If you are researching candidates for your fourth vote, Montserrat Palacios Rodarte is one to consider based solely on her position regarding airport repurposing. We recommend also looking into her other campaign planks, experience, and campaign activity.
Here are Montserrat's full answers to our questionnaire.
1. What do you think the city should do about its lawsuit against the FAA to clarify how long the city is legally obligated to run the airport?
▢ Drop the lawsuit indefinitely. Keep this site an airport no matter what.
✔ Keep our legal options open. Appeal or pursue legal clarification about who controls this land when the time is ripe. Don't accept any more grants that would extend our contractual obligations to the FAA past 2040. Find other ways to fund airport needs, which amount to a fraction of a percent of the city's annual budget.
▢ I’m not prepared to answer at this time.
▢ I can’t comment for legal reasons.
▢ Other
Elaboration: I understand its FAA obligations as well as its current and potential uses in the coming years. However, I believe it could serve as a valuable long-term asset in addressing housing affordability, particularly the "missing middle", and that we should remain open to all possibilities.
2. Assuming that the City of Boulder establishes local control over the future of the airport site, what do you personally think is the highest and best use of these 174 city-owned acres?
▢ Airport
✔ Primarily housing / mixed use neighborhoods
▢ Primarily open space / public park
▢ The people of Boulder should decide through a public process or vote
▢ I’m not prepared to answer at this time.
▢ I can’t comment for legal reasons.
▢ Other
Elaboration: By using the land primarily for housing, we can address housing affordability while also creating community-oriented spaces with more open space and public parks, recreational centers, and sports facilities. With thoughtful planning, this could become a model for a sustainable and inclusive development that provides the much needed “missing middle” housing and can contribute to enhance Boulder’s overall quality of life.
3. In the event that Boulder keeps the airport (either because of judicial decision or city decision), what kind of airport should we have?
✔ About the same as we have now
▢ Smaller! There are already too many flights out of Boulder airport. Keep it safe but minimal.
▢ Bigger! We should expand the airport with more tenants and better facilities and attract more aviation activity to Boulder.
▢ I’m not prepared to answer at this time.
▢ I can’t comment for legal reasons.
▢ Other
4. Is there anything else you would like the ANC and the public to know about your policy positions regarding the airport and the future of the site?
I’ll be honest that I haven’t yet fully familiarized myself with all of the legalities surrounding the airport and its FAA regulations, but I do understand the complexity of the issue. At the same time, I recognize the urgent need for more “missing middle” housing in our community, particularly single-family homes rather than only condos or apartments. I want to learn more from residents about their priorities and visions for the airport site. My goal is to ensure that any future decisions reflect what the community truly needs and values.