AIRPORTS: MUNICIPAL ZONING, BUFFERS

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Airport Zoning and Buffer Rules

This act sets rules for how cities can zone land near airports and requires buffers between airports and nonindustrial property unless safety is at risk.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the Department of Transportation to follow local zoning laws that ask for vegetative or built barriers around airports, as long as it doesn't harm aircraft safety.
• Allows the Department to reduce or remove existing buffer zones only if there's a direct and immediate safety hazard.
• Needs the Department to give public notice and let people comment before changing any buffers.
• Requires the Department to take extra steps to lessen negative effects when reducing or removing buffers, including possibly setting up new ones.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Department of Transportation and Public Facilities
• Local communities near airports

Terms To Know

Buffer zone

An area around an airport that is meant to protect people from noise or other dangers by having plants, fences, or other barriers.

Nonindustrial property

Land used for things like homes, parks, schools, and small businesses, not factories or big industrial areas.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if the Department of Transportation decides to reduce a buffer zone.
• It is unclear how this act will be enforced in different communities across Alaska.

Official Summary Text

AIRPORTS: MUNICIPAL ZONING, BUFFERS
An Act relating to municipal zoning around airports; and relating to buffers between airports and nonindustrial property.

Current Bill Text

HB0346a -1- HB 346
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

34-LS1497\N

HOUSE BILL NO. 346

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY REPRESENTATIVE HOLLAND

Introduced: 2/23/26
Referred: Transportation, Community and Regional Affairs

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to municipal zoning around airports; and relating to buffers between 1
airports and nonindustrial property." 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 3
* Section 1. AS 35.30.020 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 4
(b) The Department of Transportation and Public Facilities shall, when 5
exercising its police power under AS 02.25.020, comply with local planning and 6
zoning ordinances and other regulations that require vegetative or constructed buffers 7
between an airport and adjacent nonindustrial property unless complying with the 8
local ordinance or regulation would create a hazard to aircraft. The Department of 9
Transportation and Public Facilities may only reduce or remove an existing buffer in a 10
designated buffer zone between an airport and adjacent nonindustrial property if the 11
Department of Transportation and Public Facilities 12
(1) determines that reduction or removal of the buffer is necessary to 13
eliminate a direct and immediate safety hazard; 14
34-LS1497\N
HB 346 -2- HB0346a
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

(2) provides for public notice and an opportunity to comment before 1
reducing or removing the buffer; and 2
(3) implements additional mitigation measures to minimize the adverse 3
effects associated with reducing or removing the buffer, including establishing a new 4
buffer if practicable. 5