Land Acquisition Strategy

The land requirement for the OLF core area is estimated to be 2,000 acres. Within the core area would be the facilities and the land areas that must be maintained for flight safety. In order to promote compatible development and land uses and to protect the operational integrity of the OLF, the Navy would need to acquire land interests in a buffer area around the core area. The buffer would extend from the boundary of the core area to the approximated 60-decibel (dB) day-night average sound level (DNL) noise contour.

The Navy has divided the land acquisition area into the following three noise zones:

• Noise Zone 3 – This area includes the core and all other property within the greater than 75 dB DNL noise contours;
• Noise Zone 2 - This area includes all property within the 65 to 74 dB DNL noise contours; and
• Noise Zone 1 – This area includes all property within the 60 to 64 dB DNL noise contour.

The exact size and shape of these noise zones will vary by site. Click here to see a conceptual noise zone map.

To acquire the necessary property interests, the Navy would use a combination of direct fee-simple purchase (i.e. the Navy will obtain complete ownership of the land through cash purchases) and the purchase of restrictive-use easements when appropriate. The Navy’s land acquisition strategy for the noise zones is described below.

Noise Zone 3 (Core)

• All property will be purchased by the Navy in fee simple. In lieu of fee simple purchase, a lease or other long-term interest in real property, if feasible, would be considered.
• Relocation benefits will be provided for eligible parties.

Noise Zone 3 (75 DNL to Core)

• All residences within Noise Zone 3 will be purchased and residents will be required to relocate.
• Navy will consider purchase of non-residential property from willing sellers on an as-requested basis.
• Navy will acquire restrictive use easements on all property not purchased in fee-simple to prohibit incompatible use of the property.
• Relocation benefits will be provided for eligible parties.

Noise Zone 2 (65 to 74 DNL)

• Navy will consider the purchase of residential and non-residential property from willing sellers on an as-requested basis.
• Navy will acquire restrictive use easements on all property not purchased in fee-simple to prohibit incompatible use of the property.
• Existing residences will be allowed to remain.
• Relocation benefits will be provided for eligible parties.

Noise Zone 1 (60 to 64 DNL)

• Navy will consider purchasing residential property from willing sellers on an as-requested basis.
• Navy will acquire restrictive use easements on all property not purchased in fee-simple to prohibit incompatible use of the property.
• Existing residences will be allowed to remain.
• Relocation benefits will be provided to eligible parties.

Restrictive Use Easements

A restrictive use easement is the process the Navy will use to control future development around the OLF, while allowing private property owners to retain ownership of their lands. The Navy will purchase an easement from the property owners which will stipulate current activities/future developments that can/cannot be done on the property. These restrictive use easements will allow most current activities but will restrict future development that would be incompatible with the OLF.

In general, the restrictive use easements will restrict:

• The height of structures;
• The amount of light generated by current and future structures and facilities;
• Electromagnetic emissions from current and future structures and facilities; and
• Any current activity or future development that is considered incompatible with the operation of the OLF.

The goal of the restrictive use easements is to maintain the existing character of the area and to ensure that it remains rural and relatively undeveloped. For example, while existing residences would be allowed in Noise Zone 2, no new residential development would be allowed in that zone.

Compatible/Incompatible Uses

The purpose of the buffer area is to ensure that surrounding land uses remain compatible with airfield operations at the OLF in accordance with the U.S. Navy’s AICUZ instruction (OPNAVINST 11010.36C). The guidelines for land use compatibility with military airfields provided in the U.S. Navy’s AICUZ instruction should not be considered all-inclusive.

The following table shows what land uses are considered compatible and incompatible in the Navy’s land acquisition noise zones.