7 Uncompensated LO)SER Historic Area Destroyed by Airport by Jane Bucklss An 18,000 acre area containing a great many fine old bousse» buildings and landmarks of genuine historie intereat will soon b. bulldozed aver as a result of the aIrport decision. Moreover, this destruction will not b. limited ta the 18,000 acre airport site it- self. Approxiiately 100,000 acres of rural countryside surrounding the airpart and designated by the gavsrnment as "noise land" will los. the poe and tranquility wbicb residents and visitors excap- in.g frais the city have faund so attractive. Residents in the proposed 25,000 acre Csdarwood dsvslop- ment ta the south of the air- port are aloa moat. concerned. In particular, thosie residents living in Whitevale and points north where the industrial areas and service corridors are ta be located# find It bard ta ses how planners can integrate their caimunities vithin the nsw city. Bath gavemments have statsd their intention ta cave a f sw of the aid historie lazidarks. Havever, ths vision of a fins old building surraunded by cancrste or sandwiched betwssn twa factorisin not an appeal- ing ans. Neither govermient has given any indication that it in pre-. parsd ta consider any exten- sive relocation of historie buildings ta a mors apprapriate setting. Cemeteries OFIMEERIES WILL NOT BE MOVED -government spokesman At a public meeting in Atha re- centlyp a gavernmerit spolcesman assured anxiaue residents that ceuteries in the proposed jet- part area will flot be moved. "The runways wili work around theis,",ho assured. It muet be camforting ta rela- tives wisbing ta visit the graves of their departed loved aneseta know that thsy will still b. able ta do so. We assume that the Department af Transport will issue special visiting.permits and hard-hats, ta those wishing ta place flowers in the cemetery? Wherever airporta are built, there is a hast of people who in airport planning jargon are called "The. Uncompensated Lasers". Who are these tlncom- pensated Lasers? They are the people in t.he community outside of airports,and people who live along the approach and take-off paths. The citizen witbin the airpart boundary# although h. may flot be adequately compensa- tedp yet ho does receive cash for his land. He can relocate. Me is to a degree compensated. But the citizen on the outside of the fence has ta suffer a losa flot softened by cash: -hie air is pol].i.ted; -bis sleep is interrupted due ta noise; -bis television watching is impaired; -bis municipal services are strained; and -bis taxes muet pay for many services required by the airport. Well, maybe people can suffer keroserie fumes, lack of sleep, additional realty taxes, and a decline in their communityts well being. But is it reason- able ta expect people ta accept sudden deflation in the value of their homes? People wilJ. flot buy bouses near an airpart or on a flight path. Without buyers prices drop. A 1971ý study sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engin- eering commented -- "Modern air transportation bas brougbt nearly unbearable noise ta mil- lions of Aiericans wbo live or work near airports. The envir- onnental hazard muet b e suff ered by some part of the community, often that part that scarcely benefits eitber directly or in- directly from air travel. Under present law, few of those im- pacted individuals can seek me- compense for or relief from this damnage ta their lives fmom the aimpart or the airline. This cast is not paid by eitber the traveli-er or the whole nation that benefits from air service ." Because of its massive and un- favourable environmental impact an aimport is no langer consid- ered a blessing ta a community. It is difficult for the average home owner or fariner ta under- stand why he "The Uncompensated Laseru sbauld provide a subsidy ta the few wha can afford fre- quent air travel. by L.D. Almack, B.A.Sc., P.Eng. TOP LEFT. . - ~4K A MCNIFICANT EXMPLE 0F FIRAME FAPLY 0NMPIO HOME, MFR TE, VILLAGE 0F BROUCIM' GCENIPE -- FARM HOIME LOCA TED ABOUT DEM) CNE~ 0Fi'X THE P1R0POSED I&JOR RUNWAY BOTTOM RIGET.. * wVoev STONE CENiTUY FARM NEKR BROUGINM SOON TO F*SS FOREVER