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Calverton Executive Airpark

Calverton Executive Airpark (IATA: CTO[1], FAA LID: 3C8, formerly CTO) also known as Peconic River Airport and Enterprise Park at Calverton (EPCAL)[3] was a public-owned private-use airport located three miles (5 km) west of the central business district of the Calverton hamlet, in the Town of Riverhead,[4] Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is owned by the Town of Riverhead.[2]

Calverton Executive Airpark
Calverton in 1979-80
Summary
Airport typePublic-owned, private-use
OwnerTown of Riverhead
LocationCalverton, New York
Elevation AMSL75 ft / 23 m
Coordinates40°54′54″N 072°47′31″W / 40.91500°N 72.79194°W / 40.91500; -72.79194
Map
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
14/32 10,000 3,048 Asphalt/concrete
5/23 (closed) 7,000 2,133 Asphalt/concrete
Main building
TWA Flight 800 reassembled in the building

It was formerly the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant, Calverton which was owned by the United States Navy and used to assemble, test, refit and retrofit jets built by the Grumman Corporation on Long Island.

The airport covers an area of 2,921 acres (1,182 ha) which contains two asphalt and concrete runways: 14/32 measuring 10,000 by 200 feet (3,048 m × 61 m)[2] and 5/23 measuring 7,000 by 200 feet (2,134 m × 61 m).

The airport was lightly used for air traffic in lieu of the nearby Francis S. Gabreski Airport. Its last remaining air client, Skydive Long Island, closed permanently in 2015.[5]

In 2021, The Town Board of Riverhead approved the airport to be the venue of Division 1 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing events.[6][7] The airport held inaugural NHRA drag racing events in summer 2021.[8]

History

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For history of the site before 1996, see Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant, Calverton.

In 1996, the wreckage of TWA Flight 800, which had exploded, disintegrated and crashed about 20 miles (32 km) south of the airport, was reconstructed in a hangar and is stored by the NTSB to be used as an accident investigation teaching aid. By the end of 2021, as it is now considered technically obsolete and in respect of the crash victims' families, the wreckage was dismantled, and almost all salvaged parts of the wrecked Boeing 747-131 had been recycled or sent in landfills or scrapped.

In September 1998, the bulk of the developed land, 2,640 acres (1,070 ha), at the airport was donated to Riverhead. Another 2,935 acres (1,188 ha) was donated to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation for wildlife management.

In the 1998 transactions, East End Aircraft Long Island Corporation was given 10 acres (40,000 m2) on Highway 25 which it is developing into the Grumman Memorial Park[9] and Aerospace Museum.

As of January 2006, the Navy still owns 358 acres (mostly areas requiring environment cleanup) at the site.[10] In January 2013, one of the Calverton airport's two runways was being used to store thousands of flood-damaged vehicles from Hurricane Sandy.[11]

Development efforts

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Development for the central portion of the complex is still undecided as of March 2018. Various proposals have included building a 35-story artificial ski mountain, a racing track, a plant to build solar-powered planes, building a solar farm and building a large shopping center.

In January 2008, the Riverhead Town Board approved the sale of the airport for $155 million to Riverhead Resorts which planned a 35-story ski mountain in a proposed $2.2 billion project.[12] In 2010 Riverhead cancelled the contract after Resorts did not make a $3.9 million payment.[13]

 
Grumman Memorial Park at Calverton

On February 11, 2010, it was announced that the dormant railway track into EPCAL would be reactivated for freight service. According to Railway Age magazine, Riverhead's town board awarded a $3.49 million contract to Railroad Construction Co., of Paterson, New Jersey, to activate a rail spur off of the Long Island Rail Road's Main Line out to Greenport, for New York & Atlantic Railway freight trains. The project is being paid largely through federal stimulus funding.[14][15]

In 2017, a tentative deal was struck with the Town of Riverhead and Calverton Aviation and Technology (a joint venture with Luminati Aerospace and shopping mall developer Triple Five Real Estate I, LLC) to build solar power aircraft at EPCAL with Luminati initially saying it would employ 2,000 at the plant. Luminati Aerospace obtained tenancy at EPCAL in 2015, via the vacated Skydive Long Island space. As the plans to build planes fell into financial difficulties, the shopping mall developers were signed on to the deal.[16] The full details of the project were still being discussed in 2018. In February 2018, Sustainable Power Group filed suit, saying it offered a higher bid for the property so it could become a solar farm.[17][18]

NHRA membership and events

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In early 2021, The Town Board of Riverhead voted to approve the airport to host drag racing events for National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Division 1 events, with the first events taking place in summer 2021 with Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar driving a race car to "cut" through the ribbon in the inaugural ceremony.[6][7][8][19] The event ended a 17-year hiatus of drag racing on Long Island and will host NHRA events approximately five times per year, in addition to non-NHRA town-sanctioned events dubbed the EPCAL Racing Series, as of 2022.[20][21]

