Glenwood Springs Airport (KGWS) CPA Advisory

[7791]

Hello all.
Below is an email I received from the Colorado Pilots Association regarding proposed action by the city of Glenwood Springs to curtail or close KGWS. It appears to me that they are of the same intent as Santa Monica was with KSMO and San Jose is with KRHV. I forwarded the details to AOPA’s airport support representative. Posting here for everyone’s awareness.

Regards,
Ernie Meruelo
————————-
Hi CPA members,

The Glenwood Springs city council will be conducting a special meeting, virtually, beginning at 5:00 PM this Thursday 2/25 to discuss a proposed change to shorten the runway length and close some of the maintenance hangers at the Glenwdood airport so that they can put a road in a bridge near the airport.

This is a high elevation airport cannot stand to be shortened as it is already a small airport and shortening it would diminish its usefulness. Glenwood Springs Airport played a pivotal role this past year and the terrible Colorado fires and is an asset not only to the city in the community with the entire state and needs to be preserved as is.

Details can be found at the city’s official website along with links to log into this zoom meeting on Thursday of this week.
https://www.ci.glenwood-springs.co.us/

Here are some other links that may be helpful:

- Airport Scenario Planning powerpoint slide deck with visual images of the changes and comment form: https://www.gwsco.gov/469/Airport-Scenario-Planning

- The document found here is a very extensive study done for the possible uses for the airport site, including keeping the airport or changing it over to a mixed-use development: https://www.gwsco.gov/documentcenter/view/6100

- News article which includes several reference links to the plan being considered: https://www.postindependent.com/news/fo ... s-airport/


If you have time and interest in attending the meeting to provide a respectful voice in favor of aviation in the area and for this airport, please feel free to attend using the link https://www.ci.glenwood-springs.co.us/C ... x?EID=1615 .

[6643]

Ernie:
Check your private messages.

[6863]

In my capacity as a world class airport bum I have had the privilege of bumming GWS but never had the privilege of flying in or out. Wish I had. It does look like what some of my missionary passengers in Congo used to call "a prayer and praise" airstrip; prayer before takeoff or landing and praise afterward. Judging by the kind of derelicts on that airport which obviously once had an active life there, it looks more dangerous than it is. Like all airports, I hope it survives but, again, judging by the derelicts which give the airport character, there might be very few influential GWS advocates left. It's a shame because GWS looks dramatic nestled in the mountains as it is.

[8349]

Hell, it's only 3,300' as it is??!! I have forwarded this info on the the RAF state liaisons for Colorado as well, in case it's not on their radar yet.

[7791]

The purpose of the meeting was the review of proposals to provide alternate road access to I70 in the event of a wildfire evacuation. The options were to shorten the runway and build a bridge or to tunnel under the runway. Great input by the aviation community. The Glenwood Springs City Council delayed their decision by a week to process factors they did not consider to include airspace impacts and possible FAA funding to assist with the tunnel option to preserve the runway. My take away was that the more influential members were in support of the tunnel in order to minimize impact upon the airport. Fingers crossed. Thank you to all who listened and spoke.

Regards,
Ernie Meruelo

[7791]

Hey guys, here’s an update for everyone’s awareness. The Glenwood Springs City Council narrowly voted to proceed with the Southbridge access tunnel option that would preserve the runway. The no votes were swayed to yes due to the unprecedented and one sided feedback in support of the airport. Thank you to everyone who reached out and commented. They also discussed setting up a game camera to track flight activity in order to justify supporting the airport. Some cross country flights to KGWS may be in order soon.

Ernie

[6863]

Sounds like this is going in a good direction. Thank you for the news Ernie.