What is the Compatible Use Study?

The Pine Bluff Arsenal Compatible Use Study (CUS) is a cooperative planning effort between Jefferson County, the City of White Hall, the City of Pine Bluff, Pine Bluff Arsenal, state and federal agencies, and other affected stakeholders that addresses compatible land use and communication around Pine Bluff Arsenal. The Pine Bluff Arsenal CUS is funded by a grant from the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) and contributions by the CUS sponsor, the City of White Hall. The CUS effort can directly benefit both the military and surrounding region by:

Protecting the health, safety, and welfare of surrounding residents and workers;
Preserving long-term land use compatibility between Pine Bluff Arsenal and the surrounding communities to support existing and potential future missions;
Sustaining economic vitality of the communities;
Enhancing communication and coordination between Pine Bluff Arsenal and community officials and residents; and
Providing tools to assist in land use decisions.

The goal of the Pine Bluff Arsenal CUS is to reduce potential land use conflicts between Pine Bluff Arsenal and surrounding communities while still accommodating new compatible growth and economic development.

The objectives of the CUS program are:

UNDERSTANDING

Bring together community and military representatives to discuss compatibility issues in an open forum that considers both community and military perspectives and needs.

Collaboration

Encourage cooperative land use and resource planning among the military and surrounding communities to ensure compatible community growth while reducing military operational impacts on lands within the CUS Study Area.

Action

Provide a set of mutually supported tools and procedures from which local jurisdictions, agencies, the military, and other stakeholders can implement appropriate recommendations that are developed during the CUS.

What Will the Pine Bluff Arsenal Compatible Use Study Address?

The Pine Bluff Arsenal CUS will provide stakeholders with:

An assessment of existing land uses, potential growth areas, and economic development opportunities around Pine Bluff Arsenal.
Information to assist surrounding communities in making informed decisions regarding compatibility.
Recommended strategies to promote compatible land use planning around Pine Bluff Arsenal and within the surrounding communities.

What is Compatibility?

Compatibility, in relationship to military readiness, is 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 CUS Policy Committee, Technical Working Group, and the public 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 CUS Study Area. A set of 26 compatibility factors will be considered in order to identify the specific issues that influence land use compatibility in the Pine Bluff Arsenal region. While all factors will be assessed initially, strategies for avoiding or mitigating incompatible land uses will only be developed for factors shown to be of concern in the Pine Bluff Arsenal Study Area.

Compatibility factors are used as tools in a comprehensive approach undertaken to promote land use compatibility within proximity to Pine Bluff Arsenal. The 26 compatibility factors that will be the basis for issues development in the Pine Bluff Arsenal CUS are:

Social Factors

Cultural Resources

Communication

Housing Availabilty

Public Services

Public Trespassing

Legislative Initiatives

Resource Factors

Biological Resources

Resilience

Frequency Spectrum Capacity

Land / Air Space Competition

Scarce Natural Resources

Water Quality / Quantity

Marine Environments

Air Quality

Development Factors

Anti-Terrorism / Force Protection

Dust / Smoke / Steam

Energy Development

Frequency Spectrum Impedence / Interference

Infrastructure Extensions

Land Use

Light and Glare

Noise

Roadway Capacity

Safety

Vertical Obtructions

Vibration

CUS Recommendations

The overall result of the CUS will be the development of a set of recommendations that stakeholders can use to address the compatibility issues and guide compatible development in the future. The recommendations themselves are not regulatory in nature or requirements, but instead provide options for stakeholders to implement to promote compatible development and communication into the future. Once the CUS is complete, it will be important for the stakeholders to move forward with appropriate recommendations. The CUS recommendations can generally be categorized into six key areas: communication, coordination, information, partnerships, policies, and regulations. The majority of issues can be addressed through non-regulatory items that promote enhanced communication, collaboration, and education, but some recommendations may involve revisions to communities’ comprehensive plans and traditional land use and development controls, such as zoning, subdivision regulations, building codes, and so forth.

This study was prepared under contract with the City of White Hall, Arkansas, with financial support from the Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment. The content reflects the views of the key CUS partners involved in the development of this study and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Economic Adjustment.