Charges Breach Of Contract And Intentional Interference With A Contract

In response to complaints about noise and safety from residents, the town of Chatham, MA declined to renew a lease with Skydive Cape Cod at Chatham Municipal Airport four years ago.

Now, the company has sued the Board of Selectmen and the town manager for $100,000.

Meanwhile, the neighbors have also sued the board seeking a ban on skydiving at the airport, which a judge recently ruled could go to trial in December.

The McClatchy News Service reports that the company is a subcontractor at the airport, but Town Manager Jill Goldsmith did not sign the lease renewal in 2013. Skydive Cape Cod appealed to the FAA, which ordered the selectmen to restore the activity to the airport within 30 days. Goldsmith refused.

So now, the town is caught between a rock and a hard place. It will lose at least one of the lawsuits.

Neighbors say Skydive Cape Cod does not operate safely, citing an incident in which a plane went into a nearby lake with two people on board, and three instances where skydivers missed their drop zone by several miles. A woman was also severely injured when she and her instructor landed hard during windy conditions. They also cite the increase in flights from the airport, and say "off color" remarks from the skydivers can be heard on the ground.

Skydive Cape Cod says only the FAA can regulate aviation activities at the airport, which has received more than $6 million in AIP funds. They also say that the Board of Selectmen approved the contract, and that it does not need the Town Manager's signature to be valid.

Only one person who was serving on the board at the time the contract was approved is still in office. The town has until May 5 to respond to the company's complaint.

FMI: www.chatham-ma.gov/board-selectmen