Buchanan Field and Byron Airports  -  buchananfield-byronairports.org

Questions About The Airport Land Use Commission Answered

Director's Corner
     In the late 1960's California Legislature  enacted the portion of the state aeronautics law that provided for the creation of Airport Land Use Commissions (ALUC).  There have been many amendments to the original law during the past 35 years.  However, the legislation's purpose has remained mostly unchanged and currently states that: 
· "It is in the public interest to provide for the orderly development of each public use airport in this state and the area surrounding these airports so as to promote the overall goals and objectives of the California airport noise standards adopted pursuant to Section 21669 and to prevent the creation of new noise and safety problems."
· "It is the purpose of this article to protect public health, safety, and welfare by ensuring the orderly expansion of airports and the adoption of land use measures that minimize the public's exposure to excessive noise and safety hazards within areas around public airports to the extent that these areas are not already devoted to incompatible uses."
     Airport staff is frequently asked what the ALUC does and what the make up of its membership is.  In 1970 Contra Costa County established the Airport Land Use Commission.  The County's ALUC consists of seven members:
· Two members appointed by the Board of Supervisors (Hal Yeager and Kathy Leighton);
· Two members appointed by a committee comprised of mayors of the cities in the county (Pleasant Hill City Council Member David Durant and Brentwood Mayor Brian Swisher);
· Two members appointed by the Director of Airports (Dick Rihn and Arnold Pe

terson); and
· One member, representing the general public, appointed by the balance of the ALUC members (Philip Day).
     In the most general of terms, the County's Airport Land Use Commission (1) develops land use plans for property around each airport, (2) reviews and comments on the land use plans prepared by the local jurisdictions surrounding the County's airports (i.e. Contra Costa County, City of Concord, City of Martinez, and City of Pleasant Hill), and (3) reviews and comments on proposed Airport Master Plans and their possible effects upon surrounding land uses. 
     In summary, the purpose of the ALUC is to establish land use plans which ensure that future developments around Buchanan Field and Byron Airports are compatible with the airports' future development plans within the airport boundaries. 

ALUC meetings are typically held in the Board of Supervisors Chambers at 651 Pine Street, Martinez on the 2^nd Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm.