Redstone Arsenal Joint Land Use Study Overview

The Redstone Arsenal Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) is a cooperative planning effort conducted as a joint venture between Redstone Arsenal, surrounding jurisdictions, state and federal agencies, and other affected stakeholders to address compatibility around military installations. The Redstone Arsenal JLUS is funded primarily by a grant from the Department of Defense (DOD) Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) and is sponsored by the City of Huntsville as the project manager. Huntsville also contributed a portion of the funds to pay for the study. The JLUS effort can directly benefit both Redstone Arsenal and the surrounding region by:

• Protecting the health and safety of surrounding residents and workers;
• Preserving long-term land use compatibility between Redstone Arsenal and the surrounding communities;
• Promoting community planning that addresses compatibility issues;
• Enhancing cooperation between Redstone Arsenal and community officials; and
• Integrating surrounding local jurisdiction growth and development plans with the installation’s plans.

The goal of a JLUS is to reduce potential conflicts between military installations and surrounding areas while accommodating new growth and economic development, sustaining economic vitality, protecting public health and safety, and protecting the operational missions of Redstone Arsenal. JLUS programs have three core objectives:

UNDERSTANDING. Convening communities, agency representatives, and Redstone Arsenal to promote awareness and shared knowledge of the economic, physical and mutually beneficial relationship between Redstone Arsenal and its neighbors, taking into consideration community and military viewpoints and needs.

COLLABORATION. Encouraging cooperative land use and resource planning between Redstone Arsenal, local jurisdictions, and stakeholders to cultivate a consistent approach to community growth and development while safeguarding military operations and mission readiness in support of national defense objectives.

ACTIONS. Providing a set of recommended tools, activities, and procedures that local jurisdictions, agencies, and Redstone Arsenal can use to implement the recommendations developed during the JLUS process.

The Redstone Arsenal JLUS will provide stakeholders with:

• A land use assessment for surrounding potential growth areas;
• A baseline of existing incompatible land uses around the installation;
• An assessment of regional and local growth trends;
• A plan to assist surrounding communities in making informed decisions regarding compatibility; and
• Recommendations and strategies to promote compatible land use planning around Redstone Arsenal and within the surrounding communities

Compatibility, relative to military readiness, can be defined as the balance and / or compromise between community and military needs and interests. The goal of compatibility planning is to promote an environment where both entities can coexist successfully. Study area data on existing conditions obtained from the Policy Committee, Technical Review Group, stakeholder interviews, and public workshopd will be analyzed to identify current and future compatibility issues. This analysis will also identify the influence of regulatory measures on land use decisions and consider existing and projected development trends within the JLUS Study Area. A set of 25 compatibility factors will be considered to evaluate the range of issues that influence land use compatibility. While all compatibility factors will be initially assessed, some factors may not exist within the Redstone Arsenal JLUS Study Area.

Compatibility factors address the comprehensive approach undertaken to promote land use compatibility within proximity to Redstone Arsenal. The 25 factors are:

JLUS recommendations can be categorized into five key areas: communication, coordination, information, policy and regulatory and may involve revisions to the communities’ comprehensive plans and traditional land use and development controls, such as zoning, subdivision regulations, building codes, and so forth. Additional actions may include land exchanges, transfer of development rights, and real estate disclosures.