Home  Arizona/Nevada Area Council approves land swap resolution to help Luke AFB
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Council approves land swap resolution to help Luke AFB |
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Written by Hope Peters - Peoria Times
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Tuesday, 04 May 2004 |
The city council approved a resolution Tuesday night to support a federal land exchange that would establish a permanent buffer zone of protection and prevent further encroachment around Luke Air Force Base.
"This resolution is a pattern for resolutions to be passed by other cities," John Schell, intergovernmental affairs director for the city, said. He added the land swap would be "another tool in the toolbox" for preserving the base's mission.
Preservation of Luke is vital to national security and local economy, he noted. The Arizona Congressional Delegation has secured over $27.3 million, he said, to acquire land and development easements surrounding the base and those funds should be utilized for the highest priority acquisition and protective easements.
"I believe we are the first to getting (the resolution) drafted," Mayor John Keegan said. "We are very supportive to anything that can help support Luke."
The land swamp is a voluntary land exchange between the United States Bureau of Land Management and the private property owners of the vacant land and farmland within 65 Ldn noise contours (65 day/night decibels).
The mayor said what is positive about this swap, is it has the support of many if not all of the property owners around the base.
"We want to preserve and protect the rights of property owners," Keegan said. "But they're supportive of this idea."
"The landowners are willing to sell," Schell agreed. "But the land swap needs legislative approval. They asked us to pass the resolution to show the (the delegation) the (West Valley) cities support the land swap."
If the land is purchased and the swap is made, it takes private development away from the noise contours surrounding the base and the land around the base then goes into the government's hands to manage and control.
"And it won't do something to undermine the mission of the base," Schell said. "The landowners are very open to helping."
He said state, federal and local governments don't have "tens of millions of dollars" to buy land, but there is some private interest.
At least two groups, the Olympia Management Group and the Luke Preservation Trust (made-up of a number of home-builder companies) are looking at and working with property owners to consolidate private land and help with land trades within those noise contours around the base and its Auxiliary 1 Field.
The land exchange would focus only on those lands within the noise contours "that are not the focus of the current federal land acquisition program around Luke that are not of interest to the Army Corp of Engineers," he noted.
"This is constructive and positive on the part of the Army Corp of Engineers," Schell said. "This is a useful tool - a win-win situation."
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