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CITY OF BOULDER

Cheryl Zibrowski
Mark Ostronic
Federal Aviation Administration
Denver Metroplex Management Team
26805 E. 68th Avenue
Denver, CO 80249

June 2, 2017
Dear Ms. Zibrowski and Mr. Ostronic,

On behalf of the Boulder City Council, I offer this follow-up to our initial letter dated April 12, 2017, and ask that further
consideration be given to the impact of commercial aviation over the City of Boulder.

After reviewing the proposals by your Denver Metroplex team, we are concerned that the 2-mile shift of the FOOOT
departure will provide only a negligible improvement to the residents of Boulder and the surrounding area. We
understand that the route was not moved farther south, back to the original location of the ROCKIES TWO departure,
due to lack of required space between the four westbound departure routes. Although it would require more analysis,
we ask that your team consider consolidating the westbound departure routes from four to three. This reduction would
provide the FAA with more flexibility in placing the remaining three routes, addressing concerns by Boulder and other
communities on the west side of Denver, while still ensuring adequate spacing and capacity.

The unique topography of the Flatirons amplifies the noise produced by aircraft on the FOOOT departure, which has
greatly impacted the residents of Boulder. Moving the proposed ZIMMR route farther south would produce a noticeable
improvement, not only due to the added distance between the route and Boulder neighborhoods, but also because the
foothills south of Boulder have a flatter profile and increased vegetation that do not amplify the noise to the same
degree as the Flatirons.

In addition to the 100,000 residents of Boulder, the FOOOT departure has also affected the users of Boulder Open Space
and Mountain Parks, which includes more than 45,000 acres of natural habitat and is enjoyed by more than 5.3 million
visitors a year. Just as the FAA has made improvements that reduce the impact of aviation noise over national parks, we
ask that the Denver Metroplex team consider the topography and natural habitat now being impacted.

We hope that your team will consider a more comprehensive improvement during this once-in-a-decade opportunity.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Jones
Mayor of Boulder
Municipal Building, 1777 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80302
P.O. Box 791 Boulder, Colorado 80306-0791 www.bouldercolorado.gov (303)441-3554

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