After a process that began in the summer of 2011, the Fremont County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday voted to adopt a set of Rules and Regulations governing operations at the Fremont County Airport. The Board conducted a public hearing at which one lessee at the airport spoke against the need for any regulations. Told that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires airport operators to have rules in place, James McCallister told the commissioners that the airport operated fine for many years without demands from the FAA and could continue to do so. District 3 Commissioner Ed Norden told McCallister that without FAA grant dollars to maintain the runway and taxiways, there wouldn’t be an airport. McCallister also questioned what restrictions the new rules place on businesses that operate at the airport, noting that he operates a repair and maintenance shop in his hangar. County Attorney Brenda Jackson said as long as his business and every other business on airport property is related to aeronautical uses, there wouldn’t be a problem.
The Airport Advisory Committee had previously spent several months last fall reviewing language in the Airport Rules and Regulations and conducted their own public hearing to allow airport users and others an opportunity to be heard.
The Commissioners dealt with other airport business Tuesday as they voted 2 to 1 to approve a lease on a 33,000 square foot lot on the northeast corner of airport property along U.S. Highway 50 where Neil Porter wants to operate his Skydive Colorado skydiving operation. A specific leased area where Porter plans to move in three modular buildings will have to be defined along with a surveyed description of the entire parcel. Commissioner Mike Stiehl voted against the lease stating a desire to see what the going market lease rate should be. Stiehl said using 12 cents per square foot in the 25 year lease should probably be increased. Commission Chair Debbie Bell said she agrees that perhaps the county needs to study what lease rates should be, but that should be done separately from consideration of Porter’s lease.
The Commissioners said the current lease did not address Porter’s desire to lease the balance of open space on the lot for a parachuting drop zone. With his proposed drop zone so close to Highway 50, the Commissioners said they want a separate one year lease to examine whether Porter’s drop zone along the highway raises any public safety issues over the next year.
The Commissioners on Tuesday also voted to approve a Planned Unit Development for the Cranberry Park Subdivision along Steinmeir Avenue. Construction of townhomes in Cranberry Park has been underway for several years but the plan approval by the Commissioners on Tuesday dealt with the limited issue of adjusting front yard and rear yard setbacks. Because easements behind the series of townhome lots on the north and side sides squeeze the available area for backyards, the Commissioners agreed to decrease the front yard setbacks from 25 feet to 13 feet, thereby allowing more space for fenced backyards on those affected lots.
In other business Tuesday the Commissioners:
- Approved a Special Events Liquor License for the Cañon City Rodeo Association for a series of Bull Riding Events on all four Saturdays during June;
- Heard an annual update report from Jane Mannon on 2011 activities and plans for 2012 at the Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mine in Teller County;
- Reappointed Planning and Zoning Director Bill Giordano to a two year term representing Fremont County on the Fremont County Regional GIS Authority Board;
- Approved a twelve month extension of the deadline for submittal of contingency items for the Skye Borough Ranch Kennel for dogs operated by Dale Walters near Penrose;
- Approved an 18-month temporary cessation of the former Valco Concrete Batch Plant and gravel pit operation along south MacKenzie Avenue east of Cañon City. The temporary cessation will allow time for property owner to either resume operations, transfer the property to another party, or reclaim the property as it is;
- Scheduled a public hearing before the Board of Commissioners at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 22nd, on an amendment updating the Fremont County Flood Damage Prevention Regulations.