There's been lots of discussion over the past year about plans for the Durango-La Plata Airport to meet current passenger needs and provide options for future growth.
The airport section of an updated County Comprehensive Plan is focusing on the land around the airport. Land west of the airport is in the Florida Mesa Planning District, while land to the east and south is in the Southeast Planning District, which has never adopted a land use map.
At the County Planning Commission's May 5 comp plan meeting, planning staffer Daniel Murray cited Denver International Airport, which was built in a rural area northeast of Denver to avoid conflicts with other land uses, but those happened anyway as development followed the airport.
Planning Commissioner Lucy Baizel also cited DIA, how it was all ag land, but, "Now everybody complains about the noise."
Murray cited passenger growth at the Durango-La Plata Airport (DRO), as presented in the airport master plan. The airport is in "an ideal location with nominal land use issues," he said. It's surrounded by agricultural land and low density residential parcels, also complimentary uses such as the BP office and airport-related services.
"The value of an airport is to move people, like a road," Murray said. It's a big economic boost with direct and indirect jobs. "It allows other parts of the economy to thrive. It allows businesses to do business," he said. "We want our comp plan to capture the value of the airport, plan for 20-year growth, promote compatible land uses such as ag, and some commercial use like BP."
Murray listed land use aspects that aren't wanted near the airport: water features that attract wildlife, a golf course with water features, landfills, dense livestock operations, or uses sensitive to airport noise.
The industry standard for noise is 65 decibels averaged over 24 hours. The goal is to keep that noise level within the airport property, Murray said. But planning commissioners could set a lower limit, such as 55 decibels, he said.
There are planning tools such as zoning or overlay zones to discourage incompatible uses from developing around the airport, he said. There are what Murray called "avigation" easements, which is space around the airport that needs to be protected. Building height limits are an option that could affect farm silos or cellphone towers. "The airport uses far more land than the airport property," he said.
Prohibiting residential use within one mile of an airport might be appropriate in a more urban setting, Murray said. There are runway protection zones at each end of the runway. They are on airport property except for part of the designated south end protection zone that needs to be acquired.
Airport Director Kip Turner said, "You want to protect the height of structures within two miles, nothing over 200 feet high. Regarding noise, there's one small segment of the property on the southeast end that's not owned by the airport. It's scheduled for acquisition for the runway protection zone. We're in really good shape" in terms of noise.
The comp plan draft says, "Impacts generated from airports range from high average daily trips to and from the airport, significant noise, and construction of necessary infrastructure to support those activities. Responding to those impacts through planning may require similar uses to be present in the DRO area, with a focus on moving business to the area. ... Furthermore, with compatible uses operating in the same locale, mitigation typically required for residential establishments would become less of an issue. To drive compatible development in and around the airport, infrastructure for utilities need to be in place" for commercial ventures.
The draft says, "Focusing on higher intensive commercial and industrial uses in and around DRO may be appropriate to consider." It cites a suggestion in the airport master plan to establish an airport zone or overlay zone to notify prospective real estate buyers of the airport proximity and allow DRO staff to be notified of any development proposals within that zone.
County Planning Director Damian Peduto commented, "We aren't that concerned here (in the comp plan update) which airport plan is approved," meaning the terminal options in the airport master plan. He said he flew out of the airport the previous week, and it was "like night and day" from three or four years ago. "Our airport director has done amazing things," he said, referring to Turner, who recently accepted the director job at the Grand Junction Airport.
Planning Commissioner Debby Reber asked if there's been any discussion of a hotel at the airport.
"We would love a hotel," Turner said. "It would be a private endeavor."
There was minimal discussion of the airport master plan itself. Planning Commission Chair Jim Tencza said the comp plan effort "is like the big picture. We aren't focusing on specific numbers, just that the airport is growing, as opposed to other airports that aren't." He said he'd like something in the comp plan about the airport's potential to become a regional airport.
Turner asserted, "We are already there."
Baizel wanted something in the comp plan policies and objectives to reduce the prospects of "eight miles of strip development" from the airport into town, to protect the view that attracts tourists.
"Or at least we need to be sensitive to that," Tencza said.
He said, "While DRO is the elephant in the room, we need to look at Animas (Air Park) for future growth. Eventually the private pilot gets forced out as commercial use takes over." That could push current general aviation use at DRO to Animas Air Park, he said.
Peduto said, "Animas Air Park is private, so we don't have as much planning for that. We'll work with the La Posta Area Plan folks" on that.
Comp plan meetings are the first Thursday each month. Tencza indicated that the airport section will be wrapped up at the June meeting.
