FAA responds to Boulder’s lawsuit; local election updates and more

BoCo, Briefly: Your local news at a glance

By Tyler Hickman - Nov. 13, 2024
aerial-view-boulder-municipal-airport-may-2006-courtesy-rubino-surveying-boulder-colorado
Aerial view of the Boulder Municipal Airport. Courtesy: City of Boulder

FAA seeks to dismiss Boulder lawsuit

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) took its first formal legal action since Boulder sued the organization in August to seek an allowance to close its municipal airport without the approval of the FAA by 2040.

The FAA filed a motion to dismiss the suit Nov. 1, citing federal funds the city is beholden to which it says would require the airport to stay open indefinitely. 

Boulder argues the FAA grants it accepted in the past require the airport to stay open for a maximum of 20 years after the funds are administered. The city has not accepted any federal funding for the airport since 2020, and claims they should be allowed to close the airport when the most recent agreement expires in 2040.

The FAA’s counterpoint cites several grants executed in the last 55 years that allowed for the purchase of land, excluding these agreements from the 20 year operational requirements. Most recently, funds awarded in 1991 were allocated to relocate an airport taxiway. In its filing, the FAA claims that when the city accepted this grant, it also agreed that “it would not sell, lease or dispose of any airport property without FAA approval.”

Boulder is considering closing the airport for environmental and noise concerns, and also sees the land as a potential site for affordable housing.

Earlier this year, community group Airport Neighborhood Campaign had gathered signatures for a ballot measure asking voters to approve converting the airport into affordable housing, but the measure was pulled after Boulder’s “surprise” suit was filed, postponing their efforts until the litigation is resolved. 

If the judge dismisses the case, the lawsuit will be resolved in favor of the FAA. Otherwise, the case will proceed to trial. Scheduling for new federal cases is about two years out, according to the Airport Neighborhood Campaign website.

Affordable homes in Erie to open pre-applications

Pre-applications for 35 deed-restricted, for-sale homes in Erie will open Nov. 16 to families who meet income requirements. The Cheesman Affordable Homeownership Development, located at 755-765 Cheesman St., is a mixture of two- and three-bedroom attached and detached single family homes.

The residences, constructed by Vertikal Development on land Erie purchased in 2023, are scheduled to be ready for move-in by mid-2025. Homes are available to families of four who earn less than $146,000 annually. Pre-applications are available now, and the portal will open Saturday at 9 a.m. For more information, visit: bit.ly/CheesmanBW

Erie Mayoral race, Louisville Ward 1 ‘Battle of the Joshes’ wages on

As of Nov. 14, multiple races for local government seats are neck and neck as ballots continue to be counted.

The vacant seat for Louisville’s Ward 1 city council representative between Josh Cooperman and Joshua Sroge remains unresolved, with Sroge trailing by just 22 votes. The county is still verifying signatures and waiting for overseas ballots, according to a Nov. 7 press release, and the final unofficial results are expected on Nov. 16.

The state mandates a recount if the margin between candidates is “less than or equal to one-half of one percent of the highest vote cast in that election contest.” As it stands, the candidates are separated by 1.3% and do not meet the recount standard.

In the Erie race for Mayor, former mayor Andrew Moore is poised to defeat incumbent Justin Brooks and currently holds a 571-vote lead.

Seats on Erie’s town council are also still up for grabs. The race for the second vacant seat in District 1 continues, with John Mortellaro leading Andrew Sawusch by just 19 votes. 

In District 2, three candidates remain in the running for two open seats. Dan Hoback currently leads the vote over Brandon M. Bell and Ben Hemphill by 157 and 371 votes, respectively. 

The leading vote getter in Erie districts will serve a four-year term, while second place will serve two years. 

In Superior, votes cast to elect three members to the board of trustees are still being tallied. Heather Cracraft leads incumbent Sandie Hammerly by just 18 votes for the third seat.

For up-to-date unofficial election results, visit bit.ly/2024ElectionResultsBW.

This post was updated Nov. 14 to include vote tallies from from the Colorado Secretary of State, Boulder County and Weld County. 

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