You’ve just settled into your brand home. Sitting on the back patio with a glass of lemonade you can feel the sun shining, hear the birds chirping, and – wait, what’s that sound!? No, it’s not an earthquake – it’s a plane from the local airport flying over your brand new home?
Common Airport Nuisance Complaints
While some people equate living near an airport or military installation with a runway as a positive thing (i.e., “the sound of freedom”), others… let’s just say that they don’t necessarily share that same sentiment.
When it comes to airports, associated land use nuisances complaints made to the local municipality typically include:
- Noise. Constant noise from aircraft can be more than just an annoyance. In certain cases it can disrupt sleep patterns of individuals, reducing their quality of life, and subsequently contributing to health issues like stress and hearing loss.
- Smells. Ahhh… who doesn’t love the smell of jet fuel in the morning? Hint, definitely not “normal” surrounding residents. Smells can be a serious nuisance concern as emissions from aircraft and airport operations can contribute to air pollution, subsequently impacting the respiratory health and well-being of nearby residents and the community at large.
- Traffic. Airports frequently are bustling hubs of activity, not just for planes but also for personal vehicles and buses. Influx of traffic can lead to congestion on surrounding roads, increasing commute times, and increased air pollution caused by idling vehicles and buses.
- Safety Concerns. Living near an airport definitely comes with some unique safety risks, such as the potential for aircraft accidents. While such incidents are rare(ish), consequences can be devastating.
How Land Use Regulations Can Help Mitigate Nuisances
For municipalities receiving those complaints, thoughtful land use planning can help mitigate some common airport nuisances. For example:
- Noise. The requirement of noise abatement procedures (i.e., soundproofing requirements for new construction) can help to decrease noises from associated overhead flights. Also, certain noise studies and couture maps can help local municipalities from prohibiting residential development within the noisiest areas.
- Smells. The requirement of buffers space or zones around airport property including green space (i.e., with trees, plants, shrubbery, etc.) can help to absorb pollutants and provide a visual barrier between the airport and adjacent residential areas. Trees, plants, and shrubbery can also help improve air quality by reducing emissions.
- Traffic. Ensuring infrastructure around airports is sufficient to meet current and future demons through design of better road networks, improved public transportation options, etc., can ensure smoother traffic flow and enhanced safety for area residents.
- Safety Concerns. For accident-prone areas specifically, mitigation strategies such as restricting certain types of permitted or conditional land uses, can significantly decrease the amount of people subjected to the increased risk.
Finding the right balance which allows airports to thrive and connect us to the world while ensuring that neighboring communities remain safe, healthy, and pleasant places to live should be a municipality’s primary goal for these specific types of land use regulations.
What Utah Is Doing To Mitigate Airport Nuisances
§72-10-4 of Utah State Code, the Airport Zoning Act, was enacted by the State Legislature to protect the interest of the public’s health, safety, and general welfare. Recent updates to this statute also now require the establishment of certain types of land use regulations (i.e., airport overlay zones) to prevent the creation of airport hazards, while promoting the public’s health, safety, and general welfare.
Need Advice Or Want To Learn More?
Check out our online training modules here! Note: civiclinQ is able to provide free access to more than 45 different land use training module topics courtesy of funding provided by the Utah Office of the Property Rights Ombudsman from the 1% surcharge on all building permits in the State of Utah.
