Santa Maria City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 12
24 AA AIRPORT APPROACH DISTRICT
Section 12-24.01 Regulations designated.
The sections of this chapter constitute the AA (airport approach) district combining regulations.
(Prior Code § 10-87; Ord. 84-1077 § 1 (Exhibit B) (B), eff. 11/1/84)
Section 12-24.02 Intent.
(a)
The AA airport approach zone combining regulations are established in order to minimize the hazard to safe landing and take-off of aircraft using the Santa Maria Public Airport by limiting the height of buildings, accessory structures and uses within the aerial approaches. The AA (airport approach) district shall be depicted on the zoning map by the letters "AA."
(b)
In any airport approach area subject to AA combining regulations, no structure shall be erected, moved, altered or reconstructed, nor shall any plant or tree be allowed to grow in such a manner that the height thereof, including all super-structures and appurtenances, will exceed the height limits imposed in this chapter. These height limits are necessary in order to reduce to a minimum the hazard to safe landing and take-off of aircraft using the airport.
(Prior Code § 10-87.1; Ord. 84-1077 § 1 (Exhibit B) (B), eff. 11/1/84; Ord. 90-1 § 2, eff. 3/8/90)
Section 12-24.03 Definitions.
For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms are defined as follows:
means the highest point on the usable landing surface and is given as 259 feet above mean sea level.
means a fixed point at the approximate center of the airport takeoff and landing area and is given as the established airport elevation of 258 feet above mean sea level.
means a surface longitudinally centered on the extended runway centerline and extending outward and upward from each end of the primary surface. The inner edge of the approach surface is the same width as the primary surface and it expands uniformly to a width of 1,500 feet for that end of a runway other than a utility runway with only visual approaches and 16,000 feet for precision instrument runways. The approach surface extends for a horizontal distance of 5,000 feet at a slope of 20 to one for all utility and visual runways and 10,000 feet at a slope of 34 to one for all nonprecision instrument runways other than utility and 10,000 feet at a slope of 50 to one with an additional 40,000 feet at a slope of 40 to one for all precision instrument runways.
means an area at ground level that begins at the end of each primary surface and extends with the width of each approach surface to terminate directly below each approach surface slope at the point or points where the slope reaches a height of 50 feet above the elevation of the runway end or 50 feet above the terrain at the outer extremity of the clear zone, whichever distance is shorter.
means the length of the associated primary surface plus an extension at each end providing for runway safety areas as provided in Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular 150/5300-6 series.
means the width of the associated existing or planned primary surface.
means a horizontal plane 150 feet above the established airport elevation, the perimeter of which is constructed by swinging arcs of specified radii from the center of each end of the primary surface of each runway of each airport and connecting the adjacent arcs by lines tangent to those arcs.
The radius of the arc specified for each end of a runway will have the same arithmetical value. That value will be the highest determined for either end of the runway. When a 5,000 foot arc is encompassed by tangents connecting two adjacent 10,000 foot arcs, the 5,000 foot arc shall be disregarded on the construction of the perimeter of the horizontal surface.
means an imaginary surface longitudinally centered on the runway and extending 200 feet beyond each end of the runway. The elevation of any point on the primary surface is the same as the elevation of the nearest point on the runway centerline. The width of the primary surface is 500 feet for visual runways having only visual approaches, 1,000 feet for a nonprecision instrument runway having a nonprecision instrument approach with visibility minimums as low as 3/4 of a statute mile, and for precision instrument runways.
means surfaces extending outward and upward at right angles to the runway centerline and the runway centerline extended at a slope of seven to one from the sides of the primary surface and from the sides of the approach surfaces.
(Prior Code § 10-87.2; Ord. 84-1077 § 1 (Exhibit B) (B), eff. 11/1/84)
Section 12-24.04 Height limitations.
