New Approaches in Developing Regulations for Land Development near a Major Airport

Abstract

The construction of a a new major airport, the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, in a relatively undeveloped area is stimulating community development for many miles around the airport. Unless land use can be controlled, the familiar patterns of encroachment and airport-community conflicts will appear. Both technical and political problems abound in developing land use regulations which take into account the potential aircraft noise environment. Among other factors, the regulations, to be successful, must be voluntarily adopted by a number of cities which vary greatly in size, resources, and community interests. Major steps in developing a draft model code that encompasses land use controls and sets minimum noise level reduction requirements for some buildings are reviewed. The technical approach adopted for the code involves the definition of five noise zones around the airport, established in terms of projected noise exposure. Permitted activities and/or land uses are specified for each zone. For sensitive land uses, buildings must meet minimum noise level reduction requirements. These requirements can be met by either incorporating specific building design details and materials or by submitting plans which have been certified by an acoustician as meeting the noise level reduction requirements.