Travis AFB Sustainability Study Report Final Sustainability Study Report | Page 50
Compatibility of future Enhanced Use Lease development on
Travis AFB. Close coordination will be required to ensure any future
Enhanced Use Lease development on Travis is compatible with
surrounding areas and is not competitive with planned community
development.
Flight tracks. When the Air Force changes its flight tracks, it affects
land planning and policy in the communities.
Future development south of Travis AFB. City of Suisun City has
received plans for development south of Travis AFB, including a
potential interchange.
Travis Reserve Area. The protective Travis Reserve land use
designation expires in 2020. After 2020, the designation can be
renewed, adjusted, or removed.
Light and Glare
This factor refers to man‐made lighting (street lights, airfield lighting,
building lights) and glare (direct or reflected light) that disrupts vision. Light
sources from commercial, industrial, recreational, and residential uses at
night can cause excessive glare and illumination, impacting the use of
military night vision devices and air operations. Conversely, high intensity
light sources generated from a military area (such as ramp lighting) may
have a negative impact on the adjacent community. The following Light and
Glare issue was identified:
Potential for glint and glare from solar arrays. There is a potential
that new solar energy development could cause glint and glare that
could impact pilots’ vision. The County has adopted an ordinance that
minimizes this potential in unincorporated areas by requiring detailed
study of glint glare impacts from potential projects. Further, the
County has adopted an ordinance that limits commercial solar energy
development on agricultural land.
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Solar array at North Bay Regional Water Treatment plant in Vacaville
Noise
Sound that reaches unwanted levels is referred to as noise. The central
issue with noise is the impact, or perceived impact, on people, animals (wild
and domestic), and general land use compatibility. Exposure to high noise
levels can have a significant impact on human activity, health, and safety.
The decibel (dB) scale is used to quantify sound intensity. To understand the
relevance of decibels, a normal conversation often occurs at 60 dB, while an
ambulance siren from 100 feet away is about 100 dB. Noise associated with
military operations (arrival / departure of military aircraft, firing of weapons,
etc.) may create noises in higher dB ranges. The following Noise issue was
identified:
Noise from aircraft operations. The aircraft operations that occur at
Travis AFB produce noise that can be heard outside the boundaries of
the Base, within surrounding communities.
Compatibility Assessment