A. General.
1. Three categories of land use restrictions are included in the Executive Airport Comprehensive Land Use Plan:
a. Height restrictions (protecting the navigable airspace around airports for aircraft safety);
b. Noise compatibility (minimizing the number of people exposed to noise from aircraft operations); and
c. Safety of persons on the ground (minimizing the number of people exposed to hazards related to aircraft operations and accidents).
2. Airport planning boundaries define areas where height, noise, or safety restrictions are imposed.
a. Height standards for defining obstructions to air navigation are established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and are defined in Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 77, Objects Affecting Navigable Airspace.
b. Noise restrictions are governed by California Administrative Code, title 21, subchapter 6.
c. Airport safety areas are determined by the airport land use commission. The total area encompassed by these three sets of boundaries is referred to as the "airport area of influence."
B. Height standards.
1. Height restrictions are necessary to ensure that objects will not impair flight safety or decrease the operational capability of the airport. Any object or structure that would penetrate any of the imaginary surfaces (defined below) is considered by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to be an obstruction to air navigation. Height guidelines for determining if an object is an obstruction to air navigation are set forth in Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 77.
2. Any proposed new construction or expansion of existing structures that would penetrate any of the imaginary surfaces, as adopted by the airport land use commission, is deemed to be an incompatible land use unless either the FAA has determined that the proposed structure does not constitute a hazard to air navigation or the CalTrans Aeronautics Program has issued a permit allowing construction of the proposed structure. Process and requirements of these agencies are identified in the Executive Airport Comprehensive Land Use Plan (as amended 1998).
C. Noise restrictions. The state of California has established noise standards in the California Code of Regulations, title 21, subchapter 6, which designate the community noise equivalency level (CNEL) as the noise rating method to be used at airports in California.
1. The state has deemed the following land uses incompatible within the noise contours adopted for the Sacramento Executive Airport of 65 dB CNEL: residential dwellings; public and private schools; hospitals and convalescent homes; churches, synagogues, temples, and other places of worship.
2. State Building Code, Part 2, Title 24, Section 3501, establishes a standard that limits noise to 45 dB CNEL, in any habitable room in affected dwellings. For residential dwellings, other than detached single-unit dwelling, in areas having an airport-caused CNEL greater than 60 dB, the code requires an acoustical study showing that the structure has been designed to meet the interior standard of 45 dB CNEL.
D. Safety areas. Airport safety areas are established to minimize the number of people exposed to aircraft crash hazards. This is accomplished by placing restrictions on land uses in various safety areas. Land use compatibility is determined by comparing proposed land uses against height, noise, and safety guidelines. Proposed land uses must be compatible with each. (Ord. 2013-0020 § 1; Ord. 2013-0007 § 1)