Resident urges Elbert County to back airport noise study, seeks reappointment to Centennial Airport roundtable

Brenda Deitch, a resident of Elbert County and a current member of the Centennial Airport roundtable, told the Board of County Commissioners on Dec. 10 that she hopes the county will sponsor her reappointment for 2026 and help push for an FAA Part 150 noise study covering the county.

"I wanna push this. I want this to be done. I want them to know how this is impacting our community, the people of our community, the schools and everything," Deitch said, describing what she called persistent low-altitude training flights and multiple "flight training boxes" concentrated over Elbert County.

Deitch told the board she has recorded noise using a portable monitor at her home for three months and reported specific flights to the Federal Aviation Administration and Centennial Airport. She said the training boxes appeared to have been split into eight boxes over Elbert County and that aircraft frequently circle over populated areas. She also raised environmental and health concerns, saying pilots are using leaded aviation fuel and that it is being deposited on homes and schools.

The issue matters, she said, because the noise and flight patterns affect residents' quality of life and can pose hazards to livestock and students. Deitch asked the county to sponsor her seat on the roundtable again so she can press for the study and improved outreach between the FAA, the Colorado Pilots Association, Centennial Airport and local residents. She told commissioners an invoice for sponsorship would be sent and said she believes dues for 2026 may be waived.

The chair acknowledged the complaint and said the training boxes might have been established before nearby development. "You've got a school, you've got livestock, horses… I agree with you that it needs to be further east," the chair said, noting his familiarity with aviation. Commissioner Buck thanked Deitch for her volunteer service on the roundtable and said he is "glad to hear there's maybe no fee" for 2026 and that the county would discuss reappointment and sponsorship.

The board added consideration of official sponsorship for Deitch's Centennial Airport Committee seat to the next agenda so members can decide formally whether to sponsor her for 2026. The county did not make a decision on the spot and did not vote at the Dec. 10 meeting.

Next steps: the board will consider the sponsorship item at its next meeting; Deitch also requested to meet with the county attorney to discuss possible next steps on noise and health concerns. Quotes and claims in this article are taken from public comment recorded during the Dec. 10 Elbert County Board of County Commissioners meeting.