Brown Field Municipal Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan

APPENDIX CAIRPORT LAND USE COMPATIBILITY CONCEPTSThese factors are central considerations in the noise level criteria for new residential developmentendorsed by the San Diego County ALUC and reflected in the policies of this Compatibility Plan. TheALUC considers the maximum normally acceptable noise exposure for new residential development nearairports in urban areas to be 65 dB CNEL, 60 dB CNEL near airports in suburban areas, and 55 dB CNELnear low-activity airports in rural areas. Based on the above EPA equation, these criteria are a minimumof 5 dB above the predicted ambient noise levels in the respective communities.Similar considerations apply in establishing maximum acceptable noise exposure for nonresidential landuses, particularly those that are noise sensitive. For schools, lodging, and other such uses, a higher noiseexposure may be tolerated in noisy urban communities than in quieter suburban and rural areas. For usesthat are not noise sensitive or that generate their own noise, the maximum acceptable noise exposurelevels tend to be the same regardless of ambient noise conditions. The criteria listed in Chapter 3 of thisCompatibility Plan are set with these various factors in mind.SAFETYCompared to noise, safety is, in many respects, a more difficult concern to address in airport land usecompatibility policies. A major reason for this difference is that safety policies address uncertain eventsthat occur only occasionally, whereas noise policies deal with known, more or less predictable, eventsthat do occur with every aircraft operation. Because aircraft accidents happen infrequently and the time,place, and consequences of an individual accident cannot be predicted, the concept of risk is central to theassessment of safety compatibility.Compatibility ObjectiveThe overall objective of safety compatibility criteria is to minimize the risks associated with potential offairportaircraft accidents and emergency landings beyond the runway environment. This objective hastwo components:• Safety on the Ground: The most fundamental safety compatibility component is to provide for thesafety of people and property on the ground in the event of an aircraft accident near an airport.• Safety of Aircraft Occupants: The other important component is to enhance the chances of survival ofthe occupants of an aircraft involved in an accident that takes place beyond the immediate runwayenvironment.MeasurementBecause aircraft accidents happen infrequently, measuring the risks associated with their occurrence isdifficult. It is necessary to look at accident-related information for many airports to assemble enough datato be statistically valid. It is beyond the intent of this document to provide statistical data about aircraftC–5Brown Field Municipal Airport Land Use Compatibility PlanJanuary 25, 2010