THE TULARE COUNTY AIRPORT LAND USE COMMISSION The Tulare County Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) assesses land use suitability around eight public use airports in Tulare County: ¨ Eckert Field ¨ Exeter Airport ¨ Mefford Field (Tulare Municipal Airport) ¨ Pixley Airport ¨ Porterville Municipal Airport ¨ Sequoia Field ¨ Visalia Municipal Airport ¨ Woodlake Airport The Tulare County Comprehensive Airport Land Use Plan (CALUP) guides the ALUC in determining appropriate conforming land uses with its detailed findings and policies. The principle concerns of airport land use planning fall into three categories: ¨ Height restrictions – or enhancing aircraft safety by protecting the navigable airspace around airports; ¨ Safety of persons on the ground – or reducing risks to the population from aircraft operations and accidents; and ¨ Noise compatibility – or minimizing the effects of aircraft noise on communities adjacent to airports. ¨ Overflight – or the balancing of land development within traffic patterns of public use airports. Thoughtful planning in these areas will result in land use policies and regulations which reduce the public’s exposure to safety hazards and aircraft noise; provide for safer operation of aircraft; and will help protect airports and the public resources they represent from the encroachment of incompatible land uses. Because of these concerns, airport planning boundaries define areas where safety, height or noise restrictions are imposed. Airport height restriction and safety areas are determined by the ALUC, Tulare County Board of Supervisors and incorporated cities. Noise restrictions are governed by California Code of Regulations, Title 21, Subchapter 6. The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR), Part 77, defines height safety zones, and the FAA makes determinations regarding potential hazards of a height obstruction. Because of the ALUC’s responsibilities regarding land use planning, any project must be submitted to the ALUC review, whether in a city’s or the County’s jurisdiction, if the project is located within the airport safety zones according to FAR, Part 77. Project Planners send out correspondence to ALUC Staff for applications/projects with Airport Influence Areas. For more information regarding Airport Land Use matters contact Jason LoBue, ALUC Staff @ (559) 624-7000. Documents/Updates 1. The Tulare County CALUP (Coming Soon) 2. CALUP UPDATE PROCESS (Coming Soon) Other Useful Aviation Links 1. CALTRANS DIVISION OF AERONAUTICS 2. AIRPORT LAND USE HANDBOOK 3. Visalia Municipal Airport 4. Mefford Field (Tulare Municipal Airport) 5. Federal Aviation Administration