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Chowchilla City Zoning Code

CHAPTER 18

40 - AIRPORT OVERLAY ZONE

18.40.010 - Application.

A.

This chapter shall apply to all land within the Airport Overlay zone, as defined on the zoning map.

B.

The requirements of this chapter shall be considered in conjunction with the requirements of any base zone district. If a conflict exists between the requirements of the base zone district and this chapter, the requirements of this chapter shall apply.

(Ord. No. 491-18, § 2(Exh. A), 10-9-2018)

18.40.020 - Permitted uses.

A.

Uses shall be permitted or not permitted, conditionally permitted, administratively permitted, or temporarily permitted as prescribed in the land use table in Section 18.08.020 and Section 18.08.030 based on the base zone district in which the use is located.

B.

No use may create electrical interference with navigational signals for radio communication between the airport and aircraft, make it difficult for pilots to distinguish between airport lights and others, result in glare in the eyes of pilots using the airport, impair visibility in the vicinity of the airport, create bird strike hazards, or otherwise in any way endanger or interfere with the landing, takeoff or maneuvering of aircraft intending to use the airport.

C.

Uses shall be further restricted by this chapter and the policies and requirements of the Madera Countywide Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan, and applicable requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

(Ord. No. 491-18, § 2(Exh. A), 10-9-2018)

18.40.030 - Definitions.

For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases when used in this chapter are defined as follows:

"Airport" means the Chowchilla Municipal Airport.

"Airport elevation" means the highest point of the airport's usable landing area measured in feet from the sea level (two hundred forty-five feet).

"Approach surface" means the surface longitudinally centered on the extended runway center line, extending outward and upward from the end of the primary surface at a slope of twenty to one. In plan, the perimeter of the approach surface coincides with the perimeter of the approach zone.

"Conical surface" means a surface extending outward and upward from the periphery of the horizontal surface at a slope of twenty to one for a horizontal distance of four thousand feet.

"Hazard to air navigation" means a height obstruction determined to have a substantial adverse effect on the safe and efficient utilization of the navigable airspace.

"Height" means, for the purpose of determining the height limits in all zones set forth in this chapter and shown on the airport zoning map, the datum mean sea level elevation, unless otherwise specified.

"Horizontal surface" means a horizontal plane one hundred fifty feet above the established airport elevation, the perimeter of which in plan coincides with the perimeter of the horizontal zone.

"Madera Countywide Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan" means the document so named and dated September 2015, as adopted and amended by the city.

"Nonconforming use" means any preexisting structure, object of natural growth or use of land which is inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter or an amendment thereto.

"Nonprecision instrument runway" means a runway having an existing instrument approach procedure utilizing air navigation facilities with only horizontal guidance, or area type navigation equipment, for which a straight in nonprecision instrument approach procedure has been approved or planned.

"Obstruction" means any structure, growth or other object, including a mobile object, that exceeds a height limits set forth in Section 18.40.040.

"Primary surface" means a surface longitudinally centered on a runway. The primary surface extends two hundred feet beyond each end of that runway. The width of the primary surface is five hundred feet. The elevation of any point on the primary surface is the same as the elevation of the nearest point on the runway center line.

"Runway" means a defined area on the airport prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft along its length.

"Structure" means an object, including a mobile object, constructed or installed by man, including but without limitation, buildings, towers, cranes, smokestacks, earth formations, and overhead transmission lines.

"Transitional surface" means a surface which extends outward at a ninety-degree angle to the runway center line and the runway center line extended at a slope of seven feet horizontally for each foot vertically from the sides of the primary and approach surfaces to where they intersect the horizontal and conical surfaces.

"Tree" means any object of natural growth.

"Utility runway" means a runway that is constructed for, and intended to be used by, propeller driven aircraft of twelve thousand five hundred pounds maximum gross weight and less.

"Visual runway" means a runway intended solely for the operation of aircraft using visual approach procedures.

