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Planning commission backs Ranger Ranchette special-use permit with conditions, lowers on-site fuel limit
Summary
The Montrose County Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a special-use permit for the Ranger Ranchette airpark, adding conditions on lighting, hangar size, dust control and reducing per-hangar fuel storage from 500 to 200 gallons; the county commissioners will hear the application April 16.
The Montrose County Planning Commission voted March 27 to recommend approval of a special-use permit to expand the Ranger Ranchette private air facility near 6300 Road, subject to conditions intended to limit operational impacts and hazards.
Staff briefed the commission that the application proposes four new hangars within an approximately 34–35 acre site and does not propose changes to the runway. Staff presented 14 draft conditions addressing lighting standards, a 5,000-square-foot maximum hangar footprint (excluding any attached residence), limits on private fuel storage, the requirement to post owner/operator contact information at the site, and dust-mitigation procedures.
Commissioners pressed the applicant and staff about fuel and maintenance controls. Commissioners questioned whether per-hangar tanks could aggregate into larger on-site fuel volumes and whether hangars might be used for commercial maintenance. Staff said commercial fuel sales and commercial maintenance would not be allowed under the proposed conditions. An applicant representative confirmed restrictive covenants and said homeowners generally prefer to keep only modest fuel supplies on site.
Following discussion, the commission adopted three clarifications to the draft conditions: replace an incorrect reference to a 'tower' with 'facility,' allow a wheeled roller as an acceptable dust-compaction alternative to a smooth-drum vibratory compactor, and reduce the allowed per-hangar fuel limit from 500 gallons to 200 gallons. A commissioner moved to recommend approval of special-use permit SU24-005 incorporating those edits; the motion was seconded and approved unanimously by the voting members present.
The commission’s recommendation and the revised conditions will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners, which is scheduled to hear the application on April 16.
Why it matters: The conditions adopted by the commission are intended to limit commercialization of the site and reduce safety and nuisance risks for neighbors by capping tank sizes, controlling lighting, and requiring dust controls. The county commissioners will make the final decision.
