What will happen if Tucson has to decide whether to keep growing or keep its military base? Local political leaders are trying to find ways to keep both. A new study of growth and development zones around the base is providing some guidance.

The federal government wants to close nearly a quarter of its military installations in 2005. Gov. Janet Napolitano intends to save Arizona 's bases, which contribute $5.7 billion to the state economy, but encroaching development is one key reason for closing a base. As more buildings are added closer to flight zones, public safety risks increase and the number of military operations at the base decreases.

"It's going to be a balancing act that will require concessions and understandings on both sides to ensure Davis Monthan will be there in the future," said Col. Mike Spencer at a public information meeting on July 9.

Political leaders are planning for ways to keep Tucson 's economy growing strong by keeping its base and better defining areas that are compatible with new developments and the base's military mission.

"We want to keep the economy moving and be a good steward to an important federal resource," said Deb Sydenham, director of the community planning office at the Arizona Department of Commerce.

Political leaders and consultants will use available mapping data on the base to determine which areas around the base are most impacted by its activities--from flight paths to noise levels. Consultants will then develop alternative zoning patterns for residences and businesses and suggest ways to implement a more harmonious zoning code between the base and the community, said Sarah More, a planning administrator for the Tucson comprehensive planning task force.

The initial recommendations will be ready for public review and input in September, but the public already is forming concerns.

Areas that encroach upon the base's operations include the University of Arizona Science and Technology Park , Keen Elementary School , a church, the Pima County fairgrounds, Mesquite Ranch, Tucson International Airport 's planned new runway, parts of Rita Ranch, and other developments.

"Territory in the vicinity of a military airport" is the subject of the Davis Monthan Air Force Base/Tucson Joint Land Use Study. The study will use existing encroachment prevention plans to identify acceptable land uses around the base. The planners are two and a half months into an eight-month process, and implementation plans will be ready in December.

But for the developments already inside the planning boundary, the idea of naming acceptable land uses now is a little late.

The University of Arizona Science and Technology Park continues to grow alongside the base in high-noise zones and could be in the flight corridor if plans to expand the corridor are accepted by the state and the base.

Bruce Wright, chief operating officer of the park, said he strongly supports efforts to protect the base from closure and is confident that land-use issues will be resolved. But he's not making any moves to continue plans for a hotel and conference center at the park until the land-use plan is completed.

The plan will define flight paths and permitted land uses in the flight corridors.

The tech park administrators significantly revised land-use plans in 1996 to minimize encroachment on the base. They planned more open space and less dense development, imposed building height restrictions, pushed dense development to the south end of the park to move away from the base, agreed not to develop any childcare facilities in the flight corridor, and must find a new long-term facility for Vail High School , which is located on the park campus. Most recently, the city asked the tech park to change the location for the proposed conference center, which would be built at the southeastern edge of the park to keep it as far away from the base as possible.

Wright said he has asked that an exception be made to allow his park to grow as planned even though it is in noise and flight zones. He will represent the University of Arizona on the policy advisory committee in the planning process.

Safety risks seemingly haven't been a concern of people in neighborhoods next to the base.

More than 400 students at Keen Elementary School , 3538 E. Ellington Place , are in a potential plane accident zone. While no plans have been made yet to close the school, the neighborhood seems to think that's coming soon.

A group of concerned parents already is fighting to keep the elementary school open. Gilberto Valdez, an AOL consultant whose children went to the school and whose parents still live in the neighborhood, said parents feel "in the dark" about what will happen to their neighborhood. He added that he doesn't think the neighborhood is at risk for plane crashes and noted it is more likely to suffer from traffic accidents.

Only the school board governing Tucson Unified School District could make the decision to close the school, and the issue has not been brought to the board.

If the city puts a stop to development, land owners could be out of luck. And land owners in the area are increasingly concerned about their property values.

Greg Boccardo, a local real estate salesman, said he lost half of his land value when the state changed the rules about how close businesses and homes can be to military airports. His family's 155 acres of vacant land at the corner of Valencia and Pantano are zoned for heavy industrial uses.

"The city has grown close to our industrial area. I mean, Rita Ranch is right here," he said, circling an area on a map.

Boccardo was getting purchase offers of $18,000 to $20,000 an acre in 1999 from home builders and even a high school to buy and develop parts of the land. He recently put 20 acres in escrow for $18,000 an acre for land inside the flight zone and $38,000 an acre for land outside the line. But the city appraised his land at only $9,200 an acre.

Now all he can build on his land is a warehouse or a manufacturing plant with less than 25 people working there. He said the city will reject other development plans as being incompatible with the base's military mission.

He may be able to build on six to 12 acres outside the flight zone, but he said none of the government agencies have been able to tell him where the flight line is so he knows exactly how much of his property is inside the flight zone. The difference between six and 12 acres is a $120,000 difference.

He said the city should either buy the land around the base, just like Phoenix bought the land around Luke Air Force Base, to be sure no one can develop it. Boccardo's idea is for the city to use bond money to buy the land from owners, and then rent the land to the base to pay back the bonds.

Boccardo estimates his land is worth $2.8 million, based on the offer for $18,000 an acre. The city estimates his land is worth $1.3 million, he said. "So as far as I'm concerned, the city is trying to rip me off for $1.5 million."

Boccardo says he's not blaming the base for his troubles; in fact, he depends on business from base employees at his other business, Jack's Original Barbeque, 5250 E. 22nd St.
Davis Monthan employs 8,000 people and contributes more than $1 billion to the local economy, according to a 2001 Air Force study.

As the city grows, it will be important to evaluate the effects of it growth on the base, said private planning consultant Bob Ernst, who is leading the data research for the land use plan. The northwest air paths for planes leaving DM already are blocked by development that poses safety risks if pilots fly over. And Tucson is quickly moving in on the base's southeast air paths.

Mayor Robert Walkup said southeast is the only direction in which Tucson can safely grow. "Nothing is not the answer" to the development conflicts, he said. When the recommendations are complete, consultants will have defined what types of structures can safely be built and maintained in areas surrounding the base.

More maps and information about the planning process is available online at www.azcommerce.com/communityplanning/compatibility.


Becky Pallack may be reached at (520) 294-1200, ext. 123, or by e-mail at bpallack@azbiz.com.