Granite County commissioners schedule follow-up on airport beacon after residents complain of light pollution

Jack Foster, a county resident, told the Granite County Board of Commissioners the airport beacon recently installed near the county airport produced light visible as far as Georgetown Lake and created what he called a “constant strobe light” that harmed the county’s dark-sky character. “The amount of light pollution this beacon causes definitely does not override the need for nighttime flights,” Foster said during public comment.

Foster said the beacon operated for one to two nights before being shut off and that the airport board has discussed future plans to open the airport to fixed-wing night flights, including medical flights. He asked the commission to consider limiting operations to daytime only and to set daytime operational hours for the airport.

Commissioners said the matter requires legal and regulatory review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements. Donovan (county staff) was asked to research applicable FAA rules and local options for either restricting night operations or installing controls—timers or staffed activation—to reduce nuisance lighting. Commissioners agreed to place the item on a future agenda to allow Donovan to prepare information and for the airport board to receive the resident’s letter.

No regulatory change or binding policy was adopted at the meeting; commissioners directed staff to get background on FAA guidance and return with options. The board tentatively discussed holding the public hearing on the matter later in November to give the public time to respond.

The commissioners also agreed to make the resident’s written letter available to the airport board and to invite airport staff or Donovan to present findings at the follow-up meeting.