No structure or object, including existing and proposed manmade objects and objects of natural growth, shall be erected, maintained or allowed to grow or exist in the airport approach district to a height in excess of the height limitation specified in this section for such area. Height limitations are heights above the airport elevation. The following height limitations are established:
(a)
Effective Width of Runway. No structure, tree or other obstruction is permitted within the effective width of runway, regardless of height, except approved instrument or visual landing systems.
(b)
Effective Length of Runway. No structure, tree or other obstruction is permitted within the effective length of runway, regardless of height, except approved instrument or visual landing systems.
(c)
Transition Area. The height to be determined within the boundaries of the transition area shall be at a ratio of seven to one commencing at the edge of the effective width of runway.
(d)
Horizontal Surface. No structure or obstruction shall be allowed in excess of 150 feet above established airport elevation.
(e)
Runway Approach Area. The elevation, above the end of the primary surface for the runway, of the highest point of any structure or object within such runway approach surface directly above the primary surface for such object or structure. The inclined plane described herein is related to the glide ratio of planes landing or taking off from the runway.
(Prior Code § 10-87.3; Ord. 84-1077 § 1(Exhibit B) (B), eff. 11/1/84)
Section 12-24.05 Electrical and lighting interference.
No use may be made of land within the airport approach district in such a manner as to create electrical interference with radio communications which may be established at the airport nor the use of lights within the zone, making it difficult for pilots to distinguish between airport lights and other lights, resulting in glare in the eyes of the pilots using the airport, impairing visibility in the vicinity of the airport, or otherwise endangering the landing, takeoff or maneuvering of aircraft.
(Prior Code § 10-87.4; Ord. 84-1077 § 1 (Exhibit B) (B), eff. 11/1/84)
Section 12-24.06 Development: Standards.
The following development standards are intended to meet the requirements as specified in the Santa Barbara County Airport Land Use Plan as prepared by the Santa Barbara County airport land use commission and adopted by the Santa Barbara County-Cities Area Planning Council. When development proposals located in the AA (airport approach district combining regulations) zoning district are considered for approval by the City, the following standards shall be applied whenever feasible:
(a)
When siting buildings, locate permanent structures and population as far away from the extended runway centerline as feasible.
(b)
Locate open areas, parking lots, etc., along the extended runway centerline.
(c)
Restrict uses with concentrations of persons greater than 25 persons per acre.
(d)
Restrict uses that require the storage of concentrations of hazardous and toxic materials. Any use that requires the storage of more than 10 gallons of hazardous or toxic material shall submit a safety plan to the Fire Department for approval prior to issuance of any permits.
(e)
Prohibit the use of any materials which would cause sunlight to be reflected toward an aircraft on initial climb or final approach.
(f)
Prohibit any use that would generate smoke or attract large concentrations of birds or which may otherwise affect safe air navigation within the area.
(g)
Prohibit any use which would direct steady or flashing lights at aircraft during initial climb or final approach, other than FAA-approved navigational signal or visual approach slope indicator (VASI).
(h)
Prohibit any use which would generate electrical interference that may be detrimental to operation of aircraft or airport instrumentation.
(Prior Code § 10-87.5, (1-8); Ord. 84-1077 § 1 (Exhibit B) (B), eff. 11/1/84)
Section 12-24.07 Development: Review.
Projects located in the AA (airport approach district combining regulations) zoning district shall be submitted to the airport land use commission for review and comment prior to Planning Commission action, or prior to issuance of any permits if the use is a permitted use not requiring Planning Commission action. Also, projects providing for construction of objects which will penetrate and imaginary surface extending outward and upward at a slope of 100 to one to a horizontal distance of 20,000 feet measured from the nearest point on the nearest runway shall submit the proposed project to the Federal Aviation Administration for airspace analysis, as provided in Federal Aviation Regulations Part 77.17. (See Figure 1[1] in Appendix)
(Prior Code § 10-87.5; Ord. 84-1077 § 1 (Exhibit B) (B), eff. 11/1/84)
[1]
Editor's Note: Figure 1 is included as an attachment to this Chapter.