County approves wetlands permit for Telluride Regional Airport south-side hangars after added protections

San Miguel County commissioners unanimously approved a wetland special use permit for the Telluride Regional Airport’s south-side hangar complex on June 11, attaching conditions the county says will protect mapped wetlands and wetland buffer zones while allowing grading and construction for new taxi lanes and hangars.

County senior planner John Huebner told commissioners the project “avoids mapped wetlands and compensatory wetland mitigation site, but intersects portions of the 100-foot buffer zone for both wetlands,” and that planners had recommended conditions and best-management practices to reduce sediment and other construction impacts.

The permit covers grading and construction activities within 100 feet of two mapped wetlands located on the airport’s compensatory-mitigation area. In approving the permit, commissioners required: compliance with the applicant’s written representations; installation of construction fencing, erosion-control logs and graded inlet protection (with photos of BMPs provided on installation); revegetation of all disturbed soils with native species and control of invasive plants and noxious weeds; a final inspection to certify compliance; and a new condition that riprap and gabion baskets be installed along the full length of the airport’s compensatory wetlands between the two mapped wetland cells to reduce long-term erosion and improve filtration of airport runoff.

The hearing followed a detailed staff presentation and supplemental materials supplied by the airport’s consultant. Huebner said the county’s wetland policy applies a 100-foot buffer zone around mapped wetlands and that the project’s proposed gabion/riprap installation, plus a graded inlet and 41.5 feet of additional grading separation, would reduce the risk of sediment reaching Wetland 2. Planning staff told the board the installation will remain in place following construction to ensure long-term protection.

Neighbors who live near the south side — speaking during the public comment portion and the public hearing — urged the county and the airport to address long-standing access, dust and land-use issues tied to the South Quarry Road and a nearby lot residents called the “junkyard” or “Lot R.” Nick Farko, representing the Meadows at Deep Creek Mesa homeowners, said the community is “not trying to obstruct hangar development” but asked the county to enforce resolutions that, he said, limit nonemergency use of quarry access and to remove nonconforming storage uses at Lot R. Jamie Schueller, another Meadows resident, said the road has been used for heavy construction and left in unsafe condition and asked for a forum “where we don’t have a timer” to discuss the concerns in detail.

Other public commenters raised slope-stability and geotechnical concerns. Shelley Duplant asked whether engineering and soils studies would be required for grading near steep slopes; planning staff said geotechnical analysis and development-permit level review would be required before any construction beyond grading and that the development-permit process would address debris flow and rockfall hazards.

Planning commission members reviewed the application at two meetings and, after asking for supplemental detail, recommended approval with the conditions adopted by the board. Huebner said federal and state permits and an FAA- and state-compliant stormwater pollution-prevention plan will also be required before construction.

Commissioners and staff emphasized the distinction between the county’s review of wetland-buffer impacts — the subject of the permit just approved — and other parts of the airport’s master-plan work that may be handled through administrative development permits. Commissioner Gleason said the board would pursue additional opportunities to meet with residents and airport leadership to address access and long-standing nuisance issues raised by nearby homeowners.

The motion to approve the wetland special use permit (application submitted in 2024) passed unanimously.