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Rep. Ken Buck Petitions for FAA Grant for Vance Brand Airport Improvement

In 2018 the Federal Aviation Administration announced that grants were to be available for qualifying airports and airport projects that have a potential for an economic impact and economic development.
vance brand airport
Vance Brand Airport (Photo by Rick Brennan/ Longmont Observer)

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

In 2018, the Federal Aviation Administration announced that grants were to be available for qualifying airports and airport projects that have a potential for an economic impact and economic development.

The Vance Brand Airport has planned for several years to extend its runway by 1,002 feet. They have also planned an additional infrastructure project for the southwest portion of the airport to address unmet aeronautical demand. On the current trajectory, neither of these projects would begin until 2025 at the earliest.

When made aware of the opportunity to apply for the FAA grant funds, the City of Longmont did not hesitate.

The city asked for $14,028,000 for the runway project and $8,781,200 for the infrastructure project.

If awarded the funds, these projects could begin in the next 2-3 years.

Representative Ken Buck sent a letter to Dan Elwell, acting administrator for the U.S. Department of Transportation at the FAA, on February 6, 2019, urging that the City of Longmont's request for funds be granted.

According to Vance Brand Airport Manager David Slayter, there is no word yet of when the grant funds will be awarded. However, if awarded, the funds would be eligible for either 2019 or 2020.

Slayter also states that the current runway does not meet FAA design criteria for the air traffic the airport receives and the extension is a matter of safety.