Neighbors Cite Lead In Bid To Close Boulder Airport

A campaign to decommission Boulder Municipal Airport (KBDU) in favor of a new, mixed-use neighborhood has begun circulating online. 

Petition advocates say the airport’s 179 acres of land could much better serve the community as a mixed-use neighborhood rather than what it calls a “small, hobbyist airport” for some 200 people who own or fly private aircraft. Residents have also expressed concerns about noise and leaded aviation fuel and its effect on neighbors and children who live near the airport. 

The petition comes amid a contentious debate over the airport’s future. Several options have been explored, including keeping the existing airport with upgraded facilities, improving some aspects of the airport while adding new amenities, or decommissioning it altogether for development. 

The latter has gained some support with comments saying, "The airport serves a limited elite group of people who can afford a very expensive hobby. The rest of us get no benefit.” Another resident wrote, "Please decommission the Boulder Airport. There are many uses which would provide so much more value to our community. The noise and leaded gas fumes are also big concerns.”

However, because Boulder has accepted FAA grant funds to maintain and operate the airport, closing it would not be easy. The city would need to be released from the terms of its obligation. 

Still, the City Council has requested additional legal and financial analysis to better understand future options for the airport. A project team is currently performing an analysis that will be shared with the City Council later this year where further discussions will take place on its future.