In 2022, The Town of Riverhead again voted to approve racing events at the airport for upcoming seasons.[22]

Ecology and endangered species

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The airport contains the largest remaining grassland on Long Island, providing documented breeding and/or foraging habitat for numerous grassland birds, including at least one New York State endangered species (the short-eared owl)[23][24][25][26][27] including five New York State Species of Special Concern (common nighthawk, grasshopper sparrow, vesper sparrow, horned lark, and whip-poor-will).[26][27] New York State Department of Environmental Conservation notes these grasslands are the most productive breeding grounds for grasshopper sparrow in all of New York State.[26]

EPCAL contains 10 kettle hole ponds which are documented breeding sites for the eastern tiger salamander, a New York State endangered species.[25][28] The site also contains five additional reptile and amphibian species which are identified as Species of Special Concern in New York State (marbled salamander, eastern spadefoot, spotted turtle, eastern box turtle, and eastern hognose snake).[28][29] A total of 24 amphibian and reptile species have been identified on or near the EPCAL property.[28][29]

As discussions over whether the airport could be developed the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced in February 2008 that endangered short-eared owls and northern harriers had been spotted at the airport which would prompt the DEC to make the ultimate decision of future development.[25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Airport information for Calverton Executive Airpark (IATA:CTO, FAA:3C8) at Great Circle Mapper.
  2. ^ a b c FAA Airport Form 5010 for 3C8 PDF, effective 2007-10-25
  3. ^ "Solar developer sues to block $40M EPCAL sale".
  4. ^ "2008 Zoning Map" (West). Town of Riverhead. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  5. ^ Chris Lisinski (2015-10-01). "Skydive Long Island closes, making way for high-tech drone company". Riverhead News-Review.
  6. ^ a b "Calverton Executive Airpark Becomes NHRA Member Track". SPEED SPORT. 2021-07-08. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  7. ^ a b Bolger, Timothy (2021-06-09). "Drag Racing Greenlit at EPCAL – Dan's Papers". www.danspapers.com. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  8. ^ a b Corr, Jennifer (2022-04-25). "Race Track Not Street Offers Safer Racing Fun in Calverton". www.danspapers.com. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  9. ^ "HOME OF M.A.T.S. - the most comprehensive Grumman F-14 Reference Work - by Torsten Anft!".
  10. ^ Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant - EPA ID Number: NYD003995198 - January 2006
  11. ^ Nir, Sarah Maslin (January 12, 2013). "Dried Out and Title-Scrubbed, Flooded Cars Lure the Unwary". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-01-12.
  12. ^ Riverhead officials approve ski mountain project - Newsday - January 3, 2008
  13. ^ "Riverhead Cancels $2B Resort with Indoor Skiing". 12 November 2010.
  14. ^ "Paterson Announces Economic Recovery Funding For Long Island Rail Spur - Riverhead, NY". Hamptons.com. 2010-02-11. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
  15. ^ "Freight spur construction on Long Island moves forward". Railway Age. February 12, 2010. Retrieved 2013-06-27.
  16. ^ "Luminati Deal Falls Apart". Archived from the original on 2018-03-07. Retrieved 2018-03-06.
  17. ^ "Riverhead strikes deal to sell former Grumman property to Luminati Aerospace". 29 March 2017.
  18. ^ "Luminati founder a no-show at Riverhead hearing on EPCAL buy". 28 February 2018.
  19. ^ Finn, Lisa (2021-08-26). "'History Made': Motorsports Fans Rejoice At LI Drag Racing Events". Riverhead, NY Patch. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  20. ^ Builder, Engine (2021-07-19). "NHRA Drag Racing Returns to Long Island, NY". Engine Builder Magazine. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  21. ^ Liepa, Bob (2021-08-25). "After 17 years, drag racing makes comeback with events in Calverton". Riverhead News Review. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  22. ^ Gannon, Tim (2022-01-20). "Town Board approves four drag racing events at EPCAL for 2022". Riverhead News Review. Retrieved 2022-07-18.
  23. ^ The Nature Conservancy. Geospatial analysis of grasslands on Long Island.
  24. ^ Kilgannon, Corey (March 14, 2008). "A Party of Four at a Foraging Spot". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
  25. ^ a b c Smith, Jennifer (February 6, 2008). "State: Owl species likely to delay LI development". Newsday. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
  26. ^ a b c National Audubon Society's Avian Inventory and Monitoring (AIM) Survey Program
  27. ^ a b New York State Breeding Bird Atlas. Conducted and published by NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
  28. ^ a b c New York State Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project ("Herp Atlas"). Conducted and published by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
  29. ^ a b Eastern Hognose Snake Survey, US Fish and Wildlife Service and Rutgers University conducted by Jeremy Feinberg
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