12-40-140 ADDITIONAL CRITERIA APPLICABLE TO AIRPORTS AND HELIPORTS

A. Applications to locate or expand an Airport or Heliport shall be reviewed and land uses regulated in order to: minimize disruption to the environment and scenic resources; minimize the impact on existing community services; and complement the economic and transportation needs of the state and the area.

B. The following criteria shall apply to all applications proposing the location of an Airport or Heliport.

The Board will approve an application for a permit to locate a new Airport or Heliport upon finding that each of the following criteria is satisfied:
- (a)The location of the new Airport or Heliport is consistent with all applicable provisions of the County comprehensive plan and area master plans, the State Airport System Plan, the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems, and other applicable regional, metropolitan, state and national plans.
- (b) The new Airport or Heliport is needed to accommodate forecast demand that cannot be met by the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport or another Airport or Heliport in existence or planned at the time of the application; provided however, that in the case of a new Heliport, this criterion can be satisfied upon demonstrating that the Heliport is needed to meet current or forecast demand for emergency services, including without limitation emergency medical, law enforcement, rescue, or firefighting services.
- (c) The new Airport or Heliport is sited and will be designed, constructed and operated in a manner that will avoid conflicts with existing airports, which may include:
  1. Potential interference with the existing flight paths for the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport;
  2. Creation of electrical interference with navigational signals or radio communication for aircraft landing and departing the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport;
  3. Difficulty for pilots to distinguish between lighting for new airports, airfields and landing strips and the safety/runway lighting at the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport;
  4. Creation of a hazard or endangering the landing, takeoff, or maneuvering of aircraft intending to use the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport.

(d) The location of the Airport or Heliport site will not unduly interfere with any existing easements for power or telephone lines, irrigation, mineral claims or roads.
(e) Adequate water supplies are available to support the forecast use of the Airport or Heliport.
(f) Adequate electric, gas, telephone, water, sewage, and other utilities, fire protection and rescue services exist or shall be developed to service the Airport or Heliport.
(g) The location of the Airport or Heliport site shall not cause a nuisance. A nuisance shall be presumed if the applicant cannot demonstrate that it has acquired all property that would be exposed to noise in excess of DNL 55 dB on the noise contour map prepared for the Airport or Heliport, or a lesser interest in the property such as an easement or restrictive covenant, that would prohibit the development of an incompatible land use;
(h) The location of the Airport or Heliport would not result in the actual or constructive use of a resource protected under Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act, as the same may be amended.
(i) The forecast operations of aircraft and ground vehicles at the Airport or Heliport would not create a measurable increase in the risk associated with air toxics.
(j) The forecast operations of aircraft and ground vehicles at the Airport or Heliport would not result in a measurable degradation of visibility within any national park or wilderness area.
(k) The forecast operations of ground vehicles in connection with the Airport or Heliport will not cause an unacceptable degradation of traffic conditions on streets and highways within the County.

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12-40-140 ADDITIONAL CRITERIA APPLICABLE TO AIRPORTS AND HELIPORTS

12-40-140 ADDITIONAL CRITERIA APPLICABLE TO AIRPORTS AND HELIPORTS

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