[BoulderCouncilHotline] Information Packet on Airport

[Wallach, Mark]

I appreciate receiving the information packet concerning the Boulder Municipal Airport, as it contains a great deal of useful information. However, there are several concerns that this document does not address, and which should be part of a community conversation concerning the future of this facility.

1) First, the noise abatement procedures appear to be entirely voluntary, as Boulder does not have actual jurisdiction over the operations of the airport itself when it comes to noise and the behaviors of the pilots. It has been clear for some time that some of the tenants at the airport operate in a manner that is entirely disrespectful to the surrounding community, treating the voluntary noise abatement program as if it is meaningless. And without any enforcement capability it appears to be just that. With 60% of the noise complaints resulting from non-compliance with our existing program, how else can it be characterized? What are the enforcement mechanisms that will make either our existing program or any new program effective? And if we have no such mechanisms, how will noise abatement actually be achieved?

2) This memo completely ignores the elephant in the room: Does Boulder require an airport for a few affluent plane hobbyists and a couple of businesses when other potential – and more beneficial – uses are available. In particular, the l79 acres of the airport could ultimately support 2,500 – 3,500 units of primarily affordable and middle-income housing, and represents one of the largest remaining parcels of land owned by the City of Boulder. And that ownership by the CIty is critical to fulfilling that mission. When the private sector builds housing and purchases land at $1.5-2.0MM per acre (or more) it is unrealistic to expect much more than a cash-in-lieu payment or the required 25% affordable housing. When Boulder owns the land and can make it available at a vastly reduced price (say, $100,000 – 200,000 per acre) we can do so on the condition that builders actually construct affordable housing or deed-restricted middle-income housing. And at that land price they can do so and actually make money. Throughout Colorado, you can find housing developments, either starter homes or townhouses, where the cost is $400 – 800,000. You cannot find that in Boulder due to the cost of land. The airport could be the cure for that.

3) There is a persistent urban myth that if we repurposed the airport it would cost us upwards of $100MM to do so, because 44 acres of the airport were purchased with federal funds, and we would be required to reimburse the FAA for the fair market value of that land. This is not what the covenants actually say, which is that if we no longer wish to use that land for an airport, we must sell it for fair market value and pay the proceeds to the feds. This means that we would be out of pocket for no funds at all; 44 acres of the airport would go to the highest bidder, and we would get the standard market rate homes and apartments, with 25% affordable housing, leaving 135 acres that we can do with what we will. Consider the possibilities.

4) A second myth is that we run rescue and fire-fighting services out of the airport. I have asked more than one official if this is actually the case, and the answer has always been that we do not, other than a few helicopter flights. And we can always carve out a couple of acres for a helipad if that were deemed important.

5) The community conversation as to the ultimate use of the airport is one that should occur before we accept further FAA grant funds. If the memo is correct that each acceptance of funds binds us for another 20 years to operate the facility as an airport (and I would like to see an opinion from specialized aviation counsel that this is, in fact, the case and cannot be altered), the appropriate community outreach and analysis should be made to determine that Boulder desires the continued operation of a hobbyist airport over such large amounts of affordable housing as the highest and best use of the land. Only at that point should we be accepting further grants from the FAA.

6) Please note that San Jose will be closing its small airport in 2028. Why did they do so? Not purely because it was noisy, but because trace amounts of lead from aviation fuel were showing up in children in surrounding neighborhoods. In the case of Boulder, we probably have the same issue, but we also have an equity issue as two manufactured home parks are essentially adjacent to the airport, meaning that children of lower income are most significantly impacted. What does San Jose know that we do not? Have we even spoken to them or their consultants to determine if this is a course of action that we should pursue? If not, why not?

There are several steps that should be taken immediately in connection with the airport:

i)                    A cessation on accepting further FAA grants until the Master Plan has been concluded (and we should use our own funds for that, not an FAA grant) and accepted by the Council, and a determination has been made as to its future use, either as an airport, or to ultimately decommission the facility for future housing.

ii)                  No long-term leases entered into until that determination has been made.

iii)                A full analysis as to whether all FAA grants commit us for another 20 years of airport operation, and whether that obligation can be curtailed. How did San Jose do it? Have other communities done this? What are the potential ways of altering that obligation?

iv)                 Let us commence NOW with the outreach that will permit us to determine the will of the community with respect to this facility. I believe we would be better served by decommissioning the airport and using the land for affordable and middle-income housing. But if that is not the will of the community, so be it. Let’s find out.


This is potentially one of the most significant land use decisions that Boulder can make; I hope we will show the appropriate wisdom in doing so.


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