Vance Air Force Base Joint Land Use Study Overview

What Is a Joint Land Use Study?

The Vance AFB Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) is a cooperative planning effort conducted as a joint venture between Vance AFB, surrounding jurisdictions, state and federal agencies, and other affected stakeholders to address compatibility around Vance AFB. The Vance AFB JLUS is funded by a grant from the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) and contributions by the JLUS sponsor, the City of Enid. The JLUS effort can directly benefit both Vance AFB and the surrounding region by:

• Protecting the health and safety of surrounding residents and workers,
• Preserving long-term land use compatibility between Vance AFB and the surrounding communities,
• Promoting community planning that addresses compatibility issues, and
• Enhancing cooperation between Vance AFB and community officials.

What Are the JLUS Objectives?

The goal of a JLUS is to reduce potential conflicts between Vance AFB and surrounding areas while accommodating new growth and economic development, sustaining economic vitality, protecting public health and safety, and protecting the operational missions of Vance AFB. JLUS programs have three core objectives:

UNDERSTANDING. Convening communities, agency representatives, and Vance AFB to promote awareness and shared knowledge of the economic, physical and mutually beneficial relationship between Vance AFB and its neighbors, taking into consideration community and military viewpoints and needs.

COLLABORATION. Encouraging cooperative land use and resource planning between Vance AFB, local jurisdictions and stakeholders to cultivate a consistent approach to community growth and development while safeguarding military operations and mission readiness in support of national defense objectives.

ACTIONS. Providing a set of recommended tools, activities, and procedures that local jurisdictions, agencies, and Vance AFB can use to implement the recommendations developed during the JLUS process.

What Will the Vance AFB JLUS Address?

The Vance AFB JLUS will provide stakeholders with:

•  A land use assessment for surrounding potential growth areas;
• A baseline of existing incompatible land uses around the installation;
• An assessment of regional and local growth trends;
• A plan to assist surrounding communities in making informed decisions regarding compatibility planning; and
• Recommendations and strategies to promote compatible land use planning around Vance AFB and within the surrounding communities.

What Is Compatibility?

Compatibility, relative to military readiness, can be defined as the balance and / or compromise between community and military needs and interests. The goal of compatibility planning is to promote an environment where both entities can coexist successfully. Study area data on existing conditions obtained from the Advisory Committee, Technical Committee, and public meetings will be analysed to identify current and future compatibility issues. This analysis will also identify the influence of regulatory measures on land use decisions and consider existing and projected development trends within the JLUS Study Area. A set of 25 compatibility factors will be considered to evaluate the range of issues that influence land use compatibility. While all factors will be initially assessed, several factors may not exist within the Vance AFB JLUS Study Area.

What Are the Compatibility Factors?

Compatibility factors address the comprehensive approach undertaken to promote land use compatibility within proximity to Vance AFB. The 25 factors are:

What Are JLUS Recommendations?

JLUS recommendations can be categorized into five key areas: communication, coordination, information, policy and regulatory and may involve revisions to the communities’ comprehensive plans and traditional land use and development controls, such as zoning, subdivision regulations, building codes, and so forth. Additional actions may include land exchanges, transfer of development rights, and real estate disclosures.

Have Past JLUS’s Been Successful?

Previous JLUS’s have shown a high success rate. The JLUS effort can directly benefit both the jurisdiction and the installation by:

• Protecting the health and safety of residents living or working near military installations
• Preserving long-term land use compatibility between the installation and the surrounding community
• Promoting comprehensive community planning
• Encouraging a cooperative spirit between the local base command and local community officials
• Integrating the local jurisdictions’ comprehensive plans with the installation’s plans