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Grissom AICUZ results help community planners

  • Published
  • By Mark R. W. Orders-Woempner
  • 434th ARW Public Affairs
GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. --  Being a good neighbor often means looking out for one another, which is what Grissom's environmental management team sought to do with a recently released study.

Col. Doug Schwartz, 434th Air Refueling Wing commander, along with members of the 434th Civil Engineer Squadron, held a public meeting to release the results of an air installation compatible use zone study in Peru, Ind., Oct. 23.

"The AICUZ program is designed to assist local authorities in protecting areas adjacent to an installation," explained Schwartz. "This includes identifying land uses that are considered incompatible in areas with high noise levels and minimizing the potential for exposure to aircraft mishaps."

The study found that noise contours above the 65 decibel level had reduced by 20 percent since the last one was conducted in 1995.

"That's the good news story here," said Schwartz.

While the AICUZ study first focused on noise, it also evaluated the local communities land use within accident potential zones.

APZs were developed by the Department of Defense to identify where aircraft mishaps were most likely to occur and are the same at all DOD air bases.

All three zones extend from both ends of Grissom's runway and are 3,000 feet wide. The clear zone extends 3,000 feet beyond the runway, APZ I extends 5,000 feet beyond that and APZ II extends an additional 7,000 feet from APZ I.

"I had no idea how far out the APZs extending into Cass County," said Christy Household, Cass County director of economic development. "This is something we definitely want to get together with our planning team on so that we make sure our development doesn't encroach on the base."

To aid in encroachment avoidance, the AICUZ study also made several recommendations, included below.

- That local governments inform Grissom of planning and zoning actions that have the potential of affecting air operations.

- That any future adopted versions of comprehensive or master plans incorporate AICUZ policies and guidelines.

- Ensure that planners from Grissom are included as stakeholders in any meetings for the proposed modification of U.S. Highway 31.

- That local governments incorporate the noise zones and APZs into their land use maps and geographic information system layers.

- That Cass County consider an airport overlay district for the Grissom noise zones and APZs similar to the district that the county has in place for the Logansport-Cass County Airport.

For the AICUZ Citizen's Brochure, click here.

For the full AICUZ report, click here.

Grissom is home to not only the 434th ARW, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command, but also to three Army Reserve units and a Marine Corps Reserve communications detachment.

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Public Affairs Staff

Material contained on the Official Grissom Air Reserve Base Internet Web Site is written and produced by members of the 434th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office. The award-winning staff includes:

Ben Mota
Chief, public affairs

Maj. Elias Zani
Public affairs officer

Master Sgt. Wendy Day
Staff writer

Tech. Sgt. Alexa Culbert
Staff writer

Senior Airman Elise Faurote
Staff writer

Senior Airman Benjamin Cowles
Staff writer