Organizers seeking to close the Boulder Municipal Airport submitted ballot measure signatures this week to the City Clerk’s Office for counting. This is the latest step in their effort to have voters decide in November whether the city should decommission the airport and use the land to build housing.
The organizers gathered signatures for two related ballot measures: one to close the airport and the other to redevelop the land into a mixed-use neighborhood. To appear on the 2024 ballot, each measure needs at least 3,401 signatures. On Wednesday, May 29, they submitted more than 4,000 signatures for each measure, though the signatures still need to be verified, according to a city election official.
“We are happy with where we are at and feeling good,” Laura Kaplan, a member of the city’s Planning Board and organizer with the ballot measure committee, Airport Neighborhood Campaign, told Boulder Reporting Lab.
The city clerk has until June 13 to review the two petitions and decide whether enough valid signatures were submitted, according to a city election official. If the signatures are insufficient, organizers will have an additional 10 days to collect more.
The ballot measure to close the airport would be the most politically contentious question on this year’s city ballot. The longstanding debate underscores the tradeoffs the city faces as it searches for land to address its housing shortage and considers what might be lost in the process.
The Boulder Municipal Airport, which began as a dirt landing strip in 1928 in the city’s northeast corner, is mainly used by private pilots, trainees and glider pilots. It has less traffic than other regional airports, such as Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Jefferson County. In 2023, the airport recorded about 60,000 total operations, including take-offs and landings, according to city records.
Proponents of closing the airport view it as a means to repurpose the 179 acres of land to build thousands of housing units, including affordable housing for middle-income families. Separately, some neighbors of the airport, including residents of nearby mobile home communities, have voiced concerns over noise and possible lead pollution.
But residents and pilots who want to keep the airport open argue it is a valuable community resource, particularly for training pilots and emergency operations related to floods and wildfires. About 170 aircraft, including fixed-wing planes, gliders and two helicopters, are based at the airport, according to recent city records.
Supporters of the airport recently filed with the city to create a new ballot measure committee, Boulder Airport Association-Save Boulder Airport. The organization has raised at least $3,000 in an effort to keep the airport open, according to city campaign finance reports. Proponents of the ballot measure to close the airport reported raising less than $100, though they have likely raised more since the last campaign finance report.
Jan Burton, a former city councilmember and member of the Boulder Airport Association, cited sales tax revenue and staging for emergency operations as reasons to keep the airport open. If the measures end up on the ballot, she said she and others will raise money and “do everything we can to save the airport.”
“A lot of people don’t know the value of the airport,” Burton, a pilot, told Boulder Reporting Lab.
Several members of the Boulder City Council have indicated they are interested in closing the airport. The city’s Housing Advisory Board, which advises councilmembers on housing issues, has encouraged them to at least consider its closure.
But councilmembers have abstained from formally weighing in. Some have questions about the legal and financial implications related to the city’s grant obligations to the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA has given the city grant money to buy land and maintain landing strips. Those grants include assurances that the city will keep the airport operating and maintained, according to an FAA official.
The newly formed ballot measure committee to support the airport, along with the FAA’s insistence on keeping it operating, will pose significant challenges to passing the measure.
“We’re prepared for this to be a ‘David and Goliath’ kind of battle,” Kaplan, of the Airport Neighborhood Campaign, said.
Kudos to the proponents for detaching themselves from developers and requiring 50% affordable housing. This should be the model, not the insane idea that the market will deliver affordability in Boulder.
What about this property that is available for development? https://boulderhousing.net/to-consider-housing-in-the-planning-reserve-a-baseline-study-must-be-done-soon/
It would be helpful to know to what extent this airport could be used (and has been used in the past) to support efforts to address wildfires or other disasters in our region.
@Vaishali ,
I believe there would be a plan to retain a heliport for emergency services regardless. Also check out this quote from the the city’s wildland fire division chief.
“Rocky Mountain Rescue Group uses the airport for certain training and rescue deployments. But for helicopter missions, the group typically uses the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. Brian Oliver, the city’s wildland fire division chief, said air tankers, which are planes that carry suppressant to put out fires, are based at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport. Oliver said the Boulder airport is useful for helicopters when fighting wildfires, but not necessary. ”
Source:
https://boulderreportinglab.org/2023/07/17/once-in-a-forever-opportunity-boulder-residents-to-weigh-in-on-repurposing-the-airport-for-housing/
Just What we need more development “NOT”. LEAVE THE AIRPORT ALONE. Lived here all my Life and the Boulder airport has been a important part of this community.
