During the last week of June, the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments held a series of public meetings about the councilís ongoing joint land use study. The purpose of the study is to identify common community interests and ways to support partnerships that benefit the military and civilian communities.Brian Potts, PPACG director of the JLUS (joint land use study), said there have been 120 studies like this conducted across the country, but this is the first in Colorado.ìGiven the extensiveness of military operations and the number of installations located in our area, as well as their significant contribution to the regionís economy; it is imperative that citizens and community organizations work in collaboration with the installations,î Potts said.Based on community feedback gathered during the last 18 months of the study, he said the council has identified several common concerns, including noise, flight operations, trail closures and military communications with civilians.ìWe hope that this plan will be a useful tool to understanding what is going on in the community and how military operations fit into that,î Potts said. ìWe want to identify compatibility issues and create strategies to deal with those.îPotts said the study started in the fall of 2015, and a draft should be ready for public comment late this summer. Additional information on the JLUS, plus a way to submit comments, can be found at http://ppacg.org/military/jlus.
