The MCUS effort directly benefits March ARB and nearby communities by:
The primary goal of the MCUS is to identify challenges and opportunities in sustaining both the military mission and local economic growth and development. The following objectives guide this study.
Bring together community and military representatives in an open forum to discuss compatibility, local perspectives on shared resource use and future development, and desired outcomes.
Encourage cooperative, coordinate resource planning among the military and surrounding communities.
Provide a set of mututally supported tools and procedures through which local jurisdictions, agencies, the military, and other stakeholders can implement recommendations.
The MCUS is an important tool for enhancing communication and building partnerships between March ARB and neighboring communities. The study will provide a body of information for stakeholders to learn how military operations and local growth trends can impact each other and potentially undermine military readiness and vital economic growth. It will include the following elements:
Protecting the military mission of March ARB is critical to ensuring the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s continued role in our nation’s defense and as a major contributor to the local and regional economies. March ARB is the largest reserve base in the Air Force and provides strategic airlift and air refueling capability for the Department of Defense. It supports the transportation of people, equipment, and materials across the globe. March ARB further provides logistical support to other government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, and helps sustain March Inland Port activities and the regional economy by supporting joint use of its airfield. The installation is a significant driver of the local economies and provides $579 million in estimated annual economic impact, over 9,500 local jobs created, and $396 million in local payroll per year.
Compatibility, in relationship to military readiness, strives to balance community and military needs and interests. The goal of compatibility planning is to promote an environment in which military installations are sustained and communities continue to flourish. This is achieved by identifying ways to sustain resources that are or will be shared among the military and nearby jurisdictions. This study will assess a set of 29 compatibility, resiliency, resource, and social factors — or types of challenges — as the framework for exploring and identifying opportunities and solutions within the Study Area. Compatibility issues may or may not be identified for each of the 29 factors; conversely, several challenges or concerns of just one type could be identified. Issues will be identified and assessed throughout the duration of the study.
The MCUS will include recommendations that stakeholders can implement to address identified compatibility issues and to guide compatible development in the future. In recognizing a one-size-fits-all approach will not be appropriate for the entire Study Area, the recommendations will be developed by the project stakeholders to ensure tailored options that best meet each community’s needs. Once the MCUS is completed, it is critical stakeholders that move forward with implementing these recommendations.
Most compatibility issues can be addressed through nonregulatory strategies that promote enhanced communication, collaboration, and education, but some recommendations may involve amendments to community general and comprehensive plans and/or land use controls, such as zoning, subdivision regulations, and building codes.
Copyright Matrix Design Group, 2021
This study was prepared under contract with Riverside County, with financial support from the Department of Defense Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation. The content reflects the views of the key MCUS partners involved in the development of this study and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation.