JLUS OVERVIEW

What Is a Joint Land Use Study?

A Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) is a cooperative land use planning effort conducted as a joint venture between an active military installation, surrounding cities and counties, state and federal agencies, and other affected stakeholders. The Dobbins Air Reserve Base (ARB) JLUS is an 8-month study funded through a grant from the Department of Defense (DOD) Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) and contributions by the local sponsors - Cobb County and the cities of Marietta and Smyrna.

What Are the JLUS Objectives?

The primary objective of a JLUS is to reduce potential conflicts between a military installation and surrounding areas while accommodating new growth and economic development, sustaining economic vitality, and protecting the general public's health and safety, without compromising the operational missions of the installation. JLUS programs have three core objectives:

UNDERSTANDING. Increase communication between the military, local jurisdictions, and stakeholders to promote an understanding of the strong economic and physical relationship between the installation and its neighbors.

COLLABORATION. Encourage cooperative land use and resource planning between Dobbins ARB and area stakeholders so that future development is compatible with the training and operational missions at the installation, while at the same time seeking ways to reduce operational impacts on adjacent public and private lands.

ACTIONS. Develop and implement strategies and tools designed to address the compatibility issues identified during the JLUS process.

How Will the JLUS Be Developed?

The project will include Eight Tasks that are built upon each other:

Task 1: Overall Project Initiation and Administration
Task 2: Community Organization
Task 3: Stakeholder and Public Involvement
Task 4: Data Collection / Inventory and Mapping
Task 5: Survey / Interview Key Stakeholders
Task 6: Conflict / Compatibility Analysis
Task 7: Conflict Resolution Strategies
Task 8: Prepare Study Report

What Will the JLUS Address?

The JLUS will provide all stakeholders with:

• A detailed land use assessment for surrounding areas.
• A baseline of existing incompatible land uses around the installation.
• An assessment of regional growth trends along designated transportation corridors.
• Resources that will assist surrounding communities with the information needed to support future decision-making.
• Recommendations and strategies to promote compatible land use planning in surrounding communities.

What Is Compatibility?

Compatibility, in relationship 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 through field work and from the Policy Committee, Advisory Group, and public workshops 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 study area. A set of compatibility factors will be considered to evaluate the range of issues that influence land use compatibility. While all factors will be initially assessed, it is acknowledged that several of them may not exist within the JLUS area, yet all are identified below.

What Are the Compatibility Factors?

These compatibility factors address the comprehensive approach undertaken to promote land use compatibility within proximity to Dobbins Air Reserve Base.

What Are JLUS Recommendations?

JLUS recommendations 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 disclosure.

Have Past JLUS's Been Successful?

Previous JLUS's have demonstrated a high success rate. The JLUS effort can directly benefit both the jurisdiction and the installation by:

• Protecting the health and safety of residents living or working near military installations.
• Preserving long-term land use compatibility between the installation and the surrounding community.
• Promoting comprehensive community planning.
• Encouraging a cooperative spirit between the local base command and local community officials.
• Integrating the local jurisdictions' comprehensive plans with the installation's plans.