(Ord. No. 491-18, § 2(Exh. A), 10-9-2018)

18.40.040 - Airport height zones.

A.

There are hereby created and established airport zones that include all of the land lying beneath the approach surfaces, transitional surfaces, horizontal surfaces, and conical surfaces as they relate to the airport. Such zones are shown on the Chowchilla Airport "Airspace Plan" of the Madera Countywide Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan, which is on file in the community development department of the city.

B.

All structure heights within the Airport Overlay zone are subject to the policies and requirements of the Madera Countywide Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan. A use located in more than one of the following zones is considered to be only in the zone with the more restrictive height limitation.

C.

The airport height zones are defined as follows:

1.

Visual Approach Zone. The inner edge of this approach zone coincides with the width of the primary surface and is 500 feet wide. The approach zone expands outward uniformly to a width of one thousand two hundred fifty feet at a horizontal distance of five thousand feet from the primary surface. Its center line is the continuation of the center line of the runway.

2.

Nonprecision Instrument Approach Zone. The inner edge of this approach zone coincides with the width of the primary surface and is five hundred feet wide. The approach zone expands outward uniformly to a width of two thousand feet at horizontal distance five thousand feet from the primary surface.

3.

Transitional Zones. The transitional zones are the areas beneath the transitional surfaces. Transition zones extend outward from a line one hundred feet on either side of the centerline of the runway, for the length of such runway, plus two hundred feet on each end. The transition zones along such runway slope upward and outward one foot vertically for each seven feet horizontally to the point where they intersect the surface of the horizontal zone. Further, transition zones are established adjacent to approach zones for the entire length of the approach zones. These transition zones have variable widths, as shown on the zoning map. Such transition zones have variable widths, as shown on the zoning map. Such transition zones flare symmetrically with either side of the runway approach zones from the base of such zones, and slope upward and outward at the rate of one foot vertically for each seven feet horizontally to the points where they intersect the surfaces of the horizontal and conical zones.

4.

Horizontal Zone. The horizontal zone is established by swinging arcs of five thousand feet radii for runways designated as utility or visual from the center of each end of the primary surface of each runway and connecting the adjacent arcs by drawing lines tangent to those arcs. The horizontal zone does not include the approach and transitional zones.

5.

Conical Zone. The conical zone is established as the area that commences at the periphery of the horizontal zone and extends outward there from a horizontal distance of four thousand feet.

(Ord. No. 491-18, § 2(Exh. A), 10-9-2018)

18.40.050 - Airport height limitations.

A.

No structure shall be erected, altered, maintained or no object of natural growth shall be allowed to penetrate into any airport height zone created by this chapter.

B.

No nonconforming use, structure or object of natural growth shall be modified or permitted to grow such that the nonconformity is expanded or increased beyond that existing on the date of the adoption of this chapter.

(Ord. No. 491-18, § 2(Exh. A), 10-9-2018)

18.40.060 - Markings and lights.

Markings and lights, as determined necessary by the city engineer and the building official to achieve the purposes of this chapter and the Madera Countywide Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan, shall be installed, operated and maintained at the property owner's expense.

(Ord. No. 491-18, § 2(Exh. A), 10-9-2018)

18.40.070 - Nonconforming structures and trees.

A.

The regulations prescribed by this chapter shall not be construed to require the removal, lowering, or other change or alteration of any legally existing structure or tree below their existing height on the date of the adoption of this chapter, or otherwise interfere with the continuance of any use of said structure.

B.

Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A of this section, the owner of any existing structure or tree not conforming to the provisions of this chapter shall permit the installation, operation and maintenance thereon of such markers and lights, as shall be deemed necessary by the city engineer and building official to indicate to the operators of aircraft in the vicinity of the airport the presence of such airport obstruction. Such markers and lights shall be installed, operated, and maintained at the expense of the city.

(Ord. No. 491-18, § 2(Exh. A), 10-9-2018)