Session: Airport Planning and Development

March 31, 1:00 PM

Mark R. Johnson, AICP
Landrum & Brown, Inc.

Community Relationships in Airport Planning and Development

Airports are inextricably bound to the communities in which they are located, and an airport's influence can extend well beyond the immediate environs. Powerful social and economic trends are fueling the demand for air travel. Many larger commercial service airports are becoming important nodes for high value economic development. Other airports have proven to be excellent locations for manufacturing, assembly, and distribution plants. At the same time, airports can create troubling environmental impacts, including traffic congestion, air and water pollution, and noise.

While, arguably, a metropolitan area can fail to fully exploit the positive economic influences of an airport without causing itself irreparable harm, the failure to ameliorate an airport's negative environmental impacts can have grave consequences. Not only must local residents endure the many annoyances of these impacts, but if the problems become severe enough, political opposition to further development of the airport and air service can become irresistible.

Land use planning and zoning are the most important tools that local governments can wield in the effort to protect their residents from the adverse impacts of an airport while, at the same time, protecting the long-term viability of the airport. Land use planning and zoning can be used to ensure that development in the airport vicinity is compatible with the airport. While "airport compatibility" has several dimensions, the concept of noise compatibility has received most of the emphasis over the years.

Airport land use compatibility planning has become a high priority with the Federal Aviation Administration. It is advocating increased use of its "Part 150 Noise Compatibility Planning" process to promote airport land use compatibility. That process has the advantage of pulling together all organizations with a responsibility for airport noise and land use compatibility planning in an airport area. In addition, eligible measures in an approved Noise Compatibility Plan become are eligible for Federal funding assistance for implementation. Traditionally, most of the emphasis in these plans, however, has been on aircraft noise abatement and remedial mitigation measures, such as residential sound insulation and home acquisition and clearance.

Obstacles to successful airport noise compatibility planning include:

• Multiple jurisdictions surround most airports, making a consistent policy-making difficult.
• Other community needs compete with the need for airport compatibility.
• Rarely do local communities perceive a strong constituency for airport compatibility planning.
• Demands of airport neighbors often result in Noise Compatibility Studies focusing almost exclusively on noise abatement actions.
• The implementation of most land use planning and regulatory actions is not eligible for FAA funding assistance.
• Frequently, ongoing technical support is not available for local land use planning officials.

In the future, we can look forward to increased FAA concern with airport land use compatibility planning, but its tools are weak. The FAA is already reaching out to form alliances with organizations representing local government and the planning profession, including the American Planning Association.

Regional planning commissions have a potentially very important role to play in facilitating coordination among local governments in airport compatibility planning, although funding to allow their full participation is problematic. In some states, legislation may potentially be needed to break down the barriers to a coordinated approach to airport compatibility planning or even to mandate a coordinated approach.

The Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Environment and Energy has a website, www.aee.faa.gov, with information about the FAA's policies and programs related to aircraft noise.

The FAA has developed a "land use compatibility toolkit." See www.aee.faa.gov/noise/lupitoolkit.htm.

The FAA has published several advisory circulars relating to airport land use compatibility issues around airports.

• AC Number 70/7460-2J, Proposed Construction or Alteration of Objects that May Affect the Navigable Airspace, explains the requirements and criteria for notifying the FAA prior to building a tall structure.
• AC 150/5020-1, Noise Control and Compatibility Planning For Airports, provides guidance for airport operators and local governments in developing noise compatibility plans under Federal Aviation Regulation Part 150.
• AC Number 150/5190-4A, A Model Zoning Ordinance to Limit Height of Objects Around Airports, includes a model ordinance and narrative explaining how it should be applied and adapted to the local setting.
• AC 150/5200-34, Construction or Establishment of Landfills Near Public Airports, describes the legal requirements for separating landfills from airports and the process for requesting exemptions.

FAA Advisory Circulars can be downloaded from the following website: www.faa.gov/arp/150acs.cfm.

The California Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics has developed the California Airport Land Use Planning Handbook, which is oriented toward the state's mandated "comprehensive airport land use planning" program. The material is excellent and has broad applicability. See www.dot.ca.gov/hq/planning/aeronaut/htmlfile/landuse.html.

Author and Copyright Information

Mark R. Johnson, AICP

Mark Johnson is a Director in the environmental practice of Landrum & Brown, Inc., an international aviation and airport planning consulting firm. He has practiced in the airport planning consulting field for over 20 years, specializing in airport noise and land use compatibility planning issues. Prior to entering airport consulting, he served with municipal planning agencies in Iowa and Oregon.

Mr. Johnson is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and holds a Master's Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Iowa.