Now is time to monitor airport's path
Fort Collins, Loveland residents must weigh in on expansion

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What was once a sleepy little airport is starting to take flight.

And not everybody is pleased that commercial and corporate air traffic has increased at the Fort Collins-Loveland Municipal Airport.

In 2003, 121,048 flights departed the airport, but by 2013, that number could reach 157,648 and grow to nearly 180,000 flights by 2023. Those increases are driving a possible airport expansion and the need to revise the airport's master plan, a document that primarily addresses aviation demands and facilities.

Those numbers also have fueled a familiar conflict: As traffic increases, residents who have purchased homes near the airport, which once was located far from most buildings, are complaining about noise and worried about safety.

While residents shoulder some responsibility for choosing to live near the airport, they also are just as responsible for ensuring that their voices are heard as the master plan is updated. Homeowners aren't going away, and neither is the airport.

Nearby residents - and all Fort Collins taxpayers - must remain active participants in determining noise levels and flight curfews and ensuring safety precautions. So, too, should local elected officials be concerned with the up-and-down nature (pun intended) of the airline industry, of which the cities of Fort Collins and Loveland have no control. A potential 1,000-foot runway expansion and control tower likely would be paid for by federal grants, but if the demand for local air service drops, the cities would be left holding the bag regarding tax revenue from ancillary businesses.

The master plan process is an opportunity for residents and elected officials to create a document that allows for residents and airplanes to coexist in the safest and most beneficial manner.