Centennial – A 1,600-home development bordering Centennial Airport is off the table for now.
The city of Centennial, Arapahoe County and airport authority officials must decide which combination of noise and homes will work for the development in Dove Valley before it moves forward.
The Tanterra at Centennial development would put thousands of residents and dozens of businesses in the restricted noise zone of the nation’s second-busiest private airport.
“You can have all the disclaimers you want, but there’s still going to be noise,” said Robert Olislagers, the airport’s executive director.
Over the next six months, city and Arapahoe County officials will try to forge compromises between developers, land planners, economic-development officials and airport users.
“From the city’s standpoint, this is a positive thing,” Mayor Randy Pye said. “We want to keep the airport viable; it is an important economic generator.
“At the same time, this is the southern gateway to our city, and developers have vested rights given to them by the county in 2003 to develop any way they want to.”
Greg Armstrong of Armstrong Capital Development, one of the partners in Tanterra, said he hasn’t given up on Dove Valley. “We’ve created a vision for that area, and we’re willing to work with those who share that vision and with those who want to make certain the airport is protected as an economic engine,” he said. “We all want the same things.”
The airport has a $1 billion annual economic impact and employs more than 2,000 people.
Pye said Arapahoe County already has allowed 4,500 homes in the restricted noise zone.
The airport has an average of 944 daily takeoffs and landings. Noise complaints have soared from 134 in 1985 to nearly 11,000 last year, Olislagers said. Centennial Airport has logged 69 plane crashes in its vicinity during the past 15 years.
Staff writer Joey Bunch can be reached at 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com.
