Residents Sued Over Noise Made By Airplanes Operated By The Skydiving Company

After closing arguments last week, Boulder County (CO) District Court Judge Judith LaBuda said that she would have a ruling soon in the case pitting residents of Longmont and Boulder County against a skydiving company in the regions.

The residents, all members of a group calling itself Citizens for Quiet Skies, brought the suit alleging that planes belonging to Mile-Hi Skydiving are too loud over their homes when operating from Longmont's Vance Brand Municipal Airport. And the attorney for the citizens said in his closing arguments that the company could be a better neighbor and "fly friendly," but choose not to do so. They are asking for a remedy that "the court can reasonably enforce," according to a report in the Times-Call newspaper.

But Mile-Hi owner Frank Casares says that the company follows all FAA regulations, and the judge has no jurisdiction over the routes or number of flights. Attorney Anthony Leffert said in closing arguments that the noise level and frequency of the flights are not relevant to the judge, and that the citizens group has a remedy under federal law in the form of a request for a formal noise study. Leffert said that the leader of the group, Kim Gibbs, has been trying to put Mile-Hi out of business over the past several years, and that is relevant to the judge.

Judge LaBuda said both parties had until May 15 to submit additional documentation to support their cases, and that she would issue a ruling not later than May 22.

FMI: www.courts.state.co.us/Courts/County/Contact.cfm?County_ID=62