Why is this airspace Class E to the surface as opposed to Class D?

The Colorado Remote Tower is not certified by the FAA yet. Until certification we will remain one of the few Towered class E. Our airspace will be elevated to class D once the system is certified. The active tower is a mobile tower while the Remote Tower remains empty as subject matter experts (SME) from DC are unable to travel for the testing phases due to Federal policies with active COVID outbreaks. You can read more on our website at www.flynoco.com/about/remote-tower. Monthly updates are available in the Director's report which are included in the Airport Commission packets, also available on our site at www.flynoco.com/airport-commission

I assume you're asking because it's a towered airport? It's actually a relatively new tower, specifically a remote tower being used while a virtual tower is tested by the FAA (the current remote "tower" is a trailer with windows that sits near a taxiway). This was implemented around March 2020, so I would assume the airspace was originally designed as E to the surface and changing it to Class D was maybe too much work/unnecessary.