraft) dealership and air shows.
Neighbors are worried about what will happen when an increasingly busier airport changes, possibly leading to even more future expansion. The pilots and plane owners say the airport is a critical piece of the town’s economic engine and a treasure that brings people here from far and wide.
The 5-year-old battle with Claudia Shapiro and Danny Bell has not been cheap. Through the end of July, town officials say they estimated that the town will have spent somewhere between $53,000 and $54,000 defending itself from their claims.
