Military installations are critical for national security, providing a base of operation for training and support activities. As they are home to more intensive land uses, they can have a significant impact on directly adjacent properties and surrounding communities, particularly when it comes to land use and development.
Strategies For Ensuring Land Use Compatibility
Strategies for ensuring land use compatibility include:
- Zoning regulations, as local governments can restrict certain types of development within their jurisdictions when in proximity to military installations and promote land uses that are less likely to be affected by military operations.
- Seeking input from military base personnel, to ensure that land use applications and future development align with the needs of both the community and the military installation.
- Participating in Joint Land Use Studies (JLUS), which are collaborative planning efforts between military installations and local communities to address land use compatibility issues. Think of them as specialized general plans, as they involve stakeholders from both the military and civilian sectors which result in plans to guide development and land use policies.
- Obtaining easements, which can be used to create necessary “buffer zones” can help protect the military installation and surrounding communities by providing a physical separation, reducing the risks of accidents and other impacts such as noise, dust, lighting, etc., increasing the likelihood of long-term land use compatibility.
- Engaging the public through various educational and awareness opportunities, can help to build support and establish working relationships for achieving necessary zoning changes and adoption/implementation of other regulatory measures (i.e., land use regulations).
Why Is Ensuring Land Use Compatibility So Important?
When local communities do not support military installations there can be significant challenges and adverse consequences. These consequences can be as severe as affecting the continued operational efficiency of the military installation itself.
If communities in Utah were to ignore military installations altogether, major economic impacts could occur as a result as Utah itself is home to several military installations, including the U.S. Air Force’s second largest base which contributes more than an estimated $3 billion dollars annually with 21,000 personnel.
Understanding and addressing land use compatibility between adjacent properties, surrounding communities, and military installations is essential not only to ensure functionality of the military installation, but also to ensure the safety of both military personnel, local community residents, as well as the economic health of the State of Utah.
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.
