Apr 17 2010
Carson promises to work with city on growth, copter noise
Fort Carson officials pledged Friday to work with the community as they try to land an aviation unit that would bring the thwop-thwop-thwop of 100 new helicopters to the Pikes Peak Region.
Brig. Gen. James Pasquarette said residents’ concerns about noise and flight paths would be taken into account.
“We want to work closely with the community on this,” he said, emphasizing that the Army is still far from making a decision as it reviews possible locations under a plan to expand the service’s aviation element.
The Fort Carson deputy commander made his comments at a public forum in Colorado Springs focusing on how recent and future growth at Fort Carson will affect surrounding communities.
The Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments unveiled the results of a year-and-a-half-long study that found the post contributes $1.7 billion to the state and regional economy every year.
The number of soldiers assigned to Fort Carson nearly doubled from 12,600 to 25,000 during a three-year period that ended in 2009, and more than 1,000 additional soldiers are expected to arrive by 2014. The biggest growth, however, will be when the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan draw to a close, and Fort Carson soldiers all return home.
The council’s 400-page Fort Carson Regional Growth Plan details the implications of that population boom, including its effects on transportation, housing, schools, child care and medical services.
The plan identified $200 million worth of improvements throughout the Pikes Peak Region to handle the growth. Robert MacDonald, the council’s executive director, said communities have already tackled half the items on the list, including a widening project on Academy Boulevard.
“We’re looking to finish off our list, and we’re looking for traditional and not-so-traditional funding sources to do that,” he said.
A panel including Pasquarette, MacDonald and Brian Binn of the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce fielded written questions from an audience of about 200 people.
Binn, the chamber’s military affairs liaison, said the military presence in Fort Carson helped “soften the blow” of the recession by stimulating commerce, creating thousands of jobs on and off post, and providing a healthy supply of renters and homebuyers during a punishing downturn in the real-estate market.
“We’re glad to have that economic affect,” Binn said.
Meanwhile, Pasquarette addressed sources of conflict, such as the Army’s Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site in southeast Colorado.
“There are no plans to go and grab more land through eminent domain,” he told the crowd. “That is not what the Army is going to do.”
The potential for hosting a new combat aviation brigade would mean another 2,000 soldiers, he said.
“Would you see more helicopters overhead? Yeah. Do I think it would be out-of-control? No. We’re very concerned about our relationship with the community. We would continue to work with you to modify how we train.”