Planning for Airports - Considerations

by Stacey Swanson and Will Hutchings (NDPA Editors); additions from Kyle Slaughter and Paul Moberly

This article was originally published in the NDPA newsletter and is reprinted with permission from the North Dakota Planning Association. Visit www.ndplanning.org to learn more.


Ensuring the safe and efficient operations of airplanes entering and leaving an airport requires careful consideration of compatible land uses that best coexist adjacent to airports and what development standards should be in place near airports that help ensure safe aircraft operations and reduced exposure to hazards. 

Plan Ahead
Given the area of impact of airports, it’s critical that planners look ahead and not simply see what uses are currently there. The decisions made now will effect potential airport function for decades to come. Good airport plans and land-use decisions require planning far into the future—perhaps even 50-100 years into the future. Realistic analysis and airport use projections should be used when making decisions; for some small rural airports, it may seem absurd to plan for larger classes of aircraft. However, not having to relocate an airport or avoiding major conflicts with land owners may be worth the analysis. 1

Planning Templates

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Utah’s Department of Transportation and the Mountainland Association of Governments (MAG) put together a reference guide called the The Compatible Land Use Planning Guide for Utah Airports (LUPG) for airport land use issues in Utah. While they were created specific to Utah, they could be helpful to other working to plan around airports in other states. That guide lays out these planning templates and provides further information on how to address some common airport land use issues. The guide Airports and Land Use provides an overview and quick reference to templates that cover small and medium airports. These templates outline the distance and areas of consideration around airports, as well as provide guidance on compatible land uses in those areas.1 

Safety

Protection of the airspace in and around the airport, specifically within approach zones is crucial to safe airport operations. The physical aspects of land-use characteristics as well visual conflicts and any wildlife and bird attractants can create compatibility and safety concerns.

Tall structures and objects such as vegetation (trees), antennas and telecommunication towers, power lines, wind farms and multi-story buildings should be avoided in and around airports to reduce potential conflicts. See Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 77. Non-physical elements can also create visibility issues from any land-use that created smoke, steam, glare, or light emissions. Lastly bodies of water can become wildlife attractants, specifically from birds of flight. Minimizing stormwater ponds and wetlands areas that are natural wildlife attractants, in and around airports will reduce the potential of aircraft-wildlife strikes during take-off and landings. See FAA Advisory Circular 150/5200-33B - Hazardous Wildlife Attractants On or Near Airports.

Noise

Noise impacts for those living or working near airports can be an annoyance that can detrimentally affect quality of life. The level of affect this can have will be relative to the varying levels of airport classifications. Smaller, infrequently used airports that provide service to smaller aircrafts will not create the degree of adverse impacts that airports that operate longer hours, support larger aircrafts and have more frequent service. Generally, the best approach is to reduce land uses that contribute to more people living or working near airports that are likely to be negatively affected by noise impacts. To learn more about airport noise compatibility planning see Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 150.

Other Considerations (From Airports & Land Use Guide)

Drones. Additional considerations exist for airports—particularly unmanned aircrafts. According to FAA rules, unmanned aircraft operators are required to register their drone with FAA, and must inform airport flight control if they intend to operate their drone within five miles of an airport. States may have more restrictive laws in place. Airport sponsors and surrounding cities should pay attention to these rules and ensure residents and visitors are informed to help keep pilots and residents safe.1

Lighting Design. FAA-required lighting is non-negotiable and the local airport authority typically has no jurisdiction over airport lighting requirements. However, care should be taken in the design of airport lighting outside of where the FAA governs lighting installations in order to avoid creating safety hazards to pilots and ground crews through visually impairing glare. Lighting design should also minimize or eliminate off-site impacts such as unwanted light trespass into neighboring residences or businesses. Appropriate lighting design can be summarized as only lighting what is needed, where it's needed, and only how much as needed. Use fully shielded fixtures, project lighting downward onto intended surfaces, and avoid white and blue-rich colored lighting whenever possible.1

For more information check out the following resources:

Works Referenced

1 Utah’s Community Development Office. Airports & Land Use Guide: An Introduction for Local Leaders. http://ruralplanning.org/assets/airport-land-use-guide---web.pdf

Paul Moberly