Military
Goals and policies
A willingness to question the status quo and consider alternative approaches to the city’s future development not only encourages much needed change for the city to remain nationally relevant, but has the added benefit that multiple plan goals can be realized through the implementation of a single new approach. Six goals were developed to address the key issues identified and provide the framework for the policies and actions the City will take as a result of the SA Tomorrow process. The Military policies are not associated with specific goals, but are grouped by common themes.
Military Goals
- M Goal 1
Incompatible land uses in the vicinity of Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) locations are minimized in order to safeguard operational mission requirements.
- M Goal 2
City policies and investments position San Antonio to retain its military installations and attract expanded missions due to realignments and base closures in other areas.
- M Goal 3
Communication and coordination between San Antonio, adjacent jurisdictions, and the military engender a strong regional approach to compatibility issues.
- M Goal 4
San Antonio supports quality of life and wellness initiatives for, and the integration of, military service members, veterans and their families.
- M Goal 5
The City’s investments and partnerships leverage and maximize the economic impacts of the military on San Antonio.
- M Goal 6
San Antonio invests and coordinates with the military to minimize potential future impacts that could be created as a result of sequestration or base closure or realignment initiatives.
Military Policies
M P1: Discourage development in areas where the risks to potential health and safety cannot be mitigated to accepted guidelines. Consider overlay districts (independently or in cooperation with other jurisdictions) in the Military Influence Areas (MIA) to mitigate encroachment issues.
M P2: Develop strategies that apply land use and development tools to mitigate encroachment and compatibility issues that pre-date the JLUS.
M P3: Revisit and continue to monitor unimplemented recommendations of the JLUS and other applicable studies.
M P4: Continue to monitor and enforce Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between the City and JBSA regarding the compliance of master development, neighborhood, community and other functional and regional plans located five miles or less from the perimeter boundary of military installations for compatibility with the military.
M P5: Partner with JBSA locations to identify, prevent and reduce encroachment and sustainment challenges identified in the Installation Complex Encroachment Management Action Plan (ICEMAP).
M P6: Incentivize development potential in other priority development areas of the city to take pressure off of base-adjacent land.
M P7: Coordinate with JBSA to identify sub-districts within JBSA locations where different internal and adjacent development types may be appropriate and further other City land use and connectivity goals.
M P8: Coordinate with JBSA locations and City Police to facilitate infrastructure improvements and staffing that facilitate more flexible ingress/egress options.
M P9: Develop land use and development strategies to address potential base closures, consolidations and realignments. Assess appropriate land uses and potential reuse of structures and infrastructure should bases close or reduce in size in the future.
M P10: Encourage JBSA and the Department of Defense (DOD) to consider the long-term potential of military contraction or mission reduction/shift when planning and constructing facilities. Encourage the design of housing, educational, medical and other facilities to facilitate their continued use or adaption for other uses if no longer needed for military purposes in the future.
M P11: Develop a voluntary sound attenuation retrofit program.
M P12: Partner with JBSA locations to develop protocols for the safe movement of hazardous materials.
M P13: Continue to enforce the City’s Dark Skies Ordinance around Camp Bullis to address unnecessary light pollution, uplight, and glare from new construction or the revision/replacement of existing lighting.
M P14: Require the dedication of aviation easements when development is proposed on property within the safety zones as per JLUS recommendations.
M P15: Continue to monitor and enforce the Military Airport Overlay Zone (MAOZ) overlay zoning district limiting the density of development and intensity of uses in identified runway Clear Zones and Military Airport Overlay Zone.
M P16: Continue to enforce the requirement that all new development or substantial redevelopment located five miles or less from the perimeter boundary of military installations conform to Federal Aviation Regulations Part 77 height limits.
M P17: Support and implement the Southern Edwards Plateau Habitat Conservation Plan developed under a cooperative agreement with Bexar County to mitigate within the “Threatened and Endangered Species Military Influence Area (MIA)” identified in the Camp Bullis JLUS.
M P18: Honor Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) that foster on-going formal consultation with and among the JBSA and area cities and counties regarding issues of mutual concern.
M P19: Continue to provide opportunities for collaborative participation by the Military in all phases of the San Antonio comprehensive master planning, zoning and/or master development plan review process.
M P20: Provide notifications to JBSA for review and comment on City land use applications for properties located within five miles of a military installation.
M P21: Coordinate closely with those jurisdictions, agencies, and organizations that have jurisdiction within five miles of the perimeter boundary of a military installation to encourage their policies and regulations are consistent with the City’s Comprehensive Plan. Include representatives from Bexar, Comal, and Guadalupe Counties and regional municipalities when planning a regional JLUS with the military.
M P22: Cooperate to provide City and Bexar County staff with on-going training opportunities to maintain their awareness of the latest technology and regulations concerning military compatibility issues.
M P23: Create a military compatibility communication and education program for developers and realtors.
M P24: Continue to support State legislation requiring real estate disclosures for all real estate transactions within the Military Influence Areas.
M P25: Continue to support the efforts and policies of the Military Transformation Task Force (MTTF), a joint initiative of the City, Bexar County, and the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, to work with the military to promote mission readiness and to address impacts the military has on the community.
M P26: Coordinate with JBSA locations on Joint Use agreements that allow non-military users/uses of certain military facilities (transition areas, specific hours or floors of designated facilities).
M P27: Review City, County and State (TXDOT) projects on an annual basis to identify capital improvement plans (CIP) and master infrastructure plans that may impact or benefit the mission at each of San Antonio’s military installations. Consider the projected need for additional infrastructure and other municipal services by JBSA in the development of new infrastructure master plans.
M P28: Consider the needs of military installations when planning transportation and infrastructure projects by consulting regularly with the military to ensure military routes are depicted accurately in plan diagrams and maps.
M P29: Support and help coordinate educational and advanced training opportunities with overlap between the military, education and civilian sectors.
M P30: Coordinate with JBSA locations to leverage military expertise, resources and personnel to establish and support innovation clusters in San Antonio (including cyber, medical, advanced technical and engineering).
M P31: Develop programs to help coordinate and link local college curriculums with appropriate military missions as a strategy to help retain those missions long-term.
M P32: Support programs and organizations that work to retain workers with specialized skills and competencies leaving the military to in order to help incubate and support targeted industries such as biosciences and healthcare, information technology and cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing and aerospace.
M P33: Work to enhance the military’s use of local contractors and services and to increase the purchase of equipment and materials from San Antonio-based suppliers. The City should identify, attract and support businesses that serve the military and military contractors.
M P34: Coordinate with and support the Texas Military Preparedness Commission to preserve, protect, expand, and attract new military missions, assets and installations in San Antonio.
M P35: Explore the use of public-private partnerships to assist in potential land use and personnel transitions similar to work done to advance Port San Antonio and Brooks City Base.
M P36: Cooperate with and support efforts such as the Military and Veteran Community Collaborative (MVCC) and The Community Blueprint Network to address critical issues facing veterans, returning service men and women and military families including employment, education, housing and healthcare.
M P37: Work with local nonprofits to establish workforce transition programs so that highly skilled military workers can easily transition to public sector employment in health, bio-medicine, cyber security and IT industries, if and when needed.
M P38: Work with JBSA officials and area developers in identifying strategies to meet the housing needs of service members, veterans, and their families when updating the City’s Comprehensive Plan Housing Element and other housing studies and plans.
M P39: Cooperate with and encourage JBSA base development planning initiatives (such as the Installation Development Plan expected in 2016) that support City goals and policies for growth, urban form, housing, transportation and healthy communities.