Commercial uses, such as restaurants, and hotel uses are generally located
along U.S. Highway 90 along the beach in APZ I.
Within the next 15 years, the City of Biloxi is projected to grow by
approximately 50 percent in population, generating a need for more housing
and amenities. Without regulations to discourage incompatible land uses in
safety zones, there is the potential for additional incompatible land uses to
be developed in the safety zones. This can increase the amount of residents
that are vulnerable to aircraft mishaps, which can increase risks for residents
and occupants in safety zones. In addition, intensified incompatible
development can compromise flight operations at Keesler AFB if a mishap
were to occur in the safety zones.
Findings
There are incompatible land uses in Keesler AFB safety zones.
The City of Biloxi does not have a formal method of limiting densities
and intensities in Keesler AFB safety zones.
Compatibility Assessment
Within the Land Development Ordinance, the City of Biloxi has an Airport
Airspace Overlay District. This overlay focuses on heights for development
and does not incorporate Air Force land use guidelines, which include
recommendations for development types, densities and intensities in safety
zones.
The Keesler AFB AICUZ Study is updated every two years to reflect updates
to operations on the installation. The AICUZ Study recommends that local
communities, including the City of Biloxi, modify existing zoning ordinances
to support compatible land uses in the AICUZ Study. The AICUZ Study
includes a compatible land use table from which the City of Biloxi can guide
development. Air Force land use compatibility guidelines within the safety
zones are shown in Table 5‐2. This table lists land uses that, if located within
Keesler AFB safety zones (CZ, APZ I, APZ II) could create safety concerns for
residents and the military.
Background Report
Page 5‐37