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Charleston Air Force Base &
Naval Weapons Station
Joint Land Use Study II
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What are the Historical Perspectives and
Economic Impacts? |
Since the 1996 closure of the Charleston Naval Base, Charleston has
emerged as a model joint military complex that saves money, increases
efficiency, shares resources, and benefits from security of local ports
and installations. In 2006, U.S. military operations in the tri-county
region of Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties accounted for
over 29,000 direct jobs and a total annual economic impact of $3.5
billion according to the Charleston Area Military Economic Impact Report
provided by the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce - Center for
Business Research and the Center for Economic Forecasting at Charleston
Southern University.
Prior to the Naval Base and Naval Shipyard Closure in 1996, total
military operations contributed 48,000 jobs and $4.2 billion to the
regional economy. The military presence is second only to tourism as the
region’s primary economic driver. The United States Navy is once again
the region’s largest employer with over 16,200 full time employees. The
Charleston Air Force Base ranks third in the region with 5,600
employees. In addition, the U.S. Army Material Command Combat Equipment
Group located on the Charleston Naval Weapons Station employs over 500.
Military presence in the Charleston region is mostly confined to the
Charleston AFB and the NWS. Combined, the two installations total
approximately 20,000 acres in Berkeley and Charleston Counties. The 2005
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, mandated a transition to a
“joint basing” management model. This administrative change will
reposition the administrative management structure and combine the bases
management model under the Air Force command.
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| Charleston AFB and NWS Joint Land Use Study II |
| The Berkley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments is the
sponsoring agency for the Charleston AFB Joint Land Use Study II.
Funding assistance was provided by the Department of Defense’s Office of
Economic Adjustment and the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce.
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| Study Area Changes |
Since the completion of the original JLUS in 1993, a number of changes
have occurred in terms of land development and military operations. In
2004, the AFB released a revised Air Installation Compatible Use Zone
Study (AICUZ) which promotes compatible land use in areas subject to
aircraft noise and accidents. This report documents a number of changes
in operations noting an increase in the number of C-17 aircraft and
increase in number of nighttime aircraft operations just to name a few.
The AICUZ assigns Runway Clear Zones and Accident Potential Zones (APZ)
based on runway locations. Noise level contours are also established for
areas that experience sound levels greater than 65 decibels.
The primary study area will include 1 mile outward of the Air Force Base
AICUZ areas, and ½ mile out from the boundaries of the Naval Weapons
Station. The secondary area includes the AFB’s outer horizontal surface,
which extends 30,000 feet outward from the runways and requires a
500-foot height clearance. The jurisdictions included in the primary
study area are North Charleston, Charleston, Hanahan, Charleston County,
Berkeley County and Goose Creek. Study area B will include Dorchester
County, Lincolnville and Summerville and additional portions of Berkeley
and Charleston County. |
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| New Approaches for 2nd JLUS |
| The Charleston AFB and NWS JLUS II will take a more proactive approach
towards limiting incompatible development by thoroughly developing land
use tools that can be adopted and utilized by the study area
jurisdictions. A few of the land use tools to be developed as a result
of this study will include a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR)
Program and Military Installations Overlay Districts. |
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| JLUS Typical Recommendations |
| A Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) will guide local jurisdictions and local
stakeholders in the application of planning and development of controls
in support of the ongoing military mission. Recommendations arising from
a JLUS are typically revised land use plans and zoning regulations,
sound attenuation measures, real estate disclosures, acquisition of
land, leases, and development rights and modification of military
operations.
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JLUS Process and Public Participation
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Project Team and Committees
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The Project Team will
consist of members of the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of
Government’s Planning Staff & interns.
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The Policy Committee (POC)
will be comprised of the Berkeley- Charleston-Dorchester Council of
Governments Advisory Board or Full COG Board. Base commanders from
the Air Force, the Naval Weapons Station and FAA officials will also
serve on the Policy Committee. This committee will set policy
direction for the JLUS and adopt the recommendations that will be
implemented once the study is complete.
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The Technical Advisory
Committee (TAC) will consist of planning officials from the various
jurisdictions participating in the study and will also include base
planners and officials. In addition, representatives from the
Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, Trident Association of
Realtors, SCDOT, Coastal Conservation League, Regional Development
Alliance and other relative entities. The TAC will provide technical
assistance to the Project Team in its data collection, analysis and
formation of recommendations, based on direction from the Policy
Committee.
A series of public meetings will be held to increase citizen
awareness of key issues and objectives of the Joint Land Use Study.
Project Team and Committee members will solicit input from study
area residents, business owners, neighborhood groups, realtors,
developers and other community stakeholders.
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Why are the Charleston Air Force Base, the Naval Weapons Station and the
communities participating in a JLUS?
