Suggested Land Use Compatibility 1
Land Use
SLUCM No.
Land Use Name
Clear Zone
APZ I
APZ II
Density
20. Amusement centers, family entertainment centers or amusement parks designed or operated at a scale that could attract or result in concentrations of people, including
employees and visitors, greater than 50 people per acre at any given time are incompatible in APZ II.
Source: Air Force Instruction AFI 32‐7063, Rev. December 2015.
The existing City of Montgomery Zoning Ordinance does not incorporate this
table or any regulations that require coordination and communication with
the military regarding land use planning and proposed developments,
especially for this area.
While the City’s Zoning Ordinance does not reflect the recommended land
use guidelines originally provided in the 2009 Maxwell AFB AICUZ Update,
the ordinance in its Airport Hazard Area (AHA) does incorporate the
imaginary surfaces and regulates the height of certain structures within a
two‐mile area around Maxwell AFB and Dannelly Field‐Montgomery Regional
Airport. However, this addresses height concerns and possible issues
associated with vertical obstructions. For further discussion of detail
regarding the AHA and addressing vertical obstructions, see Section 5.23,
Vertical Obstructions.
In addition, the FH – Flood Hazard zoning district is designated as
incompatible in this area due to the city’s ordinance permitting single family
dwellings associated with agriculture‐type uses and public uses in this zoning
district. While unlikely that the city would permit a single family dwelling in
the FH district, it is important to note that this land use is permitted in this
zoning district which is located in the northern CZ of Maxwell AFB’s main
runway. In the same vein, there are numerous acres (58.54 acres) zoned for
single‐family residential that are located in the northern CZ. This is a clear
incompatibility as recommended by the latest AF AICUZ guidelines. This can
create unnecessary safety risks to the general public and to pilots.
Page 5‐100
Regarding the utilities, communications, and transportation land uses that
are located in the southern CZ, the concern for Maxwell AFB is the utility
poles and their respective heights and the impact sustained to surrounding
areas and the aircraft and pilot if an aircraft mishap should occur in this area.
There are some utility poles that are not to be removed or modified as
underground utility. Thus, there is Air Force (AF) guidance that assists the
community and the military in these scenarios.
In cases where there are structures that cannot be removed, guidelines for
acceptable structural materials are provided in the AF Engineering Technical
Letter (ETL) 01‐20: Guidelines for Airfield Frangibility Zones. These guidelines
define the areas around the airfield that are subject to recommended
frangible object design and use. Frangible structures are designed to break
away from their bases or foundations upon impact. This design feature helps
minimize the impact on aircraft in the event of accidents and emergency
landings by allowing the aircraft to continue on its path of descent without
creating resistance that could alter the path of the aircraft.
The Air Force frangibility zone consists of an area that extends 250 feet from
either side of the runway centerline out for 3,000 feet, covering the entire
length of the CZ, as depicted on Figure 5.21‐3.
Background Report
June 2017