Pennsylvania Airport Land Use Compatibility Guidelines

Research Project No. 93-30

Prepared by

The Airport Technology and Planning Group, Inc. (AirTech)

Sponsored by

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Bureau of Aviation

March 1996

The preparation of this document was financed in part through an Airport Improvement Program grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (Project Number 3-42-0000-S894-94-1) as provided under Section 505 of the Airport and Airway Improvement Act of 1982, as amended. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policy of the FAA. Acceptance of this report by the FAA does not in any way constitute a commitment on the part of the United States to par- ticipate in any development depicted therein nor does it indicate that the proposed development is environmentally accept- able in accordance with appropriate public laws. Pennsylvania Airport Land Use Compatibility Guidelines

Contents

Introduction...... 1 What is the Focus of this Document?...... 1 Why is Compatible Land Use Planning around Pennsylvania's Airports Important?...... 2 Why is the Airport Sponsor Committed to Compatible Land Use Planning?...... 3 Why is Land Use Incompatibility a Problem for Many Airports?...... 4 What Type of Development is Compatible with an Airport and It's Operation?...... 4 What Areas Should I Protect Around my Airport?...... 6 What Areas Does The FAA Recommend an Airport Should Protect?...... 7 Why is it Important to Monitor Development if the Airport Environs?...... 12 What does the Bureau of Aviation Recommend for Compatible Land Use in the Airport Environs?...... 15 How can the Land Use compatibility Guidelines be Implemented?...... 18 What happens if Land use Incompatibilities Already Exist?...... 24 Who Should be Involved in Developing Land Use Compatibility Guidelines for an Airport?...... 25 When Should Existing Height or Land Use Controls in the Airport Environs be Updated?...... 27 What are the Next Steps for the Airport?...... 27 How Does the Municipality Begin to Implement these Guidelines?...... 28

Appendix A - Airports and Municipalities Affected by FAR Par 77 Surfaces...... 31 List of Tables

Table

1 FAA Aircraft Classification...... 11 2 Runway Safety Area and runway Object Free Area Requirements...... 14 3 Number of Accidents by Phase of Aircraft Operation in 1990...... 14 4 Cause of Factors Associated with Aircraft Accidents in 1990...... 15 5 Basic Types of Aviation and Hazard Easements...... 23

List of Exhibits

Exhibit

1 Example of Development Encroachment...... 5 2 Common Sounds and their Noise Levels...... 7 3 FAR Part 77 Surfaces and Dimension Requirements...... 9 4 Part 77 Surfaces...... 10 5 RPZ Schematic...... 13 6 Approximate Distance Airplanes Undershoot & Overrun the Runway End...... 16 7 Typical Airport Traffic Pattern...... 17 8 Example Land Use guidelines...... 19 9 Compatible Land Uses per FAR Part 77 Surfaces and FAA Safety Zones...... 21 10 Area Controlled Under Avigation Easement...... 24 11 Planning for Compatible Land Use Around Airports...... 29 Airport Land Use Compatibility Guidelines March 1996

INTRODUCTION by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), it should be noted that these Land Use Compatibility guidelines are not Pennsylvania's air transportation system is vital to the FAA mandated; they are specific to the Commonwealth of Commonwealth's ability to maintain an effective network of Pennsylvania. Appendix A to this document provides a refer- interstate commerce. The airports themselves are also major ence for determining which municipalities are responsible for centers of employment within the Commonwealth. Jobs compatible land use actions within the environs of each associated with on-airport aviation-related tenants and with Pennsylvania airport. By taking steps to adopt the Guidelines visitors who arrive in Pennsylvania via bot