http://www.realestatenewsline.com/

Carver Communications - Index

Carver Communications - 8.1.08 - Index

Vol.XXVI, No.13 © Carver Communications, Inc. August 1, 2008
Camp Bullis Update - What’s All This About Anyway?
By Robin Locke
There is a lot of interest surrounding
the Fort Sam/Camp Bullis base situation
and more specifically what the future
holds in store for the land that surrounds
Camp Bullis (CB). Fort Sam’s 8,594 civilian
jobs, $1.2 billion civilian payroll is tied
to Camp Bullis and its survival. CB is a
27,994-acre camp that has firing and
grenade ranges within its perimeters. For
more than a decade, the CB base has been
dealing with encroaching development
that is negatively impacting its facility
which trains all four branches of the military
conducting exercises in combat-like
situations with soon-to-be deployed medic
teams, as well as allowing for civilian
usages which include numerous community
benefits.
The debate has raised a number of
key issues. Developers look to build on
land near the perimeter fence of the CB
base which in turn could potentially cause
one or more endangered species to relocate
onto CB land. This leaves less land
for the military to utilize in practicing its
training drills. Encroaching development
P.O. Box 33862
San Antonio, Texas 78265
also creates ambient light issues, making it
very difficult for dark night training exercises
to occur. Other issues need to be
addressed as well, to include: noise, water
quality/water quantity and traffic (separate
from noise).
One important point must be noted.
There are only four major tracts of land
that can still be developed surrounding this
base. These lands comprise less than 1,000
acres. One of the four property owners is
seeking to place a self-imposed, conservation
easement on a significant portion of
their property. Additionally, there may be
some smaller tracts of land at play that are
not discussed here. Thus, it would seem
that there is not a real potential at this late
stage of the game to create much of a true
buffer around the base as has been touted
in a number of articles.
“We have a training facility that we
absolutely need to train our medics,” said
an Express News source, Major General
Russell Czerw, Fort Sam’s commanding
general. “It’s vital to us during the day and
during the night; and anything that inhibits
our ability to train could be detrimental.”
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
PAID
San Antonio, Texas
Paid Permit #1957
By 2011 it is anticipated that the post will
have grown by one-third because of gains
from the last round of military base closures;
in numbers, we are talking about an
increase to approximately 37,250 military
and civilian workers that could now be at
risk.
A $300,000 grant was approved in
June by the Office of Economic
Adjustment (OEA) which is part of the
US Department of Defense to fund this
Joint Land Use Study (JLUS). To read
more about the OEA, log onto
www.oea.gov. To qualify for an OEA
grant, communities are required to provide
a 10% non-federal match; the City's contribution
is being made in in-kind services.
This JLUS was approved in an effort to
determine the developmental impact on
training operations at this post over the
course of the months leading up to January
2009 when the 81st Legislative Session
convenes in Austin, where far-reaching
measures may be sought.
So what is being done to try to remedy
this situation and how does the San
Antonio Board of REALTORS®
(SABOR) fit into this equation? Recently,
SABOR was asked to sit on both the
Executive and Advisory JLUS Committee
levels for both Camp Bullis and Lackland
AFB. Please note that Lackland AFB, similar
to Camp Bullis, is also experiencing
problems of encroaching development as
well as other related issues. A third JLUS
committee may be formed in coming
weeks to assess Randolph AFB issues. The
JLUS’ objective is to find ways to have
compatible development while preserving
the missions of these installations (and
potentially other bases throughout the
state).
In both cases, stakeholders and
interested parties will review various criteria
to present recommendations in coming
months on how best to develop and maintain
lands adjacent to these bases while
preserving the private property rights of
those who own the property. Ultimately, it
has been suggested that a broad-based
approach be written, agreed to by stakeholders
and brought forward to the state
level (legislatively) so that recommendations
can be considered, written into law
and implemented. A multijurisdictional
oversight board would be charged with
comprehensive planning and land use control
with an ultimate benefit to the state’s
11 major installations. Thus, costly studies,
construction delays and other such
uncertainties could potentially be minimized
by utilizing the information derived
from these committees.
This will certainly be a worthy
ambition for those who work toward this
goal without compromising the rights of
those who own the adjacent property.
According to the Express News,
San Antonio’s Mayor Hardberger stated
that the closure of Camp Bullis seemed
drastic and an unlikely possibility, but he
vowed to do his part to help control
growth. “I don’t think the Army is going
away. My motivation is one, I think, of
obligation and loyalty to long partners of
San Antonio – namely the Army,”
Hardberger said. “I think we ought to look
at the positive of that. Why wouldn’t we
want to treat them right? We need the
Army and we cherish that relationship, and
we’re going to keep our end of it.”
Sources: SA Express-News, Gene
Dawson – Pape Dawson Engineers, James
Henderson – Deputy Director, Office of
Military Affairs
Continued on page 32