Cooperation, clarity vital to protecting Fairchild

Up until the 1990s, encroachment on Fairchild Air Force Base wasn’t a worrisome issue.

The West Plains didn’t have much development and what was there wasn’t a threat.

That’s all changed, with new housing, stores and a large tribe-run casino popping onto the scene.

When the base opened in 1940s, Spokane County’s population was about 165,000. Now it’s more than 450,000, and another 115,000 people are expected to arrive by 2027.

It’s imperative that this region provide a sufficient buffer, because the Base Relocation and Closure process, or BRAC, takes a dim view of urban invasions.

Bases need the flexibility to adjust to any new mission they might be handed. They need sufficient crash zones. They need to be insulated from governmental noise restrictions.

Bases that can’t adjust because they are hemmed in could be closed.

Luke Air Force Base, northwest of Phoenix, recently secured an agreement from Maricopa County to end nearby residential housing encroachment that might have thwarted its bid to become the training center for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Spokane County needs to deliver a similar commitment to Fairchild.

“Encroachment will kill it,” said Spokane City Council President Joe Shogan, in support of recommendations from a two-year land-use study of the area surrounding the base.

That prospect is scary to consider.

Fairchild is the largest employer in the region, and its value to the economy tops $1.2 billion.

Two years ago, Spokane County received a $244,000 Department of Defense grant for a joint land-use study to prevent encroachment. The study was completed in December and it needs to be implemented.

The smoother that process, the better. And that will require the cooperation of officials from the county, Spokane, Airway Heights and Medical Lake.

A previous study wasn’t implemented, which helped pave the way for some unfortunate missteps when some light industrial zoning areas were opened to housing.

The county then had to scramble to cut off further projects, much to the dismay of developers.

With guidelines spelled out and the stakes clearly defined, regional leaders can move forward with a common goal: Protect the base, so it can continue to deliver for the region.