# Presentation: 285575

## Airports & Compatible Land Uses A National Perspective

*Presented by*
*Stephanie A.D. Ward, AICP**Senior Aviation Planner*

## Aircraft Accident Statistics 

- Data compiled from NTSB accident reports between 1990- 2000 indicate:
*Over 2/3 of both GA (68%) and commercial (67%) aircraft accidents take place at the airport*
* **29% of GA and 26% of commercial accidents happen within 5 miles of the airport during take-off or landing *
*3% of GA and 7% of commercial aviation accidents are enroute accidents which take place more than 5 miles from the airport*
- These figures show that having a clear area around the airport is essential in the event there is an accident

## What are incompatible land uses?

- An incompatible land use is essentially any type of land development which threatens the safe operation of aircraft.
- These uses include developments such as:
*Residential development*
*Schools & libraries *
*Nursing homes & hospitals*
*Wetlands & open water*
*Landfills & sewage treatment facilities*
*Generators of light emissions and smoke/stream*

## The survey 

- National Trends

## What are the national trends regarding airport compatible land uses ?

- Mead & Hunt teamed with the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) to assess the national trends on land use issues as they relate to airports
- A survey was sent to each state, including Guam and Puerto Rico, to get a truly national perspective on land uses

## What state are you responding for?

- Response rate: 40 out of 52 states & territories (77% )

## What is the size of your State Aviation System Plan?

- Of the 40 states responding, they represented:
*Over 7,000  airports*
- 358 air carrier
- Over 6,700 general aviation
- Type of ownership
*Publicly owned/public use airports make up the majority of State System Plan with 2,857 airports*
*Privately owned/privately used airports include another 7,759 airports some of which have been included into the State Aviation System of various states*

## Responses

- What we learned

## Do you believe that incompatible land uses are a concern in your state?

| No concern | Low concern | Moderate & High
concern |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 0% | 5% | 95% |

## What types of incompatible land uses do you have around your airport?

**100% (40)** residential
**82.5% (33)** tall structures
**75% (30) **wetlands
**70% (28)** recreation
**65% (26)** noise sensitive
**55% (22)** agriculture
**52.5% (21)** open water
**47.5% (19)** landfills

**12.5% (5)** smoke/steam
**12.5% (5)** light
- Various other
*Parks*
*Commercial within RPZ*
*Gravel pits*
*Car race track within approach zone*
*Archaeological sites*

## Most critical land uses

**75% (30)** residential
**12.5% (5) **tall structures
**1** agriculture
**1** recreation
**1** open water
**1** noise sensitive
**1** wetlands

## Least critical land uses

**35% (14)** open water
**25% (10)** agriculture
**10% (4)** wetlands
**10% (4)** light
**2** landfills
**2** recreation
**1** smoke/steam
**1** noise

## What types of existing land use legislation do you have in place and who regulates it?

- 10% (4) have no legislation
- Comprehensive planning legislation
- Height limitation legislation
- Types of land use legislation
- Tall structure review

## What types of existing land use legislation do you have in place and who regulates it?

- Comprehensive planning legislation

| No comprehensive plan | Local comprehensive plan | State comprehensive plan | Multiple level comprehensive plans |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 5  | 18 (45%) | 7 (19%) | 11 (27.5%) |

## What types of existing land use legislation do you have in place and who regulates it?

| Noheight limitation | Localheight limitation | Stateheight limitation | Multiple  level height limitation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 4  | 19 (47.5%) | 6 (16%) | 11 (27.5%) |

- Height limitation legislation

## What types of existing land use legislation do you have in place and who regulates it?

| Noland use  | Localland use | Stateland use  | Multiple level land use  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 3 (8%) | 21 (59%) | 2 (5%) | 10 (28%) |

- Types of land use legislation

## How widely used are the regulations at Air Carrier (AC) and General Aviation (GA) airports?

|  | At AC airports | At GA airports |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Not used at all | 2 | 3 |
| Used 20% of the time | 7 | 10 |
| Used 40% of the time | 3 | 9 |
| Used 60% of the time | 4 | 10 |
| Used 80% of the time | 12 | 5 |
| Used always | 11 | 3 |

## If regulations aren’t used, why not?

**27** cite lack of understanding
**24** cite complicated multiple jurisdictions
**17** cite lack of interest
**17** cite lack of pressure
**12** cite lack of funds
**9** cite other reasons (lack of political clout, lack of statewide legislation, lack of consistent national policy)
**1** doesn't know
**(multiple categories could be selected)**

## What can be done to address the issues?

**36** suggest education** **
**26** suggest better enforcement
**21** suggest smart growth policies** **
**9** suggest other options (federal assurance penalties, link compatible land use with federal housing funds, provide national templates or standards, county-wide zoning)
**4** suggest more regulations, including the development of national guidelines
**(multiple categories could be selected)**

## Have you used the FAA Toolkit?

**70% (28)** no
**27% (10)** yes, and found it useful
**2** noted it was not useful
- Comments
*Not as useful as our state guide*
*It is noise-focused*
*Not good for small rural airports*
*Wasn’t aware it existed*
*It’s outdated*

## What other state references have you used?

**40% (15)** California
**25% (10)** Oregon
**16% (6)** Wisconsin
**13% (5)** Florida
**11% (4)** Washington

**11% (4)** Minnesota
**1** Texas
**7** other
*DOT brochures*
*USAF compatible use zone*
*FAA only*

## Do other agencies control some of these land use issues?

**52.5% (21)** no
**42.5% (17)** yes
*Department of Education*
*Energy Commission*
*Housing and Community Development*
*Governors Office of Planning*
*Community Affairs*
*Environmental Protection*
*Wetlands Metropolitan Council*
*Department of Natural Resources*
*State Historical Society*

## What should be addressed at the National level?

- More funding for land acquisition and for land use guideline development
- National guidelines/regulations for compatible land uses
- National requirement to inform neighbors of airport operations
- FAA take a stronger stand on height issues (FAR Part 77 issues)
- National policy to protect airports

## Where can I get a copy of the study?

- A copy of the NASAO Study is available on the Mead & Hunt web page at:
- 	www.meadhunt.com/Markets/aviation/nasao_report.pdf

## Perspectives from Various States

## Questions or comments?

- Thank you.

- If you have any questions, contact me at:
- Stephanie.ward@meadhunt.com
- 517-321-8334