Save Hangar One Committee

This is the statement I intend to present at tonight's meeting:

The Navy's EE/CA that recommends tearing down Moffett Hangar One is a flawed document that "backs in" to a predetermined conclusion that the Navy had reached a year ago.

During the summer of 2005, the Navy's position re: Hangar One was made clear at Restoration Advisory Board meetings held at Mountain View City Hall. The reaction from the public was strongly opposed to demolition. This opposition was also expressed by members of the community at an August 18, 2005 meeting at Moffett Field. After this widespread criticism of the Navy's demolition proposal, they agreed to do this EE/CA, although the results indicate that the study was simply conducted to reinforce the course of action that the Navy wanted to take all along.

An article in the May 19, 2006 Mountain View voice indicates that NASA's 2003 engineering analysis estimated that the cost of tearing down the hangar would exceed $30 million, not the $12 million claimed in the EE/CA. This higher, more believable, number bolsters the case for an alternative action, one that would stabilize the hangar while ensuring it be preserved and used by future generations. Unfortunately, NASA did not release its study in a timely manner, proving that the fix is in: the government is determined to destroy the hangar, despite the strong support from the community to save it.

The Navy's EE/CA is fundamentally flawed. It justifies an already-reached conclusion by low-balling the cost of demolition. It also completely ignores the community's strong desire to see the hangar preserved as stated at numerous public forums during 2005. It's time to discard this bogus study and prepare an honest assessment that meets the joint goals of protecting the environment and preserving history. These goals need not be mutually exclusive.

Bill Hough