Findings
While the City of D’Iberville has a maximum height for structures, the
city does not acknowledge the slopes of the Keesler AFB airfield
Imaginary Surfaces.
There are no structures or towers that currently exceed the
Keesler AFB airfield Imaginary Surfaces.
There are zoning districts that have the potential to allow
incompatible land uses in the Keesler AFB airfield Imaginary Surfaces.
The City of D’Iberville Zoning Ordinance establishes height restrictions for
development within the city; however there is no acknowledgement of the
EMOS in the Zoning Ordinance.
Compatibility Assessment
Biloxi
The Biloxi Land Development Ordinance refers to the EMOS in Section D
AAO: Airport Airspace Overlay District. The section states that structures
may not exceed the height of the EMOS; however, there is no EMOS
definition or geographic boundary of the EMOS from Keesler AFB to assist
the city with evaluating the height of structures in development
applications. Because a map of the EMOS did not exist, the city developed a
Height Hazard Map to show the EMOS relative to Keesler AFB. Although the
map was created using the EMOS definition, there are some discrepancies in
the mapped information that affect its accuracy in implementation.
Existing Military Operations Surface (EMOS)
ISSUE
VO‐3
Though the City of Biloxi has incorporated the Existing
Military Operations Surface (EMOS) by reference along
with a corresponding height hazard map in the Land
Development Ordinance (LDO), the EMOS is not
graphically depicted per the Air Force description. The
City of D’Iberville does not acknowledge the EMOS.
The EMOS is a Keesler AFB requirement for height compatibility to
accomplish the strategic flying mission at Keesler AFB. The City of Biloxi has
incorporated the EMOS in the Land Development Ordinance (LDO) by
written reference and prepared a corresponding Height Hazard Map from
the definition provided by Keesler AFB in an effort to define and protect the
strategic air mission. Because the EMOS has not been geographically defined
by the Air Force, the city relied solely on the EMOS definition to develop the
Height Hazard Map. As a result, the map contains deviations. The exclusion
of the geographic boundary of the EMOS by Keesler AFB prevents the EMOS
from being accurately implemented by the city.
Background Report
D’Iberville
The D’Iberville Zoning Ordinance contains maximum height requirements for
buildings and structures. Though across the Back Bay from Keesler AFB, the
EMOS extends into D’Iberville. The area of the city most critical to the EMOS
is the Waterfront Zoning District along the north shore where structures are
permitted up to 110 feet. Section 5.3 of the Zoning Ordinance states that
buildings and structures located in safety zones and Imaginary Surfaces shall
not exceed 170 feet in height as established by the Department of Defense;
however there is no consideration of the EMOS. Because the EMOS
contains both sloped and plateaued surfaces and because the EMOS has not
been mapped, the city is unable to accurately assess whether development
is compliant / compatible with the EMOS.
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