Boulder's housing board is recommending exploration of a proposal to convert the Boulder Municipal Airport into a mixed-income neighborhood.
The seven-member board recently sent a letter to city council members requesting feedback on the matter. It's part of an effort to create a bigger supply of housing so more people can afford to live in Boulder.
Boulder Reporting Lab reporter John Herrick joined KUNC's Morning Edition host Michael Lyle, Jr. to get more details on those efforts.
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"Housing advocates in the city have stepped in and stated they should actually just talk about maybe closing the airport and building some affordable housing," said Herrick. "They agree with many people in the community who believe there's both a housing shortage and crisis. So they want to figure out a way of trying to build a substantial amount of mixed-use housing, which could essentially allow more people who work in Boulder to afford to live there."
Reaction to the proposal among residents living near the airport has been mixed. Some have expressed concerns about noise from the planes landing and taking off and potential exposure to lead, which is used in aircraft fuel. But those who regularly use the airport say the city should invest more in the airport's future through expansion projects.
"Just like the housing advocates, they're pushing their own message to keep the airport operating," said Herrick. "They really want to see the city spend more money on things like hangars, and they also want to maybe even see the city help pilots transition to unleaded fuel, or maybe electric aircrafts, by subsidizing things like infrastructure and fuel."
The housing board has also proposed using “surplus land owned by public agencies, schools, faith organizations" as part of the push to construct more affordable housing units in Boulder.
Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given the city grants to help pay for certain aspects of the municipal airport, such as funding for maintenance needs like paving landing strips. In exchange, Boulder officials have agreed to essentially keep the airport operating for a certain amount of time.
Herrick said FAA officials plan to follow up with Boulder city council members later this summer to discuss how much it may cost to close the airport and how long it would take to begin converting the site into affordable housing. Discussion would then continue with Boulder's housing board members before a final decision about the future of the property would be made.
