Longmont, Colorado, held a town hall Monday, July 27, to explain the city’s legal authority over aircraft noise at Vance Brand Municipal Airport. Airport attorney John Putnam discussed federal limits on locally imposed curfews, operating restrictions and noise-related fees.
Noise Review Follows Resident Complaints
The meeting was part of a noise-improvement project launched in April. The review covers flight patterns, aircraft operations, noise exposure and Longmont’s voluntary noise-abatement procedures. The city held an earlier community meeting and invited residents to document their experiences through a survey.
Longmont says federal regulations limit its ability to restrict airport access for noise purposes. The city instead relies on voluntary noise abatement procedures.
Council Approves FAA Grants
The town hall came less than two weeks after the city council voted 6-1 to accept FAA grants covering 95% of the cost to reconstruct two deteriorated taxilanes. Council had unanimously postponed the decision June 23 after members raised questions about the federal grant assurances, airport finances and the city’s long-term plans for the facility. Longmont had already accepted FAA money for the project’s design phase, and the construction grants faced a July acceptance deadline.
Councilmember Aren Rodriguez Prieto supported the grants after a July 14 pre-session on the airport’s future, while Councilmember Matthew Popkin argued that rejecting the funding would be fiscally irresponsible because the repairs were still required. Longmont had already accepted FAA funding for the project’s design phase.
Mayor Pro Tem Sean McCoy ultimately cast the only opposing vote, saying the council had not resolved its long-term vision for the airport and should not accept additional grant obligations before doing so.
Recurring airport issues:
5 Repeat.
What in the world is a taxilane?