First, I think that any member of the planning board or housing board involved in closing the airport should be removed from their respective board since this is a violation of their impartiality to assess all avenues for creating more affordable housing. Second, building more houses will not create more affordable housing. Third, the City of Boulder is far behind many other Colorado communities in terms of maintaining their existing infrastructure — one just needs to look at the condition of our roads. Further, we have one of the highest sales tax rates in the state and nation. We pay more for water and gasoline that nearly all communities in Colorado. Our City Planning department is in shambles and anything less than scrapping the entire system and starting over is just a bandaid. We have many opportunities to create more housing without closing and building on the airport site. An idea that was floated nearly a decade ago, was to build two and three story housing units above all of the commercial space — unfortunately the members of the housing and planning boards are not builders, they are not engineers, and they are not architects — instead what they are is short sited, lacking innovation, and just want to build more of the same. Let’s fight to keep the airport open and reform the city planning department and the housing and planning committees. The real obstacle to innovative housing solutions is the lack of foresight and the current members of the planning and housing boards are the greatest obstacle.
Not that many people want to live on busy commercial corridors above retail shops. Especially during ozone season. Building more housing will result in more affordable housing – if they are deed restricted to remain affordable. There are plenty of renters in this town with families who can barely afford to live here anymore due to ever increasing market rate rents. Is it in Boulder’s best interest to just be a city where long-time homeowners can survive and thrive? Or those swooping in from the coast to scoop up a less expensive home or lot than they could get in California or New York?
The real obstacle to affordable housing solutions is the lack of foresight, and the current members of the planning and housing boards are the greatest obstacle. On the contrary, it is their very agency that inflates the cost of housing and the consequent wealth divide in Boulder and spreads everywhere. It is unconscionable.
> “We’re prepared for this to be a ‘David and Goliath’ kind of battle,” Kaplan, of the Airport Neighborhood Campaign, said.
Wherein a campaign run by a city insider, with support from a city council detached from the will of voters is ramrodding through closure of important infrastructure. Not the parable I would choose, unless of course Goliath here is the close Boulder airport campaign itself.
Folks interested in the value of the airport should look up the 2013 flood wherein half a dozen massive Chinook helicopters can be seen at the airport — I highly doubt the emergency helipad would enable any operations approaching the magnitude of that air lift.
More planes, less people 🛩
C/O Boulder Aviation Association:
“Boulder is the first airport in Colorado to have installed on ramp charging stations for coming electric flight. One half of Boulder Soaring Society’s fleet is now self-launching and it has taken delivery of its first fully electric self-launching glider. Journey’s Aviation flight school has taken delivery of 2 highly efficient, quiet, European Pipistrel training aircraft as part of fleet upgrade.
The FAA is aggressively finalizing removal of lead and transition to fully unleaded aviation fuel. The airport eagerly awaits and reportedly is first in line for Colorado sale of a universal fully unleaded Avgas pending FAA national release. This fuel is a complete replacement for ALL leaded fuel at Boulder airport.
https://www.g100ul.com/“
Congratulations to Airport Neighborhood Campaign. This is a huge feat and a great step. The campaign had to deal with many personal and targeted attacks from the aviation community, which is never fun, but they persevered. Thank you again to the Airport Neighborhood Campaign!
I am very excited about the prospect of closing BDU. The region has many airport and there is no need to continue to subsidize this highly impactful hobby airport any longer.
Since former council member Burton is quoted, it seems important to mention that she personally keeps a private airplane at the Boulder airport (one of only ~40 Boulder residents who get this personal benefit). It would be interesting to know more about her role on council as it relates to the airport since she enjoys many tax payer benefits such as subsidized leaded gas, hanger space and all the restrictions the FAA puts on the city for the aviation communities’ benefit.
Boulder’s airport is out front in making the airport safer and quieter. We need more innovation across all city facilities. All the more reason to look elsewhere to build deed restricted housing. Further, we need more innovative housing as the city planning department is making the permitting process more difficult, such requiring fire suppression system in residential builds, requiring front lawns which was a vision for the 40’s and 50’s but doesn’t take in to account water shortages. Boulder would be better off offering a 30% discount, similar to Colorado, on the purchase of electric lawn mowers, blowers, chain saws, string line trimmers, hedge trimmers, etc. This will help reduce ozone. Back to the airport, there are better ways to build affordable housing than to strip the City of a gem – converting the airport to housing is extremely short sited and in the long run will cost the city taxpayers millions in increased sales and property taxes, and administrative fees. Before Boulder approves more development we need to improve our existing infrastructure. We need light rail from Longmont to Denver. We need to return to electric trollies and permit community bodegas, bakeries, and coffee shops. We need to move away from large shopping malls.
Waste of time. Focus on building in the planning reserve. Those who don’t think the FAA’s threat to sue is real… Buckle up for a bumpy ride. Classic case of ignoring the truth because it’s uncomfortable.
I lived in Boulder for 25-years. My kids were born and raised here. I moved away in 2014, as it was no longer affordable. While I am still commuting to work here, I am astounded by the number of condos and apartments that have popped up, mostly luxury units, keep going up, yet the streets remain untouched. I can get to my home 20-miles down the turnpike and through traffic in less time it took to get from North-South Boulder. I miss living in Boulder, but to quote JT – ‘D*mn, this traffic jam.’