Guest opinion: Spokane Tribe’s project only a plus

Recently there has been an influx of opinion articles and letters to the editor about “encroachment” on Fairchild Air Force Base as it applies to the proposed Spokane Tribe Economic Project (STEP) adjacent to the western boundary of Airway Heights, where I serve as mayor.

Sadly, these references to encroachment are based on misinformation.

Please allow me to clarify some of the pertinent information that the Airway Heights City Council used in the decision-making process that led to it fully supporting the Spokane Tribe project.

The comments that follow are mine as an individual and do not necessarily reflect individual opinions of the members of the City Council. They may speak for themselves.

Today, Fairchild is one of the most requested assignments of any Air Force base in the continental United States in large part due to its location on the West Plains, our mild and pleasant climate and the natural beauty of Eastern Washington. These are among the reasons for locating Fairchild here in 1942.

In Airway Heights, we realize that we must provide local essential services to those at Fairchild – the service men and women, as well as the many civilian employees. To do this we must continue to encourage the economic development and growth of our city, while at the same time preventing any encroachment to Fairchild that might endanger its future.

Therefore, in 1995 and again in 2006, the city adopted the Air Installation Compatible Use Zone (AICUZ) standards, which determine land use that is compatible with the ongoing and future missions of Fairchild. The city of Airway Heights is the only jurisdiction to adopt the AICUZ standards to ensure the base is protected from encroachment.

In 2010, the Fairchild Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) was presented to area leaders in the Spokane region. This study is quite extensive and incorporates nearly all of the language of the AICUZ standards for FAFB. The city of Airway Heights took immediate action and adopted the JLUS in concept, and a regional committee is working on final details.

According to AICUZ standards, there is only one ongoing encroachment to the base. It involves approximately 150 mobile homes in parks located in the Accident Potential Zone under the approach to the Fairchild runway. Accident Potential Zones are located at each end of the base’s runway.

It should be noted that most of the city of Airway Heights, including the proposed Spokane Tribe development, is outside the Accident Potential Zone.

When land-use issues around Fairchild are considered, as well as deliberations of another still-to-be-determined Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC), we must use common sense and realize that Fairchild will be evaluated primarily on the basis of the mission it serves and its relationship to our other bases around the world.

Most installations that have been closed in the recent past have been support bases dealing with supplies and logistics whose functions could be relocated to bases with direct flying missions – refueling, bombers, fighters, etc. Others were closed because of their locations, either too close to another base (Williams AFB in Mesa, Ariz., 40 miles east of Luke AFB) or too far from the closest services (Clinton Sherman AFB in Oklahoma, 25 miles from the nearest town).

The location of the new Spokane Tribe development is a benefit to those serving at Fairchild. It will include retailing, offices and other commercial uses, a hotel and a tribal cultural center. It is more than just a casino.

Military leaders understand the importance of and the need for local services for their members. Ease of access to retail, commercial and entertainment venues is an important asset for any base. Among other things, such proximity of services assists in maintaining uninterrupted mission readiness.

The Airway Heights City Council uses all information available in making land-use decisions, including the aforementioned AICUZ standards and JLUS. After all, these decisions affect not just our city but the entire West Plains and areas beyond.

We continue to be in constant contact with officials at Fairchild and other agencies to ensure that the vitality of our region is maintained. We agree with leaders in the Air Force who proudly proclaim, “Fairchild has a very bright future!”