Arlington Municipal Airport Development Plan Arlington Airport Development Plan | Page 48
located farther south. On the north side of the Airport, land between airport property and U.S. Inter‐
state 20 is currently vacant. Farther north, large areas of commercial development exist.
Under ideal conditions, the development immediately surrounding an airport would be controlled and
limited to compatible land uses. Compatible land uses would include light and heavy industrial devel‐
opment and some commercial development. Although the Airport is located near significant residen‐
tial developments, industrial, commercial, and vacant land uses serve to provide a buffer to most of
these residential areas.
Land use zoning is the most common land use control. The City of Arlington has in place a detailed
zoning plan for all areas adjacent to Arlington Municipal Airport. Most of the property immediately
adjacent to Airport property is zoned commercial and industrial, which is preferred. Exhibit 1M de‐
picts the City’s zoning map for areas in the vicinity of the Airport, which has been updated since the
previous Master Plan.
Unified Development Code Section 5.8.2: Airport Overlay (APO) District (amended July 10, 2014) estab‐
lishes an overlay zoning district to protect the Airport. The purpose and intent of this district is to
“regulate the development of noise‐sensitive
Unified Development Code Section 5.8.2:
land uses so as to promote compatibility be‐
Airport Overlay (APO) District (amended
tween the Airport and the surrounding land us‐
es; to prevent the encroachment of incompati‐
July 10, 2014) establishes an overlay zon‐
ble uses surrounding the Airport; and to pro‐
ing district to protect the Airport.
mote the public health, safety, and welfare of
property users.” The ordinance further details development standards and permitted land uses within
the Airport Overlay District and its designated zones.
The City of Arlington has also enacted height and hazard zoning guidelines surrounding the Airport
based upon Unified Development Code Section 5.8.2. The ordinance outlines height and obstruction
considerations based upon Title 14 CFR Part 77, Objects Affecting Navigable Airspace. The approach,
transitional, horizontal, and conical zones, in addition to the primary surfaces associated with Runway
16‐34, are defined in order to regulate the height of objects in the vicinity of the Airport and gives the
City of Arlington authority to limit natural and manmade objects from hindering the safety of opera‐
tions at the Airport.
SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS
For an airport planning study, socioeconomic characteristics are collected and examined to derive an
understanding of the dynamics of growth within the study area. Socioeconomic information related to
the approximate airport service area is an important consideration in the master planning process.
The historic trend in elements, such as population, employment, and income, provides insight into the
long term socioeconomic condition of the region. This information is essential in determining aviation
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