By Marylou Bride
On Feb. 19, The Gazette reported that Meadow Lake Airport is suing El Paso County and a private landowner over plans to place two turbines north of Meadow Lake’s 6,000-foot runway. Meadow Lake is the state’s largest privately owned airport.
El Paso County Commissioners approved the wind turbines last summer.
Dave Elliott, manager of Meadow Lake Airport, wrote in an email to The New Falcon Herald, dated Feb. 24, the following:
“The basis of our revised complaint, to include El Paso County, is a state statute: CRS 43-10-113 ‘Safe Operating Areas Around Airports.’ It requires zoning and building permitting authorities to adopt protective land use measures around public-owned, commercial service and reliever airports in accordance with FAA standards.
“We are a designated Reliever Airport for COS (Colorado Springs). It is our understanding that neither the Board of County Commissioners nor the Planning Commission were appraised of this application and that it was approved administratively by the staff.”
Four months later in October, the Federal Aviation Administration issued the Obstruction Evaluation report on the wind turbine project, summarizing an aeronautical study they had conducted. It stated the following:
This aeronautical study revealed that the structure “would have a substantial adverse effect on the safe and efficient utilization of the navigable airspace by aircraft and/or on the operation of air navigation facilities. Therefore, pursuant to the authority delegated to me (Julie A. Morgan, manager, Obstruction Evaluation Group}, it is hereby determined that the structure would be a hazard to air navigation.”
The Air Force Academy also weighed in.
According to The Gazette article from Feb. 19, the “United States Air Force Academy cadets train at the airport, including members of the Precision Flying Team. Amy Kelley, 10th Air Base Wing community initiatives director, submitted a letter to planning staff in May 2025, writing that the turbines would “pose a significant safety hazard within the arrival and departure corridors, which support United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) flight training.”
The lawsuit will determine the outcome of the wind turbine project. The NFH will follow up on the results.
