Airport Noise Zones

In order to address the potential for continued encroachment of residential development and other noise sensitive uses toward the airport, an Airport Hazard Overlay Zone encompassing lands surrounding the airport was developed in 1978, five (5) years prior to the opening of the airport. The limits of the zones were largely based on noise contours and flight corridors associated with the one-runway facility. In the 1986 Master Plan prepared for RSW, the need for a second runway was identified. Following the environmental approval of the new runway, the noise zones expanded to incorporate areas that will be affected by aircraft activity on the new runway and were incorporated into the Lee Plan and Land Development Code in 2000 and 2001 respectively.

 

At that time, the Lee County Commission required that an update to the overlay zone be re-evaluated and recommendations made by the 2005/2006 time frame. The new Airport Noise Zones are being updated through the Lee County Plan amendment process based on the year 2020 composite noise contours. These noise contours were approved by the FAA in our most recent Part 150 study and reflect forecast operations on both the existing and future planned parallel runway. Presently, the interim overlay noise zones and the allowable land uses are also based on the Year 2005 Part 150 composite 2020 noise contours adopted by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners. The Noise Overlay Zones promote land use compatibility with aircraft noise and reduce the impacts of noise exposure by limiting certain types of activity within each zone.

 

Interim Noise Overlay Zones

In August 2005, Ordinance No. 05-15 established two interim airport noise zones pertaining to land uses surrounding the airport. These interim noise zones will be superseded when the recommended noise zones from the Part 150 study are incorporated in the county regulations. The allowable land uses and proposed requirements for each of the noise zones are described in the exhibit below.

 

Proposed Noise Overlay Zones

The new noise overlay zones will be incorporated into the Lee Plan and the Land Development Code sometime in the year 2007. The 2020 Composite Noise Contours that project forecast operations on both parallel runways will be used for planning purposes to provide long-term land use compatibility between aircraft activity and future land use in the airport environs. The proposed noise overlay zones were first adopted by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners in August 2005 and approved by the FAA on May 30, 2006. To date, the application is currently between the Local Planning Agency hearing and the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) transmittal hearing to the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), now anticipated in mid-December, 2006.