The City of Montgomery’s Zoning Ordinance includes an Airport Hazard Area
(AHA) establishing height restrictions of certain land uses within two miles of
Montgomery Regional Airport and Maxwell AFB. While this two mile area
around these airfields addresses a primary area of concern, it does not
capture all the areas of concern regarding potential airspace obstruction
around the airfields. The AHA does not address other compatibility factors
such as lighting near airfields, land uses that create bird / wildlife aircraft
strike hazards (BASH) incidents, and land uses that attract large numbers of
people.
The AHA establishes additional regulations for certain zoning districts. While
the AHA requires 35 feet as the maximum height for all land uses located in
the two mile area, the M‐3 or General Industrial Zoning District is permitted
in this area to exceed 35 feet with a maximum allowable height of 45 feet.
The AHA also requires that trees be maintained to a maximum height of
35 feet.
While the AHA is a useful tool to establish some regulations for
development, there is no requirement for the City to coordinate with or
allow review by Maxwell AFB for proposed development in the two‐mile
area.
Findings
The imaginary surfaces of Maxwell AFB are not included in the City’s
Zoning Ordinance.
The City of Montgomery’s Zoning Ordinance and Smart Code do not
reflect military compatibility guidelines by including the
recommended land use guidance.
The AHA does not comprehensively reflect military compatibility
around airports.
There are no requirements for coordination between the military and
City in development review applications.
ISSUE
LU‐2
Undeveloped Land Concern
There is a general concern about the undeveloped land in the
vicinity of Maxwell AFB. If developed without military
review, the land could potentially create incompatible land
uses with the military mission.
The undeveloped land in the vicinity of Maxwell AFB combined with the
relatively minimal military compatibility policies and land use regulations
that provide limited control of the land in the area near the airfield create an
overall general concern for the Air Force. Figure 5.14‐2 illustrates all the
undeveloped land within the imaginary surfaces of Maxwell AFB. However,
some of these parcels contain natural bodies of water and are near
flood‐prone areas, which makes them unlikely candidates for future
development. The figure also layers the 100‐year floodplain over the
undeveloped land, which for all purposes of this JLUS, the parcels located
within this 100‐year floodplain are excluded from this assessment as it is
unlikely potential future development would occur in these areas.
Page 5‐58
Background Report
June 2017