A Boulder District Court judge today denied every claim brought by the plaintiffs in a high-profile noise lawsuit against Mile-Hi Skydiving, which operates out of Longmont's Vance Brand Municipal Airport.
Seven individual plaintiffs living in Longmont and in unincorporated Boulder County, as well as the group Citizens for Quiet Skies, claimed in the lawsuit that Mile-Hi owner Frank Casares was being negligent and a nuisance by flying what they said were unusually loud planes over their homes.
The plaintiffs especially took issue with the purple-and-white Twin Otter plane, claiming that it was much louder than the others, and that Mile-Hi flew frequently over residents' homes when the plaintiffs were trying to enjoy their backyards and porches during summer weekends.
Mile-Hi, meanwhile, argued throughout the year and over the course of the lawsuit that Judge Judith LaBuda could not issue a ruling superseding federal aviation law.
In a 13-page written ruling, LaBuda sided with the skydiving company, denying all claims and expressing hopes that both sides and the community move on.
“The Court recognizes that this case has produced tension among community members,” LaBuda wrote in her ruilng, noting that supporters of both sides filled the courtroom during the trial. “It is the Court's hope that following a week-long trial, in which both parties were given an opportunity to present their evidence, that the parties, as well as the community members, will accept the ruling of the Court and move forward in a manner that demonstrates courtesy, respect and consideration for one another.”
Source: http://www.timescall.com