Commission is Through Delaying, Now Ready for Kill: You Can Help

We've detailed the saga of the Crested Butte (CO) Airport, as a developer has parlayed the County into taking critical runway, so he can build his high-density home project on the other side. This deal, when the Commission approves it, will turn that developer's land into a big tax base, and effectively ruin the airport. Have a look at the correspondence we've received from the airport's embattled owner, Carlo Cesa, and you can see what kind of 'logic' is being offered, as the county plots to ruin the lovely, high-altitude haven, in a meeting scheduled for Tuesday:

"...because of the previous testimony from both Colorado fixed-wing air ambulance providers..., stating that they would not be able to operate at the Crested Butte Airport if the runway were any shorter (B200 and Turbo Commander aircraft), the Planning Commission and the developer are now saying that the runway will in effect be the same length, or even longer, after the so-called safety improvements are put in place.

Lengthening the runway will make it shorter.

"This is only political correctness; even if the developer is forced to add approximately 100 feet of runway at the other (between 100 and 140 feet), the runway will still be shorter. Just because of simple math, and because the road itself, the road shoulders, the snow plowing allowance and the road radius, it will take between 200 and 300 feet of runway, at the very least. 

"Then, there is the Object Free Area of 240 feet. (At the other end there is only approximately 140 feet available to the property line). Another problem is that there is a mountain abutting that end of the runway. Basically, it does not serve much purpose to have a runway all the way to the base of a brick wall.

"The developer and the Planning Commission cover these facts behind the myth of a Displaced Threshold that, in their own words, would mitigate the safety issue and lengthen the runway. It is not the case, not at the Crested Butte Airport anyway.

"Documents also state that if the (proposed) road has to be modified, for any reasons, the runway shall be shortened further. The Planning Commission refused to address that. And, the Gunnison department of roads and bridges stated in a 1999 memo that the proposed road is dangerous and does not comply with County code (insufficient turn radius and to many 90 degree turns). The Planning Commission refused to address that, too.

"The proposal in front of the BOCC is a 'broken leg' solution: it will not work, and it will effectively close the airport."

If you care enough to help:

Office of the Gunnison Board of County Commissioners (BOCC)
200 E. Virginia Ave.
Gunnison, Colorado 81230
Fax 970-641-3061
bocc@co.gunnison.co.us

Gunnison County Commissioners (BOCC):

Fred Field, Chairman, Tel. 970-641-4179

Jim Starr, County Commissioner, Tel. (970) 349-6862  (Home)
970-349-5363 (Office) 970-349-5017 (Fax)

Perry Anderson, County Commissioner, Tel. 970-641-1663