Editorial: Boulder group right to pull ballot measures to close city’s airport

Backers of two ballot measures that would close the Boulder airport and use the land for housing should be applauded for withdrawing the measures, but the battle isn’t over yet.

The Airport Neighborhood Campaign, in an announcement on its website, noted an ongoing Boulder lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration seeking a judicial opinion on the legality of closing the airport.

With that lawsuit ongoing, the group determined — correctly — that it would be better to wait on a resolution of that lawsuit before proceeding with ballot measures that could become moot.

Had the measures remained on the ballot, Boulder voters’ common sense, reason and ability to reject an idea that sounds good on its surface would have been put to the test Nov. 5, determining whether the city should decommission the 180-acre airport and use the land for housing.

But, if approved, the ballot measures would have been pointless if a judge ruled that the airport could not close.

The idea behind closing the airport sounds good. Boulder’s median sale price for single-family homes often exceeds $1.5 million, making the city out of reach for a vast number of workers and forcing them to locate out of the city and commute into Boulder, or to rent increasingly unaffordable apartments or other property types.

Creating new opportunities to increase the housing stock should be applauded. But closing an airport that is estimated to support 299 jobs and generate $97.8 million in annual economic impact is not the way to go.

Beyond that impact, closing the airport faces stiff opposition from the FAA, which has stated to city officials that it typically supports decommissioning a federally obligated airport only if a replacement airport exists. Boulder has sued the FAA to determine whether the airport can be closed or must be operated in perpetuity.

The Boulder airport is used by private companies and federal laboratories for scientific research. It’s a key player in disaster response. And the airport is in demand. The city’s own website states that a waitlist for hangar space now hovers at 300 names, representing a seven- to eight-year wait.

The Boulder airport, in short, is a success story that should not be erased.

City officials have estimated that selling the airport land could generate $400 million, a suspect sum that few in the development community believe, given environmental concerns, infrastructure needs and other factors. (And even if accurate, why trade a $97.8 million annual economic impact for a one-time gain?)

Boulder would be much better off exploring other locations for future housing, including land on the north edge of town along U.S. Highway 36. The city also has many areas that are ripe for redevelopment or infill that could accommodate new housing. Zoning changes, too, could facilitate housing within business parks and other neighborhoods. Development processes could be streamlined, allowing builders to shave months or years from the process, thus saving money and lowering the cost of housing.

We believe that Boulder voters are smart enough to have rejected what Boulder Chamber CEO John Tayer termed a “red herring.” But we applaud backers’ decision to await the decision of the court.

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