Related articles:

D-M forum floats ideas for reducing flight noise

Other articles by Carol Ann Alaimo:

Noisy F-35 still without a home Tucsonan helping preserve Iraq's prized historic sites Britt, military working dog, earns last rites befitting hero Army hero's dog tag is found by group here Major international drill based at D-M to focus on rescue skills, coordination Another death in medical barracks D-M after charter middle school On Vets Day, new book debuts here, telling the stories of female warriors Local therapist taps into promising help for combat-linked stress Tucson airmen part of US push to create good will in Latin America

Education
Assessment Technology, Inc
Social Studies Content Writer General
CORT
WAREHOUSE/DRIVER Health Care
Rio Salado College
PA's/Online Instructors General
CORT
Warehouse Supervisor Construction
Komatsu Equipment Co
Mechanic

New ideas are on the horizon for making Davis-Monthan Air Force Base a nicer neighbor.

From higher aircraft altitudes to different flight routes to annual town hall meetings, a civic committee is considering an array of suggestions and will present the most promising of them to the public next week.

The work of the Military Community Compatibility Committee represents one of most extensive efforts ever made to iron out conflicts that have arisen as urban growth surrounded the air base, one the city's largest employers.

The group has spent months trying to find workable solutions that will protect D-M while making things easier on the residents most affected by current and future military operations.

The committee is now hashing out its draft proposals, which will be presented at a public forum Wednesday.

Final recommendations will follow after public feedback is compiled. The final report, expected in June, will include only "consensus recommendations" — proposals on which the entire committee agrees.

The final product will be sent to various levels of government and affected agencies, which then must decide which of the measures to adopt.

Some of the ideas being considered are:

● Redirecting some helicopter traffic to fly over railroad corridors and Interstate 10 rather than over the city center.

● Keeping aircraft as high as possible over the city during all phases of flight in order to reduce noise at ground level.

● Having more nighttime air traffic arrive and depart on D-M's southeasterly flight route, over the Rita Ranch area rather than the northwest, where many older homes have little soundproofing.

● A public health study that would investigate the potential impact of military operations on local residents.

● A clearer real estate disclosure system, so that home buyers are fully informed when they purchase properties affected by military aircraft noise.

● Annual town hall-type meetings at which the base commander would meet with the public to discuss concerns and present information.

● Upgrades to the Davis-Monthan Web site and to its hot line, which is now so overwhelmed with callers that some people who report noise problems do not get a response from the base.

Some of those ideas are still being debated and may not end up on the list of draft proposals at next week's meeting, said Tahnee Robertson, mediator for the group.

Even when the final report comes out, Robertson said, some of the changes could require substantial government funding in order to move ahead.

The Air Force also would need to coordinate any flight route changes with the Federal Aviation Administration to avoid conflict with Tucson International Airport operations.

Despite those possible snags, some residents who live in existing high-noise zones say they have high hopes for the committee's work.

"I think this process will actually have some results," said Kirk Critton, vice president of the San Gabriel Neighborhood Association. He lives about a mile northwest of the air base and has attended many committee meetings as an observer.

Anita Scales, who also lives northwest of the base, in the Broadmoor-Broadway Village neighborhood, said just the fact that base officials are at the table with homeowner groups and community leaders "is momentous."

"That's why I have to remain optimistic," said Scales, who also has been an observer at the meetings.

The committee's two dozen members represent an array of interests, including school boards, neighborhood groups, business leaders and city, county and state government. D-M has an advisory role.

The group was set up last year by the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, which has mediated dozens of environmental disputes around the country, such as the effort to reduce noise from tourist aircraft at Grand Canyon National Park.

The institute is part of the Tucson-based Morris K. Udall Foundation, a federally funded entity that deals with environmental and tribal issues.