Maxwell AFB is home to the 42nd Air Base Wing and Air University, along with over 40 additional tenants. The 42nd Air Base Wing also operates Gunter Annex, a separate installation and home to the Business and Enterprise Systems Directorate. Maxwell AFB is located in south central Alabama, in northwestern Montgomery County, within the city limits of Montgomery. Gunter Annex is located in the same region, but in northeastern Montgomery County, within the city limits. Both are approximately 82 miles south of Alabama’s largest city of Birmingham, and 162 miles southwest of Atlanta, Georgia. The base has a rich history that dates back to 1910, when the Wright Brothers’ established the first US civilian flying school. Currently, Maxwell AFB is home to more than 12,500 personnel and Gunter Annex is home to more than 2,200 personnel.

Both of the installations are located in primarily suburban areas in the City of Montgomery, surrounded by a mixture of rural farmland and forests along with some residential and commercial development.  Maxwell AFB is situated west of Interstate 65 and east of US Highway 31. Gun Island Chute runs along the northern border of the installation. Gunter Annex is located south of State Route 9. The Montgomery - Maxwell AFB JLUS Study Area was designed to encompass all operational areas of the installations, as well as all lands in the vicinity that may impact current or future military operations or be impacted by operations of the base; including areas associated with aircraft training missions and noise contours.  The proposed Study Area for the Montgomery - Maxwell AFB JLUS is comprised of Maxwell AFB proper and all lands extending approximately 10 miles to the north, south, east, and west of the installation, which includes Gunter Annex. This is the initial area of investigation for the collection of data and information, though the final Study Area may be refined based on information collected and input obtained from the public and various stakeholders. 

WHO WILL GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE JLUS?

Two committees, comprised of city, county, military, and other stakeholders will guide the development of the Maxwell AFB JLUS. These committees are:

Policy Committee (PC). The PC is comprised of elected officials representing jurisdictions in the Study Area, federal and state agency officials, and military leadership. The PC is responsible for leading the direction of the JLUS and monitoring the implementation and adoption of policies and strategies.

Throughout the JLUS process, the PC will work with the appointed JLUS staff members representing the multiple local organizations including City of Montgomery as well as Maxwell AFB, Montgomery County, and other interested parties.

Technical Committee (TC). The Technical Committee (TC) membership is based on recommendations from the PC, input from stakeholders, and area of expertise of the committee member. The TC will be made up of representatives from local, regional, and state and federal agencies and the development community who possess the technical knowledge needed to guide and assist Matrix Design Group, Inc. in the development of the JLUS. Members may include representatives of state resource and environmental departments, congressional representatives, military, developers/builders, land owners, practitioners of economic development, etc.

The TC identifies and addresses technical issues, provides feedback on report development, and assists in the development and evaluation of implementation strategies and tools. These stakeholders will also be engaged with the PC, in an advisory role, and may attend PC meetings.  

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 Montgomery - Maxwell AFB JLUS is an 11-month study funded through a grant from the Department of Defense (DOD) Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC).

 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 neighbours. 

COLLABORATION. Promote collaborative planning between the military, local jurisdictions, and stakeholders in order to safeguard the mission of the installation from future incompatible development. 

ACTIONS. Develop and implement strategies for reducing the impacts of incompatible activities on the community and military operations. Design tools to support long-range compatibility.

The Montgomery - Maxwell AFB JLUS will provide all stakeholders with: 

• A land use assessment for surrounding high potential areas.

• A baseline of existing incompatible land uses around the installation.

• An assessment of local and regional growth trends.

• A plan to assist surrounding communities with decision-making.

• Recommendations and strategies to promote compatible land use planning around Maxwell AFB and surrounding communities.

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 from the Policy Committee (PC) and Technical Committee (TC) meetings and public meetings will be analysed 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 factors may not exist within the Montgomery - Maxwell AFB JLUS area.

Compatibility factors address the comprehensive approach undertaken to promote land use compatibility within proximity to Maxwell AFB, they are: 

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.

Previous JLUS’s have shown 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.