The Archuleta County Planning Commission, at their 6pm meeting tonight at the County admin offices, will hold a public hearing on a conditional use permit to construct a private helicopter pad at 3700 Terry Robinson Road, in a quiet, rural neighborhood. From the Planning Commission agenda:
B. Public Hearing To Consider And Approve PLN23-117, A Private Helipad Conditional Use Permit
Baudouin D’Aumeries has applied for Approval of PLN 23-117 a Private Helipad Board Conditional Use Permit (BCUP) to construct a 100’ x 300’ landing strip and 45’ x 45’ helipad on the parcel located at 3700 Terry Robinson Rd. The parcel is zoned Agricultural Ranching (AR). Additionally, a 30’ x 50’ building will be added to the site as well for storage and vehicle parking.
The Public is encouraged to join via Zoom as space is limited in the meeting room.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81687662261?pwd=SUFHeTNvN2M4eEU2RGhHcVJpVVdEZz09
Meeting ID: 816 8766 2261
Passcode: 519661
Conditional Use Permit
The County staff report can be downloaded here.
A well-researched and documented 18-page letter was submitted to the Archuleta County Planning Department and the Board of County Commissioners, signed by 200 neighbors, begins as shown below,
You can download the full letter here.
Dear Archuleta County Development Services and Archuleta County Board of Commissioners,
We are writing to you today to express our deep concern about PLN23-117, D’Aumeries, Private Helipad, Board Conditional Use Permit which will adversely affect the area around Echo Valley, Echo Canyon, and surrounding communities. As members of this community that have significant capital investments in their properties, we feel that it is our collective responsibility to take action.
Therefore, we are submitting these findings to urge you to take action and address this issue. Your support will be crucial in bringing about change and ensuring that all property owners in the surrounding affected area are treated fairly. 100% of the permanent residents on Upper Terry Robinson Rd and Divide View Pl are in opposition.
In addition to violating County Ordinance 22-2019, and Archuleta County Zoning Regulations, these findings, supported by non-biased, scientific and independent research, will show the adverse effects of the proposed helipad, “Upper Echo Canyon Airport”, to:
The property owners, through:
- Property value loss resulting in lower property taxes for the county o loss of quiet enjoyment of their property
- Potential health problems
- Loss of livelihood from hunting leases for deer and elk
The wildlife in the area, including:
- Grazing wildlife: Elk, Mule Deer, Cattle, etc. o Bears
- Birds
- Endangered Species
The environment in the event of a fuel spill in the Echo Valley Watershed.
The property owners surrounding Terry Robinson Road purchased their property for private use and a quiet lifestyle. Additionally, Upper Terry Robinson Road is a private road. As a private road, the permissible uses are defined and limited by the easements granted between the various parcels. These easements are for access or for ingress and egress for the owners or their guests (as opposed to business guests).
The creation of “HeliPagosa, LLC” located at 3700 Terry Robinson Rd. on May 24, 2022 by Mr. D’Aumeries appears to show into to operate a helicopter-based business from this address.
The land over which the road passes belong to the property owner, and only the right to use it belongs to the other owners farther up the road. A landowner could be liable to people using the road for other uses. It helps limit the exposure of the owners who have granted the easement to other property owners. It also assures that the road remains private and doesn’t end up a public, prescriptive easement.
Permitting a private helipad in this area disrupts the quiet enjoyment of the property owners, adversely affect the wildlife in the area and violate County Ordinance 22-2019, AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING NOISE LEVELS IN UNINCORPORATED ARCHULETA COUNTY, COLORADO.
We all have made significant capital investments in the properties we have purchased to live in this lifestyle.
Property owners who live near noisy areas adversely experience sharp decreases in their property values compared to less noisy areas.
In 1994 the consulting firm of Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc. prepared a report titled The Effect of Airport Noise on Housing Values: A Summary Report for the Federal Aviation Administration. All research conducted in this area found negative effects from aviation noise, with effects ranging from a 0.6 to 2.3 percent decrease in property value per decibel increase of cumulative noise exposure.
The report describes a methodology for evaluating the impact of noise on housing values. The methodology essentially compares market prices in similar neighborhoods that differ only in the level of airport-related noise. In pilot studies using this method, Booz-Allen found that the effect of noise on prices was highest in moderately priced and expensive neighborhoods. In two paired moderately priced neighborhoods north of Los Angeles International Airport, the study found “an average 18.6 percent higher property value in the quiet neighborhood, or 1.33 percent per dB of additional quiet.”
A 1996 study funded by the Legislature of the State of Washington used a somewhat similar methodology and found that the proposed expansion of Seattle- Tacoma Airport would cost five nearby cities $500 million in property values and $22 million in real estate tax revenue. The study of single-family homes — all in “very good” condition, with three or more bedrooms and two or more baths, and excluding the most expensive and inexpensive units to provide more representative comparisons — found that “a housing unit in the immediate vicinity of the airport would sell for 10.1 percent more, if it were located elsewhere.”
Noise pollution impacts both public health, the economy and quality of life.
According to a study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, exposure to prolonged or excessive noise can exacerbate health problems ranging from stress and fatigue to hearing loss and cardiovascular disease.
You can download the full letter here.
Bill Hudson began sharing his opinions in the Pagosa Daily Post in 2004 and can’t seem to break the habit. He claims that, in Pagosa Springs, opinions are like pickup trucks: everybody has one.