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The
Joint Land Use Study is an exercise in proactive planning. Looking ahead
at issues and possible changes military operations at the Charleston
AFB/NWS and provides an analysis of growth trends of local jurisdictions
to prevent or reduce future impacts on the military’s mission and
protect the health of both the military and the community. The JLUS is
also a good way to improve long-term communication between military and
surrounding municipalities. |
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What does the JLUS boundary mean and how was it drawn?
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The JLUS boundary represents the area for which the team will collect
data and look at possible impacts, both from the military and the
community. The boundary is purposely drawn broadly to include all of the
areas that could be affected by military operations. It is also drawn to
follow easy-to-find features, such as roadways and section lines. The
JLUS boundary includes the noise and accident potential zones based
operations of the Charleston Air Force Base, but some areas within the
study boundary are not inside a noise zone or accident potential zones.
In addition to the area surrounding the AFB, the study team will also
conduct an analysis development activity within a half-mile area
surrounding the Naval Weapons Station. |
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What is BRAC and how does it relate to the JLUS?
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"BRAC" is an acronym that stands for base realignment and closure. It is
the process that the Department of Defense uses to reorganize
installations to optimize military readiness. The BRAC 2005 process
looked for innovative ways to consolidate, realign, or find alternative
uses for current military facilities.
The JLUS and BRAC are entirely separate efforts. However, the
cooperative, long-range planning that comes out of the JLUS reflects
positively on the military/community relationship. |
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How does the Charleston Air Force Base assess noise and its impacts?
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The Charleston AFB measures noise using day-night sound level (DNL)
calculated by NOISEMAP Version 6.5. It describes the average daily noise
produced over the period of one year. Noise measurements around the
Charleston Air Force Base include A-weighted DNL (ADNL) which has been
found to correlate well with people’s judgment of the noisiness of
different sounds and has been in use for many years as a measure of
community noise. Measurements express noise in terms of decibels (dB).
A decibel level of 60 is roughly the same as the sound of normal
conversation or a dishwasher running. Factors such as weather can
strongly influence how sound travels and is heard.
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What are the adverse affects of noise exposure? |
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Noise affects people
differently. Some people are easily affected by noise, while others are
less so. Temporary haring loss is possible in high noise areas,
particularly if an individual is exposed for extended periods of time.
However, permanent hearing loss is unlikely. |
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What is the likelihood of an aircraft mishap? |
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The likelihood of an
aircraft mishap is remote. Worldwide, only a small number of mishaps
occur out of hundreds of thousands of military aircraft operations each
year. An examination of military aircraft mishaps over the last 30
years indicates that a majority of the mishaps occurred within five
miles of an airfield, on the airfield itself, or in the extended arrival
and departure area corridors close to the airfield. |
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What is the overall intent of the AICUZ Zones? |
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While the majority of
aircraft accidents are remote, the Air Force recommends land use within
the CZ’s and APZ’s be minimal or low density to ensure the maximum
protection of public health and property. The intent is to minimize the
gathering of civilians and the concentration of densities to maximum
extent possible.
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How will children be affected if a school is
located in a high noise zone? |
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In buildings without
adequate sound protection, aircraft noise may impact how well school-age
children learn. Noise reduction can help significantly. For example,
while schools are normally considered incompatible with outside noise
levels of 65-75 dB, sound-proofing the building can reduce the amount of
noise reaching the students. Outside noise should be reduced to
approximately 45 dB as it is measured in a classroom. |
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Will living in a noise zone affect my property
values?
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Property values reflect a
variety of neighborhood characteristics, including local schools, taxes,
and transportation, as well as individual housing characteristics, such
as the number of bedrooms. There are no definitive federal standards for
determining the impact of noise on property values. |
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What is the basis for the Charleston AFB AICUZ
(Air Installation Compatible Use Zones) program that includes Clear
Zones and Accident Potential Zones? |
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Areas around airports are
exposed to the possibility of aircraft accidents even with
well-maintained aircraft and highly trained aircrews. Despite stringent
maintenance and requirements and countless hours of training, past
history makes it clear that accidents may occur.
The three AICUZ safety
zones: the CZ, APZ I, and APZ II were developed from an analysis of
over 800 major Air Force accidents that occurred within 10 miles of an
Air Force installation between 1968 and 1995. The CZ has the highest
accident potential of the three zones, as 27 percent of accidents
studied occurred in this area. APZ I holds a smaller potential for
accidents of the studied area with 10 percent of all accidents occurring
in this zones. APZ II has less accident potential than APZ I, with 6
percent of the accidents studied occurring in these zones.
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What is the Charleston AFB’s policy on acquiring
property within the highest accident potential of the three zones?
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The Air Force adopted a
policy of acquiring real estate in the Clear Zones through purchase or
easement when feasible. It is the Air Force’s policy to request that
Congress authorize and appropriate funds for the necessary real property
interests in this area to prevent incompatible land uses.
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