ADAMS COUNTY | Officials connected Wednesday to the lengthy impasse between the City and County of Denver and Adams County municipalities over plans to develop the area surrounding Denver International Airport say they’ve reached agreement to amend a pact between the governments.
The vote to amend the 1988 DIA pact was unanimously adopted Wednesday morning among smiles and handshakes after years of threats and grumblings.
Adams County Commissioner Erik Hansen said Wednesday morning that officials involved in the ongoing negotiations expect to announce an amendment to the 1988 intergovernmental agreement governing Denver, Adams County and various cities that were part of the initial deal to build the airport.
At issue in the years-long talks is Denver’s plan to move ahead with an “aerotropolis” project to develop areas surrounding the airport. Adams County and municipalities that ceded land to Denver for the airport’s construction say that the IGA from 1988 dictates that revenues from Denver’s airport project must be shared with them, and that development surrounding the airport would be dictated by non-Denver entitites.
In January, Denver City Council members voted to approve a $623,000 contract to hire the Colorado Department of Transportation to create a comprehensive land use and transportation plan around DIA.
Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan joined with Adams County and Commerce City in pressing Denver to adhere to portions of the 1988 IGA that says only airport-related development can occur on Denver’s DIA property. The agreement says all future off-airport commercial development falls under the purview of Adams County and its municipalities, which include Aurora.
“They can plan all they want to plan but they should not be planning for us, and they certainly can’t build anything in the restricted areas without our approval,” Hogan said. “There could be more that happens, but to get there, you have to amend the (1988) governing document.”
For the past two years, discussions have happened behind closed doors with neither side able to come to an agreement.
Hancock’s Airport City plan calls for the development of businesses in industries including aerospace, logistics, renewable energy, agrotech and aviation. Critics say classifying aerospace, renewable energy and agrotech businesses as airport-related is a stretch.
Way to go !