Contention remains on airport runway extension

By Dan MacArthur
Fossil Creek Current

A coalition of southeast Fort Collins neighbors will continue pressing for delay of a proposed runway extension as the master plan update for the Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport moves toward adoption.

That final draft of the master plan will go before the Fort Collins City Council for review at a June 27 work session and will be considered for adoption on July 18. The Loveland City Council is scheduled to consider adoption of the plan on July 11.

The master plan sets priorities for airport improvements during the next 20 years. The Federal Aviation Administration requires that it be updated every 10 years for the airport to remain eligible for federal funding.

Dave Gordon, manager of the airport owned jointly by both cities, said he doubted there would be any changes to the plan prior to its adoption. "I think what we prepared right now is what we're going to be approving," he said. "We've gone through so much public review and comment, I don't expect to see much change in the plan."

Will Geiger, a member of the Southeast Neighborhoods Association steering committee, said the group isn't seeking any major changes either, other than postponing the 1,000-foot runway extension until the cities gather more information about the need.

"We agree that the airport infrastructure, which has suffered for many years, needs to be brought up to standard," he stated in an e-mail. "However, we believe the cities need to gather real data on aircraft traffic, costs and noise, before committing funds to a runway extension. It should be pushed out to later in the plan until this data has been developed and analyzed."

"Other than Allegiant, the need for the longer runway is questionable," Geiger stated. "The

expenditure of a large amount of money to keep one airport user happy does not seem to be a financially responsible use of taxpayer's money."

Regardless the needs of Allegiant Air, which offers flights to Las Vegas, Gordon said the southern extension is merited to provide a greater safety margin for fully loaded aircraft during the summer when lift is lessened. Gordon noted that it would be used only for takeoffs to the south and not for landings to the north. He said the extension also would not require any additional development restrictions.

Although the neighbors may fear that the runway would attract more commercial carriers in addition to Allegiant, Gordon insisted, "The runway extension does not mean bigger airplanes are coming in."

Geiger said the group agrees there's a need to catch up on routine maintenance at the airport so it can continue serving as a general aviation facility in the immediate future. But, he said, the city councils need to consider whether it's wise to keep making such costly improvements to the Fort Collins-Loveland Airport. In the long-term, he said, redevelopment of the airport property may make more sense, especially given increasing discussion of building a regional airport near Ault.

Gordon dismisses that as an option. "You don't know what you could lose in the community from not having an airport," he said.

According to Gordon, the airport provides $33 million in direct and indirect benefits to the region. Besides, he said, most proceeds from the sale of the airport likely would be returned to the Federal Aviation Administration, which typically provides most of the financing for airport construction and improvements.

The plan, according to Gordon, serves only as a prediction of the airport needs in the next 20 years. "The day it's adopted, it will be out of date the next day," he said. "It's pretty hard to guess what might happen."

The master plan estimates what Gordon characterized as modest growth for the airport with total takeoffs and landings increasing from 100,000 annually now to 180,000 in 20 years and aircraft based at the airport increasing from 220 to 280.